The Gilmer Buckeyes (14-0) will take on the Abilene Wylie Bulldogs (12-1) on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m.
The game will be played at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the campus of Southern Methodist University in University Park, a municipality within the city of Dallas.
This is the UIL Class 3A Division I state championship game.
It is the second time in the last three years Gilmer has qualified to play for the state title in Division I.
Gates will open at 4:30 p.m.
Tickets at the gate are $10.
Advance tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students.
They went on sale Tuesday at 8 a.m. at the Gilmer ISD Admiministration Building on Trinity St. and sales will continue through 3 p.m. Thursday.
General parking is $5 with several lots available.
Gilmer is the visiting team and will be wearing white.
Joe Dodd’s preview of this game with comments from the coaches will be published in Saturday’s Mirror.
BUCKEYE TICKET LINE:
841-7777
LUNCH WITH THE COACH:
Noon Wednesday, Buckeyes Booster Club meets at Gilmer Country Club
LIVE WEBCAST:
www.GilmerBuckeyes.com
LIVE RADIO:
KYKX 105.7 FM, KYKX.com
LIVE TV via the Internet:
Wylie vs Gilmer State Championship
From KETKnbc:
Buckeyes State-Bound
Directions to Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Wylie All-Sports Booster Club
Go Buckeyes!
Come out and show your support for the Gilmer Buckeyes the night before their state championship game at SMU.
Gilmer
Mascot: Buckeyes
Colors: Orange & Black
District: 17-3A
Enrollment: 701
Record: 14-0
Last meeting: Gilmer won its only other meeting with Abilene Wylie, 28-21, in the Class 3A Division I semifinal game in 2007.
Head Coach: Jeff Traylor (111-17 in 10th season at Gilmer)
Did you know? Jeff Traylor was an all-East Texas player for the Gilmer Buckeyes in 1985.
Gilmer Buckeyes 2009 Season Results
Aug. 28 Jasper @ Nacogdoches, won: 42-14
The Buckeyes started the 2009 season with a trip to Homer Bryce Stadium on the SFA campus and came away with an impressive 42-14 victory over Jasper. Leading only 8-7 at the half, the Buckeyes erupted for 328 yards and 34 points after intermission.
Sep. 3 Rains @ Tyler, won 76-12
The Buckeyes made their annual trek to TMF Rose Stadium play in the Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic against a former district opponent. QB Stump Godfrey passed for 291 yards in only 17 attempts, completing 14 of them as Gilmer cruised to a 76-12 win after amassing a 48-0 halftime lead.
Sep. 11 @ Texarkana Liberty-Eylau, won 35-17
The Buckeyes trailed 17-9 as late as the third quarter, but finished strong. Stump Godfrey ran for three touchdowns, but the key play was his screen pass to Tristan Holt, who broke it for a 68-yard score, giving Gilmer a commanding 28-17 lead with 5:15 left in the third quarter.
Sep. 18 Kilgore, won 70-27
The 2009 motto “Code Red” was partially based on avenging Gilmer’s two losses in 2008 to teams featuring the color red and this was one of them. The Buckeyes stunned the 4A school by scoring on nine of their first 10 possessions before a standing-room only crowd of 5,000 for Homecoming.
Sep. 25 Daingerfield, won 43-20
In a game that pitted the state’s No. 1-ranked Class 3A and 2A teams against each other, Stump Godfrey passed for 279 yards to surpass 9,000 in his career as the Buckeyes closed out their predistrict schedule with a record of 5-0.
Oct. 9 @ Bullard, won 71-0
The Buckeyes began District 17-3A play on the road and cruised to their largest margin of victory since 1930. Gilmer’s Black Flag Defense held the Panthers to -7 on the ground and 77 total yards.
Oct. 16 Tyler Chapel Hill, won 45-7
Gilmer jumped out to a 28-0 lead by early in the second quarter and coasted to victory. Stump Godfrey passed for 283 yards and three TDs, crediting his receivers for making him look good during the Yamboree.
Oct. 23 @ Longview Spring Hill, won 66-14
Stump Godfrey celebrated his 18th birthday in style by passing for three TDs, becoming only the ninth QB in Texas high school history to pass for 100 TDs in his career. The Buckeyes scored 49 points in the first half.
Oct. 30 @ Gladewater, won 67-12
Tristan Holt scored on a 55-yard screen pass on the Buckeyes’ opening possession, setting the tone for another high-scoring win. The score after just one quarter of play was 32-12.
Nov. 6 Tatum, won 39-20
The Buckeyes jumped out to a 31-0 lead and wound up with the win to close out a perfect 10-0 regular season and a ninth consecutive undefeated district title. Tatum had the ball for about five times longer than Gilmer, frustrating the team’s quest to break its own state regular season scoring record.
Nov. 14 Jasper @ Tyler, won 57-21
“Code Red” failed to materialize for the second opponent as Chapel Hill missed the playoffs by a single point and Gilmer went into Division I, preventing a rematch with Division II “Red” Carthage. The first round was a rematch with Jasper, this time at TMF Rose Stadium. Gus Osborne, injured for much of the season, returned to run for 152 yards and three TDs as the Buckeyes seniors destroyed any supposed bi-district jinx from being ranked No. 1 all season.
Nov. 21 Waco La Vega @ Mesquite, won 44-16
The Pirates played the Buckeyes to a 3-3 tie for one quarter at Memorial Stadium, but after that, it was all Gilmer. Despite throwing no TD passes for only the second time in 41 games as starter, Stump Godfrey was pleased with the win and his coach, Jeff Traylor, said that winning was always his QB’s top priority.
Nov. 28 Navasota @ Lufkin, won 42-35
The Rattlers gave the Buckeyes a severe test as Gilmer came back to tie the game up right before halftime, 28-28. Halftime adjustments, though, worked in mostly shutting down Rattler QB Kye Hildreth’s high-octane offense. The Buckeyes lost Tristan Holt to an ankle injury after one quarter. Gus Osborne didn’t play at all and Vance Green was not healthy, but Marlon Granville took up the slack, running for most of the yardage on a time-consuming, game-clinching TD drive which came about after DB Ben Griffith had made a brilliant stop on 4th-and-5 on Navasota’s Thomas Sweed.
Dec. 5 Cuero @ Huntsville, won 42-36
The Buckeyes have played in a lot of exciting games over the last decade, but this one at Bowers Stadium on the campus of Sam Houston State University ranked with the best of them. Cuero jumped out to leads of 13-0 and 20-7, taking advantage of three Gilmer turnovers. At halftime, it was 27-21 in favor of the Gobblers, only the second time all year the Buckeyes had trailed at the half. But Stump Godfrey willed his team to victory in the second half, running for five TDs in all and passing for the other one. The Black Flag Defense came up big after Godfrey’s 68-yard TD run late in the game gave Gilmer a precarious lead, bending but not breaking as it held the Gobblers on downs at the Gilmer 5.
December 12- Abilene Wylie @ SMU’s Ford Stadium, Dallas
Mascot: Bulldogs
Colors: Purple/Gold
District: 2-3A
Enrollment: 956
Record: 12-1, 4-1 District
Last meeting: Gilmer won 28-21 in 2007 Class 3A Division I Semifinals
Head Coach: Hugh Sandifer (211-79-4 in 24th season at Abilene Wylie; 211-79-4 overall)
Returning Starters: 3 Offense/4 Defense from 11-3 DI Semifinalist
Did you know? This is the Bulldogs’ 16th consecutive playoff appearance; a class 3A record.
Abilene Wylie Bulldogs 2009 Season Results
Aug. 28 Vernon, won 37-14
Wylie showcased almost $4 million of renovations to Bulldog Stadium with an impressive offensive show to beat Vernon. The Bulldogs racked up 335 total yards by halftime on their way to 409 total yards.
Sep. 4 @ Liberty Hill, cancelled
One of the state’s most anticipated matchups between the two class 3A powers fell victim to the torrential rains that swept over much of central Texas.
Sep. 11 Frenship, won 21-7
Rain was present again, but this time the Bulldogs played through it, dominating Class 4A Frenship. The Bulldogs’ defense limited Frenship to 196 total yards and didn’t allow a point until 8 seconds remained in the game.
Sep. 18 @ La Vega, won 46-29
The Bulldogs’ first road game ruined La Vega’s homecoming. Wylie jumped out to a 39-0 halftime lead, outgaining La Vega 311-29 total yards in the half. The Bulldogs’ backups played most of the second half.
Sep. 25 Canyon, won 41-24
The Bulldogs gave up 343 yards passing to Canyon, but never trailed on their way to a homecoming victory. After being tied 7-7 with 5 minutes left in the first quarter, Wylie outscored Canyon 24-3 to take a commanding 31-10 halftime lead.
Oct. 9 @ Brownwood, won 41-21
The Bulldogs opened district 2-3A play on the road and made their presence known with an early 31-7 halftime lead. Wylie’s defense held Brownwood to only 15 yards rushing on 15 first half carries.
Oct. 16 @ Snyder, won 17-0
The Bulldogs took their opening drive 67 yards in 9 plays, scoring on quarterback Matt Preston’s 1 yard run on the road against Snyder in what eventually turned out to be a defensive battle. The Bulldogs finished with 250 yards in the game, including only 71 yards on the ground.
Oct. 23 Breckenridge, won 35-7
The Bulldogs returned home for the first time since district play opened and rolled to a 35-0 halftime lead over Breckenridge. Wylie’s defense limited Breckenridge to only 65 yards and 2 first downs in the first half.
Oct. 30 @ Graham, lost 10-13
The Bulldogs needed only 17 seconds to take a 7-0 lead over Graham, but 8 turnovers during the rest of the game cost Wylie their only loss of the season. Coached by University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy’s father Brad, and quarterbacked by little brother Case; Graham took advantage of the turnovers despite being outgained 359-327 by the Bulldogs. Wylie quarterback Matt Preston left the game with a knee injury late in the fourth quarter.
Nov. 6 Sweetwater, won 47-7
The Bulldogs got back on track a week after their only loss of the season with a blowout win over Sweetwater to claim a share of the district championship. Junior backup quarterback Colin Harris filled in for injured starter Matt Preston and led the Bulldogs to their highest point total of the season.
Nov. 14 Lubbock Estacado @ Midland, won 24-7
Quarterback Colin Harris got his second start subbing for injured starter Matt Preston in the Bulldogs’ playoff opener. Harris had a solid outing, completing 10 of 12 passes for 99 yards and 2 touchdowns as Wylie cruised to the win. The Bulldogs defense did their part, holding Estacado to minus-7 yards in the second half.
Nov. 20 Andrews @ Midland, won 42-0
Starting quarterback Matt Preston returned from a 2 week injury hiatus to lead the Bulldogs to an impressive playoff win. Preston passed for 149 yards, ran for 14 more and accounted for 2 touchdowns. The Bulldogs’ defense returned an interception for a touchdown and forced a fumble on their 1-yard line in the second half to preserve the shutout.
Nov. 27 Burkburnett @ Saginaw, won 39-21
Jon Miller ran for 102 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Austin Gray hauled in 4 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown as Wylie advanced to the semifinals for the third consecutive year.
Dec. 5 Lucas Lovejoy @ Waco, won 31-27
Down by 3 points with 2:42 left on the clock, the Bulldogs drove 64 yards in 11 plays, scoring the winning touchdown on Matt Preston’s 6-yard pass to Joe Nasser with 8 seconds remaining in the game. After losing in the semifinals the past 2 years, the Bulldogs punched their ticket to the finals for the 3rd time this decade.
Courtesy Graphic / WOS87 of 3ADownLow.com
AND THEN there were two. As the brackets show, the survivors of the grueling Class 3A Division I playoff competition are the Gilmer Buckeyes and the Abilene Wylie Bulldogs, the champions of Region III and Region I, respectively. They will play for the championship at 6 p.m. Saturday at SMU.
Video Archive of Wylie High Bulldogs vs Lovejoy
Saturday, December 5, 2009 7:30pm Waco ISD Stadium, Waco
Class 3A Division I Semifinal
Final: Wylie 31 Lovejoy 27
Other Wylie Game Replays Here
From the Abilene Reporter News:
Wylie Coach Hugh Sandifer Interviewed After End of 2008 Season
The game will be played at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the campus of Southern Methodist University in University Park, a municipality within the city of Dallas.
This is the UIL Class 3A Division I state championship game.
It is the second time in the last three years Gilmer has qualified to play for the state title in Division I.
Gates will open at 4:30 p.m.
Tickets at the gate are $10.
Advance tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students.
They went on sale Tuesday at 8 a.m. at the Gilmer ISD Admiministration Building on Trinity St. and sales will continue through 3 p.m. Thursday.
General parking is $5 with several lots available.
Gilmer is the visiting team and will be wearing white.
Joe Dodd’s preview of this game with comments from the coaches will be published in Saturday’s Mirror.
BUCKEYE TICKET LINE:
841-7777
LUNCH WITH THE COACH:
Noon Wednesday, Buckeyes Booster Club meets at Gilmer Country Club
LIVE WEBCAST:
www.GilmerBuckeyes.com
LIVE RADIO:
KYKX 105.7 FM, KYKX.com
LIVE TV via the Internet:
Wylie vs Gilmer State Championship
From KETKnbc:
Buckeyes State-Bound
Directions to Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Wylie All-Sports Booster Club
Community Pep Rally set for Buckeye Stadium Friday at 6 p.m.
Go Buckeyes!
Come out and show your support for the Gilmer Buckeyes the night before their state championship game at SMU.
Gilmer Buckeyes 2009 Season in Review
Gilmer
Mascot: Buckeyes
Colors: Orange & Black
District: 17-3A
Enrollment: 701
Record: 14-0
Last meeting: Gilmer won its only other meeting with Abilene Wylie, 28-21, in the Class 3A Division I semifinal game in 2007.
Head Coach: Jeff Traylor (111-17 in 10th season at Gilmer)
Did you know? Jeff Traylor was an all-East Texas player for the Gilmer Buckeyes in 1985.
Gilmer Buckeyes 2009 Season Results
Aug. 28 Jasper @ Nacogdoches, won: 42-14
The Buckeyes started the 2009 season with a trip to Homer Bryce Stadium on the SFA campus and came away with an impressive 42-14 victory over Jasper. Leading only 8-7 at the half, the Buckeyes erupted for 328 yards and 34 points after intermission.
Sep. 3 Rains @ Tyler, won 76-12
The Buckeyes made their annual trek to TMF Rose Stadium play in the Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic against a former district opponent. QB Stump Godfrey passed for 291 yards in only 17 attempts, completing 14 of them as Gilmer cruised to a 76-12 win after amassing a 48-0 halftime lead.
Sep. 11 @ Texarkana Liberty-Eylau, won 35-17
The Buckeyes trailed 17-9 as late as the third quarter, but finished strong. Stump Godfrey ran for three touchdowns, but the key play was his screen pass to Tristan Holt, who broke it for a 68-yard score, giving Gilmer a commanding 28-17 lead with 5:15 left in the third quarter.
Sep. 18 Kilgore, won 70-27
The 2009 motto “Code Red” was partially based on avenging Gilmer’s two losses in 2008 to teams featuring the color red and this was one of them. The Buckeyes stunned the 4A school by scoring on nine of their first 10 possessions before a standing-room only crowd of 5,000 for Homecoming.
Sep. 25 Daingerfield, won 43-20
In a game that pitted the state’s No. 1-ranked Class 3A and 2A teams against each other, Stump Godfrey passed for 279 yards to surpass 9,000 in his career as the Buckeyes closed out their predistrict schedule with a record of 5-0.
Oct. 9 @ Bullard, won 71-0
The Buckeyes began District 17-3A play on the road and cruised to their largest margin of victory since 1930. Gilmer’s Black Flag Defense held the Panthers to -7 on the ground and 77 total yards.
Oct. 16 Tyler Chapel Hill, won 45-7
Gilmer jumped out to a 28-0 lead by early in the second quarter and coasted to victory. Stump Godfrey passed for 283 yards and three TDs, crediting his receivers for making him look good during the Yamboree.
Oct. 23 @ Longview Spring Hill, won 66-14
Stump Godfrey celebrated his 18th birthday in style by passing for three TDs, becoming only the ninth QB in Texas high school history to pass for 100 TDs in his career. The Buckeyes scored 49 points in the first half.
Oct. 30 @ Gladewater, won 67-12
Tristan Holt scored on a 55-yard screen pass on the Buckeyes’ opening possession, setting the tone for another high-scoring win. The score after just one quarter of play was 32-12.
Nov. 6 Tatum, won 39-20
The Buckeyes jumped out to a 31-0 lead and wound up with the win to close out a perfect 10-0 regular season and a ninth consecutive undefeated district title. Tatum had the ball for about five times longer than Gilmer, frustrating the team’s quest to break its own state regular season scoring record.
Nov. 14 Jasper @ Tyler, won 57-21
“Code Red” failed to materialize for the second opponent as Chapel Hill missed the playoffs by a single point and Gilmer went into Division I, preventing a rematch with Division II “Red” Carthage. The first round was a rematch with Jasper, this time at TMF Rose Stadium. Gus Osborne, injured for much of the season, returned to run for 152 yards and three TDs as the Buckeyes seniors destroyed any supposed bi-district jinx from being ranked No. 1 all season.
Nov. 21 Waco La Vega @ Mesquite, won 44-16
The Pirates played the Buckeyes to a 3-3 tie for one quarter at Memorial Stadium, but after that, it was all Gilmer. Despite throwing no TD passes for only the second time in 41 games as starter, Stump Godfrey was pleased with the win and his coach, Jeff Traylor, said that winning was always his QB’s top priority.
Nov. 28 Navasota @ Lufkin, won 42-35
The Rattlers gave the Buckeyes a severe test as Gilmer came back to tie the game up right before halftime, 28-28. Halftime adjustments, though, worked in mostly shutting down Rattler QB Kye Hildreth’s high-octane offense. The Buckeyes lost Tristan Holt to an ankle injury after one quarter. Gus Osborne didn’t play at all and Vance Green was not healthy, but Marlon Granville took up the slack, running for most of the yardage on a time-consuming, game-clinching TD drive which came about after DB Ben Griffith had made a brilliant stop on 4th-and-5 on Navasota’s Thomas Sweed.
Dec. 5 Cuero @ Huntsville, won 42-36
The Buckeyes have played in a lot of exciting games over the last decade, but this one at Bowers Stadium on the campus of Sam Houston State University ranked with the best of them. Cuero jumped out to leads of 13-0 and 20-7, taking advantage of three Gilmer turnovers. At halftime, it was 27-21 in favor of the Gobblers, only the second time all year the Buckeyes had trailed at the half. But Stump Godfrey willed his team to victory in the second half, running for five TDs in all and passing for the other one. The Black Flag Defense came up big after Godfrey’s 68-yard TD run late in the game gave Gilmer a precarious lead, bending but not breaking as it held the Gobblers on downs at the Gilmer 5.
December 12- Abilene Wylie @ SMU’s Ford Stadium, Dallas
Mascot: Bulldogs
Colors: Purple/Gold
District: 2-3A
Enrollment: 956
Record: 12-1, 4-1 District
Last meeting: Gilmer won 28-21 in 2007 Class 3A Division I Semifinals
Head Coach: Hugh Sandifer (211-79-4 in 24th season at Abilene Wylie; 211-79-4 overall)
Returning Starters: 3 Offense/4 Defense from 11-3 DI Semifinalist
Did you know? This is the Bulldogs’ 16th consecutive playoff appearance; a class 3A record.
Abilene Wylie Bulldogs 2009 Season Results
Aug. 28 Vernon, won 37-14
Wylie showcased almost $4 million of renovations to Bulldog Stadium with an impressive offensive show to beat Vernon. The Bulldogs racked up 335 total yards by halftime on their way to 409 total yards.
Sep. 4 @ Liberty Hill, cancelled
One of the state’s most anticipated matchups between the two class 3A powers fell victim to the torrential rains that swept over much of central Texas.
Sep. 11 Frenship, won 21-7
Rain was present again, but this time the Bulldogs played through it, dominating Class 4A Frenship. The Bulldogs’ defense limited Frenship to 196 total yards and didn’t allow a point until 8 seconds remained in the game.
Sep. 18 @ La Vega, won 46-29
The Bulldogs’ first road game ruined La Vega’s homecoming. Wylie jumped out to a 39-0 halftime lead, outgaining La Vega 311-29 total yards in the half. The Bulldogs’ backups played most of the second half.
Sep. 25 Canyon, won 41-24
The Bulldogs gave up 343 yards passing to Canyon, but never trailed on their way to a homecoming victory. After being tied 7-7 with 5 minutes left in the first quarter, Wylie outscored Canyon 24-3 to take a commanding 31-10 halftime lead.
Oct. 9 @ Brownwood, won 41-21
The Bulldogs opened district 2-3A play on the road and made their presence known with an early 31-7 halftime lead. Wylie’s defense held Brownwood to only 15 yards rushing on 15 first half carries.
Oct. 16 @ Snyder, won 17-0
The Bulldogs took their opening drive 67 yards in 9 plays, scoring on quarterback Matt Preston’s 1 yard run on the road against Snyder in what eventually turned out to be a defensive battle. The Bulldogs finished with 250 yards in the game, including only 71 yards on the ground.
Oct. 23 Breckenridge, won 35-7
The Bulldogs returned home for the first time since district play opened and rolled to a 35-0 halftime lead over Breckenridge. Wylie’s defense limited Breckenridge to only 65 yards and 2 first downs in the first half.
Oct. 30 @ Graham, lost 10-13
The Bulldogs needed only 17 seconds to take a 7-0 lead over Graham, but 8 turnovers during the rest of the game cost Wylie their only loss of the season. Coached by University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy’s father Brad, and quarterbacked by little brother Case; Graham took advantage of the turnovers despite being outgained 359-327 by the Bulldogs. Wylie quarterback Matt Preston left the game with a knee injury late in the fourth quarter.
Nov. 6 Sweetwater, won 47-7
The Bulldogs got back on track a week after their only loss of the season with a blowout win over Sweetwater to claim a share of the district championship. Junior backup quarterback Colin Harris filled in for injured starter Matt Preston and led the Bulldogs to their highest point total of the season.
Nov. 14 Lubbock Estacado @ Midland, won 24-7
Quarterback Colin Harris got his second start subbing for injured starter Matt Preston in the Bulldogs’ playoff opener. Harris had a solid outing, completing 10 of 12 passes for 99 yards and 2 touchdowns as Wylie cruised to the win. The Bulldogs defense did their part, holding Estacado to minus-7 yards in the second half.
Nov. 20 Andrews @ Midland, won 42-0
Starting quarterback Matt Preston returned from a 2 week injury hiatus to lead the Bulldogs to an impressive playoff win. Preston passed for 149 yards, ran for 14 more and accounted for 2 touchdowns. The Bulldogs’ defense returned an interception for a touchdown and forced a fumble on their 1-yard line in the second half to preserve the shutout.
Nov. 27 Burkburnett @ Saginaw, won 39-21
Jon Miller ran for 102 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Austin Gray hauled in 4 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown as Wylie advanced to the semifinals for the third consecutive year.
Dec. 5 Lucas Lovejoy @ Waco, won 31-27
Down by 3 points with 2:42 left on the clock, the Bulldogs drove 64 yards in 11 plays, scoring the winning touchdown on Matt Preston’s 6-yard pass to Joe Nasser with 8 seconds remaining in the game. After losing in the semifinals the past 2 years, the Bulldogs punched their ticket to the finals for the 3rd time this decade.
Courtesy Graphic / WOS87 of 3ADownLow.com
AND THEN there were two. As the brackets show, the survivors of the grueling Class 3A Division I playoff competition are the Gilmer Buckeyes and the Abilene Wylie Bulldogs, the champions of Region III and Region I, respectively. They will play for the championship at 6 p.m. Saturday at SMU.
Video Archive of Wylie High Bulldogs vs Lovejoy
Saturday, December 5, 2009 7:30pm Waco ISD Stadium, Waco
Class 3A Division I Semifinal
Final: Wylie 31 Lovejoy 27
Other Wylie Game Replays Here
From the Abilene Reporter News:
Wylie Coach Hugh Sandifer Interviewed After End of 2008 Season
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