By JOE DODD
When the Gilmer Buckeyes (13-0) and Abilene Wylie Bulldogs (11-2) kick off at 6 p.m. at Birdville ISD Stadium in North Richland Hills, it will be the first-ever meeting between two of the best programs in Class 3A.
Since 2000, the Buckeyes and Bulldogs have combined for 168 wins, 5 semifinal appearances, and 2 state championships. “I think it’s a huge marquee match-up to get two schools that have a state championship at their school to meet each other in the state semifinals,” said Abilene Wylie head coach Hugh Sandifer, who is 188-74-1 in 22 seasons as the Bulldogs head coach.
Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor, who is 84-14 in eight seasons at Gilmer, is thrilled to have his program compared to Abilene Wylie. “We’ve been good for seven,” admitted Traylor. “They’ve been good for 14 years in a row. That’s the difference; they’ve been doing it longer.”
Traylor is referring to the Bulldogs’ Class 3A-best streak of 14 consecutive playoff appearances. “They are one of the best programs in the state of Texas,” praised Traylor, who enters the game with a 13-5 career record in playoff games.
Sandifer was quick to return the praise. “I consider Gilmer one of the premier programs in the 2000s. They’ve been one of the best,” stated Sandifer, who is 30-15-1 in 17 playoff appearances.
That means a lot to Traylor, who said, “In my profession, he’s one of the very best. He’s one of the big ones.”
Sandifer ranks second among Class 3A coaches in wins, but his winning percentage of 72 trails Traylor’s 86 percent.
“I can see Gilmer’s doing the same thing with Coach Traylor,” said Sandifer. “He’s obviously got a very impressive record, but more importantly they’ve got good football teams that play the right way.”
The right way doesn’t necessarily mean that the Buckeyes and Bulldogs play the same way. While Gilmer is committed to the spread offense and ‘50’ defense, Abilene Wylie is a chameleon.
“They’re in the spread, they’re in the I, they’re under center; they’re much more multiple than we are,” marveled Traylor. “We try to be very multiple by formations and motion,” agreed Sandifer of his offensive scheme.
Traylor said that the Bulldogs do the same thing on the other side of the football. “Defensively, they are very multiple as well,” said Traylor. “They’ve been in a 4-2, 3-3, 50, 4-3; they just do a lot of stuff.”
Sandifer believes the Bulldogs’ various looks give his team an advantage. “We do feel like our kids can adapt week to week against whoever we’re playing and make the necessary changes that can give us the chance to win the football game.”
It’s hard to argue with the Bulldogs’ results. After starting the season 1-2, Abilene Wylie has won 10 in a row to reach the state semifinals for the third time in five years. “They just do whatever it takes to win,” said Traylor.
No matter what offense Abilene Wylie comes out in, the Bulldogs have proven their effectiveness by averaging 37 points and 309 yards per game. Despite those impressive offensive numbers, the Bulldogs’ leading rusher, Cameron Rogers, (6-0, 195) has only 863 yards on the season, while quarterback Jared Wallace (6-0, 190) has passed for 1,469 yards.
“There is not a lot of flashy individual stats on our team,” confirmed Sandifer. “We’re not going to have anybody with flashy numbers pop out at you.”
Flashy numbers are one way to describe Gilmer’s offense that averages 51 points and 508 yards per game. “They’ve got a lot of weapons on offense,” said Sandifer, who expects the Buckeyes to stick to their strengths. “Any team still playing in week fourteen, it’s obvious the guys that are the play makers on their team are going to have the ball in their hands.”
That would be running back Justin Johnson, who has rushed for 731 yards and 9 touchdowns in three playoff games to bring his season totals to 2,049 yards and 24 touchdowns on only 169 carries. But Johnson is not the only play maker the Buckeyes have. Sophomore quarterback Darian Godfrey has completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,451 yards and 34 touchdowns, while rushing for 540 yards and 13 more touchdowns. Godfrey’s favorite receiver has been Houston Tuminello who has caught 63 passes for 914 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“They’ve got a solid offensive line that does a great job [and] gives their quarterback time to throw it, and outstanding talent at running back and receiver,” said Sandifer. “They pose a big threat for you when you’re trying to slow that down.”
The Bulldogs have managed to slow down most of their opponents this season, allowing only 15 points and 231 yards per game. “Their front seven is the best that we have faced this season,” warned Traylor. “They have four outstanding linebackers who remind me of Daniel Dodd and Chaz Kuikahi.”
That is high praise from Traylor since Dodd and Kuikahi were all-state linebackers on Gilmer’s 2004 state championship team. And even though the Buckeyes’ defense has put up its best statistics since that 2004 season, Traylor admitted that the unit hasn’t received much respect.
“The (NCAA) Division I players we have are on offense. We don’t have that on defense. On defense we’ve got a bunch of kids that overachieve a lot, and they’re the ones that deserve a lot of credit,” praised Traylor.
Gilmer’s defense is allowing only 14.5 points and 234 yards per game this season, led by linebackers Ross Stevens’ 118 tackles and Vance Green’s 100 stops. “They compete so hard and they never quit,” exclaimed Traylor. “They are the epitome of the Black Flag Defense; they’re not going to surrender.”
The Buckeyes’ defense will need to, “Get their offense off the field,” said Traylor, who believes he knows what the Bulldogs’ game plan will be. “They’re going to try to keep our offense on the bench; that’s what I think.”
Sandifer’s next statement seems to confirm Traylor’s theory. “You’ve got to make sure that when you get the football you can keep it and do some things with it, so hanging on to it is a big key.”
Another thing that both coaches agree on is the expectation of a large crowd. “There will be a lot of people out of town on Saturday,” said Sandifer, who explained that Abilene High plays in the Class 5A regional final at 1 p.m. at Texas Stadium. “I imagine we’ll get a few carry-overs from the Abilene High game, so I would expect it to be a great crowd Saturday night.”
Traylor praised the Buckeyes’ faithful who showed up last Saturday in Mesquite. “Wow; who couldn’t play hard for that group of people? They’re amazing. Our crowd has played a part in every snap of our playoff run.”
Sandifer is excited about the matchup. “I just think it’s great for the state of Texas to have two quality programs play like this in the playoffs. I think it’s a great compliment to both schools and the quality of programs that we have.”
Visit the Sports page of www.gilmermirror.com for more on tonight’s Class 3A Division I Semifinal, including a map locating the stadium. There is also a link there to www.GilmerBuckeyes.com, which will webcast the game live.
The audio will also be cablecast live over Etex Channel 1 and Gilmer Cable TV Channel 33.
The winner of this game will play for the state championship on Saturday, Dec. 15, against the winner of the Liberty Hill-Pleasanton game being played tonight at 8 p.m. in San Antonio.
• This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
• This is Gilmer’s 27th playoff appearance, including 7 straight.
• This is Abilene Wylie’s 20th playoff appearance, including a 3A- leading 14th straight.
• Gilmer has a 41-19-1 record in 61 playoff games with two appearances in the state championship game (1981 and 2004) and one state championship (2004).
• Abilene Wylie has a 31-18-1 record in 50 playoff games with two appearances in the state championship game (2000 and 2004) and one state championship (2004).
• This will be Gilmer’s first-ever visit to Birdville ISD Stadium.
• Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor is 84-14 in 8 seasons at Gilmer, including a 13-5 career playoff record in 7 appearances.
• Abilene Wylie head coach Hugh Sandifer is 188-74-4 in 22 seasons at Abilene Wylie, including a 30-15-1 career playoff record in 17 appearances.
• Gilmer has missed the playoffs once in Jeff Traylor’s 8 seasons.
• Abilene Wylie has missed the playoffs 5 times in Hugh Sandifer’s 22 seasons.
• In the last 5 seasons, Gilmer is 62-4 with 2 semifinal appearances.
• In the last 5 seasons, Abilene Wylie is 51-16 with 3 semifinal appearances.
• Since 2000, Gilmer is 84-14, including a 13-5 playoff record and 1 state championship.
• Since 2000, Abilene Wylie is 84-21, including a 19-6 playoff record and 1 state championship.
• Gilmer’s senior class has a 49-3 record and 1 state championship.
• Abilene Wylie’s senior class has a 42-11 record and 1 state championship.
• Gilmer needs 4 points to surpass the school’s single-season record of 664 points scored in 16 games during the 2004 season.
• Gilmer’s Justin Johnson needs 4 rushing touchdowns to surpass the school’s single-season record of 27 set by Derek McKenzie in 2003.
• Gilmer’s Houston Tuminello needs 2 touchdown receptions to surpass the school’s single-season record of 14 set by Curtis Brown and Lamar Harris in 2006.
• Tuminello also needs 86 receiving yards to reach at least 1,000 yards for the 3rd straight season.
• Gilmer’s Jeremy Jackson needs 182 rushing yards to reach 1,000 for the season.
• Abilene Wylie’s Cameron Rogers needs 137 yards rushing to reach 1,000 for the season.
When the Gilmer Buckeyes (13-0) and Abilene Wylie Bulldogs (11-2) kick off at 6 p.m. at Birdville ISD Stadium in North Richland Hills, it will be the first-ever meeting between two of the best programs in Class 3A.
Since 2000, the Buckeyes and Bulldogs have combined for 168 wins, 5 semifinal appearances, and 2 state championships. “I think it’s a huge marquee match-up to get two schools that have a state championship at their school to meet each other in the state semifinals,” said Abilene Wylie head coach Hugh Sandifer, who is 188-74-1 in 22 seasons as the Bulldogs head coach.
Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor, who is 84-14 in eight seasons at Gilmer, is thrilled to have his program compared to Abilene Wylie. “We’ve been good for seven,” admitted Traylor. “They’ve been good for 14 years in a row. That’s the difference; they’ve been doing it longer.”
Traylor is referring to the Bulldogs’ Class 3A-best streak of 14 consecutive playoff appearances. “They are one of the best programs in the state of Texas,” praised Traylor, who enters the game with a 13-5 career record in playoff games.
Sandifer was quick to return the praise. “I consider Gilmer one of the premier programs in the 2000s. They’ve been one of the best,” stated Sandifer, who is 30-15-1 in 17 playoff appearances.
That means a lot to Traylor, who said, “In my profession, he’s one of the very best. He’s one of the big ones.”
Sandifer ranks second among Class 3A coaches in wins, but his winning percentage of 72 trails Traylor’s 86 percent.
“I can see Gilmer’s doing the same thing with Coach Traylor,” said Sandifer. “He’s obviously got a very impressive record, but more importantly they’ve got good football teams that play the right way.”
The right way doesn’t necessarily mean that the Buckeyes and Bulldogs play the same way. While Gilmer is committed to the spread offense and ‘50’ defense, Abilene Wylie is a chameleon.
“They’re in the spread, they’re in the I, they’re under center; they’re much more multiple than we are,” marveled Traylor. “We try to be very multiple by formations and motion,” agreed Sandifer of his offensive scheme.
Traylor said that the Bulldogs do the same thing on the other side of the football. “Defensively, they are very multiple as well,” said Traylor. “They’ve been in a 4-2, 3-3, 50, 4-3; they just do a lot of stuff.”
Sandifer believes the Bulldogs’ various looks give his team an advantage. “We do feel like our kids can adapt week to week against whoever we’re playing and make the necessary changes that can give us the chance to win the football game.”
It’s hard to argue with the Bulldogs’ results. After starting the season 1-2, Abilene Wylie has won 10 in a row to reach the state semifinals for the third time in five years. “They just do whatever it takes to win,” said Traylor.
No matter what offense Abilene Wylie comes out in, the Bulldogs have proven their effectiveness by averaging 37 points and 309 yards per game. Despite those impressive offensive numbers, the Bulldogs’ leading rusher, Cameron Rogers, (6-0, 195) has only 863 yards on the season, while quarterback Jared Wallace (6-0, 190) has passed for 1,469 yards.
“There is not a lot of flashy individual stats on our team,” confirmed Sandifer. “We’re not going to have anybody with flashy numbers pop out at you.”
Flashy numbers are one way to describe Gilmer’s offense that averages 51 points and 508 yards per game. “They’ve got a lot of weapons on offense,” said Sandifer, who expects the Buckeyes to stick to their strengths. “Any team still playing in week fourteen, it’s obvious the guys that are the play makers on their team are going to have the ball in their hands.”
That would be running back Justin Johnson, who has rushed for 731 yards and 9 touchdowns in three playoff games to bring his season totals to 2,049 yards and 24 touchdowns on only 169 carries. But Johnson is not the only play maker the Buckeyes have. Sophomore quarterback Darian Godfrey has completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,451 yards and 34 touchdowns, while rushing for 540 yards and 13 more touchdowns. Godfrey’s favorite receiver has been Houston Tuminello who has caught 63 passes for 914 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“They’ve got a solid offensive line that does a great job [and] gives their quarterback time to throw it, and outstanding talent at running back and receiver,” said Sandifer. “They pose a big threat for you when you’re trying to slow that down.”
The Bulldogs have managed to slow down most of their opponents this season, allowing only 15 points and 231 yards per game. “Their front seven is the best that we have faced this season,” warned Traylor. “They have four outstanding linebackers who remind me of Daniel Dodd and Chaz Kuikahi.”
That is high praise from Traylor since Dodd and Kuikahi were all-state linebackers on Gilmer’s 2004 state championship team. And even though the Buckeyes’ defense has put up its best statistics since that 2004 season, Traylor admitted that the unit hasn’t received much respect.
“The (NCAA) Division I players we have are on offense. We don’t have that on defense. On defense we’ve got a bunch of kids that overachieve a lot, and they’re the ones that deserve a lot of credit,” praised Traylor.
Gilmer’s defense is allowing only 14.5 points and 234 yards per game this season, led by linebackers Ross Stevens’ 118 tackles and Vance Green’s 100 stops. “They compete so hard and they never quit,” exclaimed Traylor. “They are the epitome of the Black Flag Defense; they’re not going to surrender.”
The Buckeyes’ defense will need to, “Get their offense off the field,” said Traylor, who believes he knows what the Bulldogs’ game plan will be. “They’re going to try to keep our offense on the bench; that’s what I think.”
Sandifer’s next statement seems to confirm Traylor’s theory. “You’ve got to make sure that when you get the football you can keep it and do some things with it, so hanging on to it is a big key.”
Another thing that both coaches agree on is the expectation of a large crowd. “There will be a lot of people out of town on Saturday,” said Sandifer, who explained that Abilene High plays in the Class 5A regional final at 1 p.m. at Texas Stadium. “I imagine we’ll get a few carry-overs from the Abilene High game, so I would expect it to be a great crowd Saturday night.”
Traylor praised the Buckeyes’ faithful who showed up last Saturday in Mesquite. “Wow; who couldn’t play hard for that group of people? They’re amazing. Our crowd has played a part in every snap of our playoff run.”
Sandifer is excited about the matchup. “I just think it’s great for the state of Texas to have two quality programs play like this in the playoffs. I think it’s a great compliment to both schools and the quality of programs that we have.”
Visit the Sports page of www.gilmermirror.com for more on tonight’s Class 3A Division I Semifinal, including a map locating the stadium. There is also a link there to www.GilmerBuckeyes.com, which will webcast the game live.
The audio will also be cablecast live over Etex Channel 1 and Gilmer Cable TV Channel 33.
The winner of this game will play for the state championship on Saturday, Dec. 15, against the winner of the Liberty Hill-Pleasanton game being played tonight at 8 p.m. in San Antonio.
Game Notes
• This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
• This is Gilmer’s 27th playoff appearance, including 7 straight.
• This is Abilene Wylie’s 20th playoff appearance, including a 3A- leading 14th straight.
• Gilmer has a 41-19-1 record in 61 playoff games with two appearances in the state championship game (1981 and 2004) and one state championship (2004).
• Abilene Wylie has a 31-18-1 record in 50 playoff games with two appearances in the state championship game (2000 and 2004) and one state championship (2004).
• This will be Gilmer’s first-ever visit to Birdville ISD Stadium.
• Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor is 84-14 in 8 seasons at Gilmer, including a 13-5 career playoff record in 7 appearances.
• Abilene Wylie head coach Hugh Sandifer is 188-74-4 in 22 seasons at Abilene Wylie, including a 30-15-1 career playoff record in 17 appearances.
• Gilmer has missed the playoffs once in Jeff Traylor’s 8 seasons.
• Abilene Wylie has missed the playoffs 5 times in Hugh Sandifer’s 22 seasons.
• In the last 5 seasons, Gilmer is 62-4 with 2 semifinal appearances.
• In the last 5 seasons, Abilene Wylie is 51-16 with 3 semifinal appearances.
• Since 2000, Gilmer is 84-14, including a 13-5 playoff record and 1 state championship.
• Since 2000, Abilene Wylie is 84-21, including a 19-6 playoff record and 1 state championship.
• Gilmer’s senior class has a 49-3 record and 1 state championship.
• Abilene Wylie’s senior class has a 42-11 record and 1 state championship.
• Gilmer needs 4 points to surpass the school’s single-season record of 664 points scored in 16 games during the 2004 season.
• Gilmer’s Justin Johnson needs 4 rushing touchdowns to surpass the school’s single-season record of 27 set by Derek McKenzie in 2003.
• Gilmer’s Houston Tuminello needs 2 touchdown receptions to surpass the school’s single-season record of 14 set by Curtis Brown and Lamar Harris in 2006.
• Tuminello also needs 86 receiving yards to reach at least 1,000 yards for the 3rd straight season.
• Gilmer’s Jeremy Jackson needs 182 rushing yards to reach 1,000 for the season.
• Abilene Wylie’s Cameron Rogers needs 137 yards rushing to reach 1,000 for the season.
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