Lunch with the Coach of the Gilmer Buckeyes starts today (Wednesday, Aug. 27) at the Gilmer Country Club at noon. You must have your Booster Membership Card to get in.
Cards will be delivered this week, and those that are undeliverable will be at the door at “Lunch with the Coach.”
You can purchase a membership at the door.
“Also, lets all wear our orange for this first football game played in Texas this year,” said Buckeye fan Bridget Fowler, referring to Thursday night’s opening game of the annual Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic at TMF Rose Stadium in Tyler.
The Gilmer Mirror's JOE DODD sat down with Gilmer Buckeyes' head coach JEFF TRAYLOR in a question-and-answer session to get his thoughts on the upcoming season.
Every season your team chooses a motto. What is this season's motto, and why was it selected?
The motto is Henotes. It is a Greek word which means unity; spirit of one. I think it is appropriate because we have so many different pieces to the puzzle. When you are working a puzzle you try to get the corners and work towards the middle. In the last few years, I would say our team has had the corners and most of the big pieces down. We didn't have to find many pieces of the puzzle. This year we have one returner on offense and four on defense, so we have to find a bunch of pieces of the puzzle. We have to unite as one.
With your 85 career wins, you are only two wins away from passing Truett Rattan and five wins away from passing Henry McClelland as the Buckeyes' career leader. Since you grew up in Gilmer, what does that mean to you?
I grew up hearing about those two men and the legacy they left. Not only were they very good football coaches wins and loses wise, they were really good people. They were what the game was supposed to be about. Just for my name to be mentioned with theirs is very flattering. Of course right now I'm just trying to win the first one to get there. If that happens, and when that happens, it will be very special to me.
Gilmer brings several impressive streaks into this season. The Buckeyes have won 34 consecutive district games en route to 7 straight undefeated district championships.
You have won 25 straight games at home, and 24 regular season games in a row. Which streak is the most important to you?
The district winning streak is the one that really matters. That is the only one that has a continuation of the entire program [since Traylor arrived in 2000]. Those kids that started it are now 26 years old, married, and have children. I don't want to put pressure on the kids, but I do think it is important they understand that they are part of a legacy, they are part of a program. We talk about it all the time; that pressure is a privilege. It's a good thing to have pressure.
Tatum was the last team to beat Gilmer in a district game your first season in 2000. Now you share the same district with the Eagles again; are they the biggest threat to your district winning streaks?
I would say no because we play them last. The biggest threat is Bullard because we have them first. The second biggest threat is Chapel Hill because we have them second, then Spring Hill and Gladewater. It would be really great for the fans and media if both teams were undefeated in district play for that last game. I think that would be great for football in East Texas.
Derek McKenzie is the only player who has started more than one season at quarterback since you became head coach in 2000. Stump Godfrey returns for his junior season after starting 15 games his sophomore year. What are the advantages of having a returning starter at quarterback?
There is no comparison; just their knowledge and understanding. It's a true blessing. If there is one starter you would want to pick to have returning, it would be your quarterback, especially in our offense. He has a lot of responsibility on him. It is a tremendous advantage.
The 702 points scored last season set a school record, and continued a streak of six record-setting years of offensive production. Is it realistic to expect the same level of production from this year's team?
I don't think it's realistic to ever expect anyone to score 700 points; that's amazing just listening to it. We try to score 42 points every Friday night; that's our goal. Those are our expectations. Are they realistic, I don't know. Realistic would never be a way to describe me.
With all of the focus on the offense, it is easy for your defense to be overlooked. What are your expectations for the Black Flag defense this season?
I think we have a chance to be better than we have been because of our team speed. I know we are not overly impressive for our size, but we can really run. My expectations are the same every year; for them to hold the opponent to one point less than what we score, to run to the football, and hit and tackle well. Those are always my expectations. I know that's very simplistic, but that's a lot to get done.
With two appearances in the state championship game and a 63-5 record the past five seasons, did it surprise you that Gilmer was left out of most preseason top 10 rankings?
No. I don't think we get the media coverage statewide in East Texas. That does not surprise me. You need to be in West Texas, Houston or Dallas; that's where the media is. The only reason we got ranked the last two years is because we had those players that were nationally recruited, so we got the coverage then. We don't have those players now and the media forgot about us out here in East Texas.
Your oldest son Jordan is a freshman this year; are you looking forward to coaching him?
I am. It's good for me because I get a real good perspective of what it's like for these kids growing up in Gilmer and how important it is to them. So it's helped me to get an insight into what the kids think.
The number one reason though is I've been away from him so much coaching everybody else's kids, and now I'm going to get to spend an inordinate amount of time with him. That hopefully can replace some of the time that I've been gone.
I don't want him to feel like he has some kind of undue expectations on him because he's the head coach's son. I want him to have fun playing. That's all I worry about.
I would hope that I've always coached every child like they're my own. I'll get to find out these next four years for sure.
What are your expectations for this season?
Mine are always the same. First and foremost, in everything that we do is to honor the Lord. We always want to do that even though we fall short of that. We realize there will be times that our actions might not honor Him, but we will get up the next morning with our mind set on achieving that goal. And then we want to be the very best that we can be. We feel like if we can do that we should win championships. That's what we really believe. Our goals never change, because the moment you lower the bar of your expectations, you will achieve it. And we don't want to lower that bar.
August 28: Jasper @ TMF Rose Stadium, Tyler
A rematch of the 2004 Class 3A Division II State Championship game won by Gilmer 49-47. The Buckeyes have never lost in the Football Classic played in Tyler. Jasper head coach Thomas Brooks returns to Tyler for the first time after leaving John Tyler as head coach following the 2006 season to return to Jasper. “It's going to be a tough one right off the bat,” according to Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor.
September 5: Rains
The Buckeyes' home opener will also serve as homecoming this season. “Don't think they won't be fired up about that,” said Traylor. “Nobody likes to be a homecoming mum.” Gilmer won both games against the Wildcats as District 11-3A foes in 2002 and 2003. New Rains head coach Brannon Kidd hopes to continue the success of former coach Ken Little, who took the Wildcats to three consecutive playoff appearances.
September 12: Liberty-Eylau
“Liberty-Eylau, that's all you've got to say,” promised Traylor. Despite the Buckeyes 41-26 victory in the first round of the playoffs last season, Gilmer is still smarting from the Leopards' stunning upset over the number one ranked Buckeyes in round one of the 2006 playoffs. This game will be a serious threat for what should be a 26-game home winning streak.
September 19: at Kilgore
Texas commit Dominique Jones headlines a Bulldog team that returns seven starters on each side of the football after a 9-3 season last year. “Everybody has picked them to be one of the best teams in 4A this year,” said Traylor. The Buckeyes are 0-3 all- time against the Bulldogs, whom they last faced in 1997 when the teams were district rivals.
September 26: at Daingerfield
If it wasn't for the Tigers' 26-17 win over the Buckeyes in 2005, Gilmer would be riding a 55-game regular season winning streak. “That's where our streak was stopped,” said Traylor, who got revenge and his first-ever win in Daingerfield the following year, and would like nothing more than winning two in a row. That won't be easy, as the Tigers return 12 starters from a 9-3 team.
October 10: Bullard
Following an open week, the Buckeyes start District 17-3A play at home against the Panthers, who enjoyed their first winning season in six years with last year's 6-4 record. The Panthers return 13 starters from that team. “Their quarterback is a division one prospect,” said Traylor, in reference to Charlie Moore, who accounted for more than 2,000 yards of total offense and 23 touchdowns. The Buckeyes haven't faced the Panthers since defeating Bullard in District 16-3A play in 1998 and 1999.
October 17: at Chapel Hill
“Circle that one. That one is going to be tough,” advised Traylor about the Buckeyes’ trip to Chapel Hill during the Yamboree. The fried foods and carnival rides aren't Traylor's main concern though, it's Bulldogs' running back Michael Tucker who is Class 3A's returning rushing leader with 2,300 yards and 28 touchdowns from last year. The Buckeyes are 0-4 all-time against the Bulldogs. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 1970.
October 24: Spring Hill
The Panthers gave Traylor a loss in his first district game in 2000, but since then the Buckeyes are 4-0 against the Panthers, including last season's 65-7 win. Spring Hill returns 10 starters from last year's 7-4 team. “I think that game means as much to the people of Gilmer as any of them,” stated Traylor.
October 31: Gladewater
Orange and Black on Halloween night; what could be more appropriate for the Buckeyes’ final home game of the season? Gilmer's 53-17 victory over the Bears last year evened the all- time series at 25-25-2. The Buckeyes have owned the series recently, going 15-2 since 1991. “This is my seniors' last home game, and when they play their last home game, every kid that I've ever coached that night is a little different,” said Traylor. “It's like they start to realize that life really does go by fast and I'm never going to play at Buckeye Stadium again.”
November 7: at Tatum
The Eagles have appeared in three straight state championship games, and own a 41-4 record during that span, but two of those losses came in embarrassing defeats to the Buckeyes. No loss was more humbling than last year's 72-28 score in a non-district match up in Tyler. Now Tatum has the Buckeyes at home in a showdown likely to decide the district championship. Gilmer hasn't played in Tatum since the 2000 season. That's also the last time the Buckeyes lost a district game.
Buck Cargal’s BuckinFootball.com has declared the Jasper-Gilmer rematch as one of the few “Marquee Matchups” of Week Zero.
“Marquee Matchups” are considered games that any fan would want to go for the quality of play and competitiveness, even if they did not have ties to either school.
Cargal’s site rates Gilmer as a 7-point favorite with a power rating of 154.25 up against Jasper’s 147.24.
As the season begins, Gilmer has the highest rating in its new district with Tyler Chapel Hill rated second at 149.88.
Tatum, Bullard, Spring Hill and Gladewater are ranked third through sixth in District 17-3A.
Gilmer is No. 5 in Region III as the season begins, ranked behind Navasota, La Vega, West Orange-Stark and Diboll.
Cargal ranks the Buckeyes as No. 15 statewide. (The AP poll of sportswriters gives Gilmer, with a record of 14-1 in 2007 falling only to Liberty Hill in the Class 3A Division I title game, a bit more respect at No. 10.)
Darian “Stump” Godfrey is rated by BuckinFootball.com as one of the top skill position players returning this season. The junior Gilmer QB passed for 2,727 yards (187-296-4; 38 TDs) in 2007.
Kickoff of the Jasper-Gilmer game in Tyler, opener of the Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic, is set for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28.
Cards will be delivered this week, and those that are undeliverable will be at the door at “Lunch with the Coach.”
You can purchase a membership at the door.
“Also, lets all wear our orange for this first football game played in Texas this year,” said Buckeye fan Bridget Fowler, referring to Thursday night’s opening game of the annual Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic at TMF Rose Stadium in Tyler.
Buckeyes' Traylor discusses 2008 season
The Gilmer Mirror's JOE DODD sat down with Gilmer Buckeyes' head coach JEFF TRAYLOR in a question-and-answer session to get his thoughts on the upcoming season.
Every season your team chooses a motto. What is this season's motto, and why was it selected?
The motto is Henotes. It is a Greek word which means unity; spirit of one. I think it is appropriate because we have so many different pieces to the puzzle. When you are working a puzzle you try to get the corners and work towards the middle. In the last few years, I would say our team has had the corners and most of the big pieces down. We didn't have to find many pieces of the puzzle. This year we have one returner on offense and four on defense, so we have to find a bunch of pieces of the puzzle. We have to unite as one.
With your 85 career wins, you are only two wins away from passing Truett Rattan and five wins away from passing Henry McClelland as the Buckeyes' career leader. Since you grew up in Gilmer, what does that mean to you?
I grew up hearing about those two men and the legacy they left. Not only were they very good football coaches wins and loses wise, they were really good people. They were what the game was supposed to be about. Just for my name to be mentioned with theirs is very flattering. Of course right now I'm just trying to win the first one to get there. If that happens, and when that happens, it will be very special to me.
Gilmer brings several impressive streaks into this season. The Buckeyes have won 34 consecutive district games en route to 7 straight undefeated district championships.
You have won 25 straight games at home, and 24 regular season games in a row. Which streak is the most important to you?
The district winning streak is the one that really matters. That is the only one that has a continuation of the entire program [since Traylor arrived in 2000]. Those kids that started it are now 26 years old, married, and have children. I don't want to put pressure on the kids, but I do think it is important they understand that they are part of a legacy, they are part of a program. We talk about it all the time; that pressure is a privilege. It's a good thing to have pressure.
Tatum was the last team to beat Gilmer in a district game your first season in 2000. Now you share the same district with the Eagles again; are they the biggest threat to your district winning streaks?
I would say no because we play them last. The biggest threat is Bullard because we have them first. The second biggest threat is Chapel Hill because we have them second, then Spring Hill and Gladewater. It would be really great for the fans and media if both teams were undefeated in district play for that last game. I think that would be great for football in East Texas.
Derek McKenzie is the only player who has started more than one season at quarterback since you became head coach in 2000. Stump Godfrey returns for his junior season after starting 15 games his sophomore year. What are the advantages of having a returning starter at quarterback?
There is no comparison; just their knowledge and understanding. It's a true blessing. If there is one starter you would want to pick to have returning, it would be your quarterback, especially in our offense. He has a lot of responsibility on him. It is a tremendous advantage.
The 702 points scored last season set a school record, and continued a streak of six record-setting years of offensive production. Is it realistic to expect the same level of production from this year's team?
I don't think it's realistic to ever expect anyone to score 700 points; that's amazing just listening to it. We try to score 42 points every Friday night; that's our goal. Those are our expectations. Are they realistic, I don't know. Realistic would never be a way to describe me.
With all of the focus on the offense, it is easy for your defense to be overlooked. What are your expectations for the Black Flag defense this season?
I think we have a chance to be better than we have been because of our team speed. I know we are not overly impressive for our size, but we can really run. My expectations are the same every year; for them to hold the opponent to one point less than what we score, to run to the football, and hit and tackle well. Those are always my expectations. I know that's very simplistic, but that's a lot to get done.
With two appearances in the state championship game and a 63-5 record the past five seasons, did it surprise you that Gilmer was left out of most preseason top 10 rankings?
No. I don't think we get the media coverage statewide in East Texas. That does not surprise me. You need to be in West Texas, Houston or Dallas; that's where the media is. The only reason we got ranked the last two years is because we had those players that were nationally recruited, so we got the coverage then. We don't have those players now and the media forgot about us out here in East Texas.
Your oldest son Jordan is a freshman this year; are you looking forward to coaching him?
I am. It's good for me because I get a real good perspective of what it's like for these kids growing up in Gilmer and how important it is to them. So it's helped me to get an insight into what the kids think.
The number one reason though is I've been away from him so much coaching everybody else's kids, and now I'm going to get to spend an inordinate amount of time with him. That hopefully can replace some of the time that I've been gone.
I don't want him to feel like he has some kind of undue expectations on him because he's the head coach's son. I want him to have fun playing. That's all I worry about.
I would hope that I've always coached every child like they're my own. I'll get to find out these next four years for sure.
What are your expectations for this season?
Mine are always the same. First and foremost, in everything that we do is to honor the Lord. We always want to do that even though we fall short of that. We realize there will be times that our actions might not honor Him, but we will get up the next morning with our mind set on achieving that goal. And then we want to be the very best that we can be. We feel like if we can do that we should win championships. That's what we really believe. Our goals never change, because the moment you lower the bar of your expectations, you will achieve it. And we don't want to lower that bar.
2008 Buckeyes Season at a Glance
August 28: Jasper @ TMF Rose Stadium, Tyler
A rematch of the 2004 Class 3A Division II State Championship game won by Gilmer 49-47. The Buckeyes have never lost in the Football Classic played in Tyler. Jasper head coach Thomas Brooks returns to Tyler for the first time after leaving John Tyler as head coach following the 2006 season to return to Jasper. “It's going to be a tough one right off the bat,” according to Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor.
September 5: Rains
The Buckeyes' home opener will also serve as homecoming this season. “Don't think they won't be fired up about that,” said Traylor. “Nobody likes to be a homecoming mum.” Gilmer won both games against the Wildcats as District 11-3A foes in 2002 and 2003. New Rains head coach Brannon Kidd hopes to continue the success of former coach Ken Little, who took the Wildcats to three consecutive playoff appearances.
September 12: Liberty-Eylau
“Liberty-Eylau, that's all you've got to say,” promised Traylor. Despite the Buckeyes 41-26 victory in the first round of the playoffs last season, Gilmer is still smarting from the Leopards' stunning upset over the number one ranked Buckeyes in round one of the 2006 playoffs. This game will be a serious threat for what should be a 26-game home winning streak.
September 19: at Kilgore
Texas commit Dominique Jones headlines a Bulldog team that returns seven starters on each side of the football after a 9-3 season last year. “Everybody has picked them to be one of the best teams in 4A this year,” said Traylor. The Buckeyes are 0-3 all- time against the Bulldogs, whom they last faced in 1997 when the teams were district rivals.
September 26: at Daingerfield
If it wasn't for the Tigers' 26-17 win over the Buckeyes in 2005, Gilmer would be riding a 55-game regular season winning streak. “That's where our streak was stopped,” said Traylor, who got revenge and his first-ever win in Daingerfield the following year, and would like nothing more than winning two in a row. That won't be easy, as the Tigers return 12 starters from a 9-3 team.
October 10: Bullard
Following an open week, the Buckeyes start District 17-3A play at home against the Panthers, who enjoyed their first winning season in six years with last year's 6-4 record. The Panthers return 13 starters from that team. “Their quarterback is a division one prospect,” said Traylor, in reference to Charlie Moore, who accounted for more than 2,000 yards of total offense and 23 touchdowns. The Buckeyes haven't faced the Panthers since defeating Bullard in District 16-3A play in 1998 and 1999.
October 17: at Chapel Hill
“Circle that one. That one is going to be tough,” advised Traylor about the Buckeyes’ trip to Chapel Hill during the Yamboree. The fried foods and carnival rides aren't Traylor's main concern though, it's Bulldogs' running back Michael Tucker who is Class 3A's returning rushing leader with 2,300 yards and 28 touchdowns from last year. The Buckeyes are 0-4 all-time against the Bulldogs. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 1970.
October 24: Spring Hill
The Panthers gave Traylor a loss in his first district game in 2000, but since then the Buckeyes are 4-0 against the Panthers, including last season's 65-7 win. Spring Hill returns 10 starters from last year's 7-4 team. “I think that game means as much to the people of Gilmer as any of them,” stated Traylor.
October 31: Gladewater
Orange and Black on Halloween night; what could be more appropriate for the Buckeyes’ final home game of the season? Gilmer's 53-17 victory over the Bears last year evened the all- time series at 25-25-2. The Buckeyes have owned the series recently, going 15-2 since 1991. “This is my seniors' last home game, and when they play their last home game, every kid that I've ever coached that night is a little different,” said Traylor. “It's like they start to realize that life really does go by fast and I'm never going to play at Buckeye Stadium again.”
November 7: at Tatum
The Eagles have appeared in three straight state championship games, and own a 41-4 record during that span, but two of those losses came in embarrassing defeats to the Buckeyes. No loss was more humbling than last year's 72-28 score in a non-district match up in Tyler. Now Tatum has the Buckeyes at home in a showdown likely to decide the district championship. Gilmer hasn't played in Tatum since the 2000 season. That's also the last time the Buckeyes lost a district game.
Gilmer's season opener declared 'Marquee Matchup'
Buck Cargal’s BuckinFootball.com has declared the Jasper-Gilmer rematch as one of the few “Marquee Matchups” of Week Zero.
“Marquee Matchups” are considered games that any fan would want to go for the quality of play and competitiveness, even if they did not have ties to either school.
Cargal’s site rates Gilmer as a 7-point favorite with a power rating of 154.25 up against Jasper’s 147.24.
As the season begins, Gilmer has the highest rating in its new district with Tyler Chapel Hill rated second at 149.88.
Tatum, Bullard, Spring Hill and Gladewater are ranked third through sixth in District 17-3A.
Gilmer is No. 5 in Region III as the season begins, ranked behind Navasota, La Vega, West Orange-Stark and Diboll.
Cargal ranks the Buckeyes as No. 15 statewide. (The AP poll of sportswriters gives Gilmer, with a record of 14-1 in 2007 falling only to Liberty Hill in the Class 3A Division I title game, a bit more respect at No. 10.)
Darian “Stump” Godfrey is rated by BuckinFootball.com as one of the top skill position players returning this season. The junior Gilmer QB passed for 2,727 yards (187-296-4; 38 TDs) in 2007.
Kickoff of the Jasper-Gilmer game in Tyler, opener of the Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic, is set for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28.
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