Gilmer Buckeyes

By JOE DODD Six Gilmer football players were named to the Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) Academic All-State Team for the 2008 season. The team is selected by a point system that awards points for GPA, class rank and ACT or SAT score. Seniors Adam Martin and Jared Harborth were named to the Elite Team, representing the highest point total that can be achieved. To earn Elite team status, a student-athlete must have a GPA of 92 or above through his high school career, be a member of the team in good standing, and be of good moral character. Senior Hunter Harrison was named to the 2nd Team, while seniors Tyrone Fort, Hayden Holmes, and D.J. Stanley received Honorable Mention. “This is really what high school sports is supposed to be about,” said Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor. “It's just a great testament to how many hours those kids practiced and still studied and kept their grades up. For us to have that many kids on the team is a great reflection of what kind of paren...

By JOE DODD Gilmer senior offensive lineman Dakota Hagler earned first team honors in the Associated Press Sports Editors Class 3A All-State Team released this week. Four other Buckeyes received honorable mention accolades. Hagler helped the Buckeyes to a 12-2 record this season, leading Gilmer with 110 pancake blocks, while grading out at 95 percent on his blocking assignments. “I was happy for Dakota,” said Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor. “It’s a great honor for him, it is well deserved.” Hagler started on the offensive line as a sophomore before switching to the defensive line his junior year. Coaches then asked Hagler to move back to the offensive line his senior season. “He’s just a very unselfish team player. He’s always played wherever we needed him to go. He’d much rather play defense, but he just did what was best for the team. He was a team captain and had a great career at Gilmer.” Honorable mention nods went to senior defensive lineman Jonathan Rockwell, junior quarterback ...

By JOE DODD The Gilmer Buckeyes placed 29 players on the District 17-3A All-District team released this week. Stump Godfrey, Mikey Wilson and Gus Osborne received superlative honors, while 17 Buckeyes made the first team and nine more made the second team. Six other Gilmer players were named honorable mention. “When 35 of your kids get some kind of recognition, that's one heck of a year,” said Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor, who was honored as Coach of the Year along with his staff. Godfrey, the Buckeyes' junior quarterback, shared district MVP honors with Chapel Hill running back Matthew Tucker. Godfrey passed for 2,883 yards and 34 touchdowns, while running for 885 yards and 18 touchdowns in leading the Buckeyes to a 12-2 record. Wilson, a junior linebacker, was named co-defensive MVP with Chapel Hill nose guard Kadarius Reeder. Wilson had 144 tackles for the Buckeyes and led the team in turnovers, collecting four interceptions and three fumble recoveries, to help the Buckeye...

Don't anyone get alarmed at the headline. This isn't about Coach Jeff Traylor. We can only hope that a similar story will be written about him in the year 2050 or so.

From the Longview News-Journal: Bulldogs outduel Buckeyes in playoff showdown Final - Carthage 31, Gilmer 28 From the Tyler Morning Telegraph: Carthage Holds Off Late Gilmer Rally From The Gilmer Mirror : Carthage ends Buckeyes' season in 31-28 thriller By JOE DODD Carthage Bulldogs' running back Dwight Smith ran over and around the Gilmer Buckeyes for 217 yards and three touchdowns, as the Bulldogs ended the Buckeyes' season with a 31-28 win in the Class 3A Division II Region III Final Saturday night at Homer Bryce Stadium on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. “It was just a great game between two teams and they just happened to win tonight,” said Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor, who led his team to a 12-2 record this season. Before an estimated 12,000 fans, Smith led the Bulldogs to a commanding 17-point halftime lead over the Buckeyes, then scored the final Bulldogs' touchdown to help hold off a furious Buckeyes' rally in the second h...

By JOE DODD Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor knows offensive football. His 2006 team set a class 3A state record by averaging 53.6 points per game. His 2007 team scored a school record 701 points. His 2008 team has scored more points than any other team in Class 3A. Since 2003, Traylor's Buckeyes have averaged more than 456 total yards per game. So when Traylor says, “Carthage is the best offensive team we've ever played.” Buckeye fans should be worried. “We have not played any team this good on offense, ever,” said Traylor of the Bulldogs, who have scored the second most points in Class 3A this season. “Coming from Coach Traylor, that means a lot,” said Carthage head coach Scott Surratt, who has guided the Bulldogs to an impressive 20-5 record in just his second season. Surratt knows a thing or two about offensive football himself, having served as Texas High's offensive coordinator from 1999 through 2006; winning eight consecutive district championships and a Class 4A state...

From the Houston Chronicle: Bellville falls to Giddings in Division II Region IV final From the Austin American-Statesman: Berry is Giddings' shoelace ace in win over Bellville From the Tyler Morning Telegraph: Gilmer, Carthage Face Off From the Longview News-Journal: Buckeyes, Bulldogs at a glance From KETK Tyler: Gilmer QB has them Stumped Darian 'Stump' Godfrey Wins and Wins From KYTX Tyler: Longview, Gilmer Will Have Their Hands Full in State Quarters From Dave Campbell's TEXAS FOOTBALL: Class 3A Round Four Games to Watch Gilmer/Carthage prediction from TexasFootball.com From KLTV Tyler: Buckeyes meeting high expectations again From the Panola Watchman: 3A game of the year approaches Bulldogs crush the Tigers dreams Sports Snapshots From The Gilmer Mirror : Buckeyes face Bulldogs at SFA Listen Live Saturday night Dec. 6 The Gilmer Buckeyes (12-1) will take on the Carthage Bulldogs (11-2) in the Class 3A Division II Region III Final (aka state quarterfinal round) on ...

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