By JOE DODD
August 28- Jasper @ Homer Bryce Stadium, Nacogdoches
Mascot: Bulldogs
Colors: Crimson & White
District: 18-3A
Enrollment: 813
2008 Record: 4-6, Div. I Bi-district Finalist
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 56-28
Series Record: Gilmer leads 2-0
Head Coach: Mike Bickham (1st year, 53-21 overall)
Returning Starters: 4 Offense/4 Defense
Did you know? Since the Buckeyes beat the Bulldogs 49-47 to win the 2004 Class 3A Division II State Championship, Jasper has gone through three different head coaches.
Coach Traylor says: “I hope it brings back some good memories,” said Traylor when asked about meeting Jasper on the same field as the state championship game.
September 3- Rains @ TMF Rose Stadium, Tyler
Mascot: Wildcats
Colors: Blue/White/Black
District: 13-3A
Enrollment: 485
2008 Record: 2-8
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 77-21
Series Record: Gilmer leads 11-0
Head Coach: Brannon Kidd (2nd season, 2-8, 10-20 overall)
Returning Starters: 6 Offense/5 Defense
Did you know? Rains’ 21 points against the Buckeyes last season was more than the Wildcats had scored against Gilmer in their previous 10 games combined.
Coach Traylor says: “Rose Stadium is always a great place to play. With the new Jumbotron it should be exciting for the kids. Thursday night, we’ll be the only game around so there should be a good crowd there.”
September 11- @ Liberty-Eylau
Mascot: Leopards
Colors: Crimson/Black/White
District: 16-3A
Enrollment: 802
2008 Record: 4-6
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 28-14
Series Record: Liberty-Eylau leads 11-4
Head Coach: Pat Brady (6th season, 39-22, 39-22 overall)
Returning Starters: 6 Offense/5 Defense
Did you know? The Buckeyes and Leopards faced each other every year from 1968-1979 before a 26-year hiatus was broken when the teams met in the 2006 playoffs.
Coach Traylor says: “We’re not looking forward to playing them there. They have a lot of people back, they’re very physical, they run right at you, and those are things we don’t really deal with very well. That will be a tough one. I’d circle that one.”
September 18- Kilgore
Mascot: Bulldogs
Colors: Red/Black/White
District: 14-4A
Enrollment: 1,080
2008 Record: 9-3, Area Finalist
Last meeting: 2008, Kilgore won 28-14
Series Record: Kilgore leads 4-0
Head Coach: Mike Vallery (15th season, 128-41-1, 222-65-1 overall)
Returning Starters: 2 Offense/3 Defense
Did you know? Kilgore’s 28-14 win last season snapped a 27-game regular season winning streak for the Buckeyes. Gilmer has never lost two consecutive games to the same team under Jeff Traylor.
Coach Traylor says: “They could stop both our home winning streak and our streak of never losing two games in a row to the same team. They’ll be tough for us to beat.”
September 25- Daingerfield
Mascot: Tigers
Colors: Blue & White
District: 17-2A
Enrollment: 376
2008 Record: 15-1, Class 2A Div. II State Champions
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 49-18
Series Record: Daingerfield leads 30-23
Head Coach: Barry Bowman (2nd season, 15-1, 29-17 overall)
Returning Starters: 6 Offense/7 Defense
Did you know? With three victories, Daingerfield is the only team to beat the Buckeyes under Jeff Traylor more than once.
Coach Traylor says: “We have a lot of respect for Daingerfield. When you’ve got a quarterback, tailback and receiver like those three; those three guys can play for anybody,” said Traylor about quarterback Tyler Boyd, running back KoKo Smith and receiver Chris Jones who combined for over 5,000 total yards last season.
October 9- @ Bullard
Mascot: Panthers
Colors: Blue/White/Red
District: 17-3A
Enrollment: 494
2008 Record: 3-7, 1-4 district
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 48-12
Series Record: Gilmer leads 3-0
Head Coach: Jim Taylor (3rd season, 9-11, 50-71 overall)
Returning Starters: 7 Offense/7 Defense
Did you know? Gilmer quarterback Stump Godfrey was intercepted a career-high 3 times in last season’s game against the Panthers.
Coach Traylor says: “That’s the first district ball game so you want to get off to a win.”
October 16- Chapel Hill
Mascot: Bulldogs
Colors: Blue & Gold
District: 17-3A
Enrollment: 885
2008 Record: 9-2, 4-1 district, Div. I Regional Semi-finalist
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 35-6
Series Record: Gilmer leads 5-0
Head Coach: Thomas Sitton (1st season)
Returning Starters: 4 Offense/4 Defense
Did you know? Gilmer is 8-1 under Jeff Traylor during Yamboree games. Daingerfield beat the Buckeyes 35-14 in a Yamboree game in 2000, Traylor’s first year at Gilmer.
Coach Traylor says: “Our crowds are so good at home during the Yamboree. That’s a huge advantage. We always have a great crowd. It’s like homecoming almost.”
October 23- @ Spring Hill
Mascot: Panthers
Colors: Royal Blue & White
District: 17-3A
Enrollment: 524
2008 Record: 3-7, 1-4 district
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 55-7
Series Record: Gilmer leads 11-2
Head Coach: Robert Bero (5th season, 20-22, 113-59-3 overall)
Returning Starters: 8 Offense/9 Defense
Did you know? The Buckeyes’ 684 total yards against the Panthers in 2006 is the most in team history.
Coach Traylor says: “I think they’re going to be a lot better. I picked them to make the playoffs.”
October 30- @ Gladewater
Mascot: Bears
Colors: Orange & Black
District: 17-3A
Enrollment: 568
2008 Record: 6-4, 2-3 district
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 43-8
Series Record: Gilmer leads 26-25-2
Head Coach: Scott Callaway (4th season, 13-18, 64-32 overall)
Returning Starters: 4 Offense/6 Defense
Did you know? Gilmer’s 39-game district winning streak ranks as the 5th best in Class 3A history, one ahead of Gladewater’s 38 consecutive district victories from 1986-1991 that the Buckeyes ended with a 17-14 win in 1991.
Coach Traylor says: “Scott’s been there four years now so he’s got his program close to where he wants it. He’s got good athletes. They’ll be in the playoff hunt as well.”
November 6- Tatum
Mascot: Eagles
Colors: Green & White
District: 17-3A
Enrollment: 443
2008 Record: 5-6, 2-3 district, Div. II Bi-district Finalist
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 48-14
Series Record: Gilmer leads 13-6
Head Coach: Andy Evans (6th season, 57-13, 128-42 overall)
Returning Starters: 9 Offense/8 Defense
Did you know? Tatum was the last district opponent to defeat the Buckeyes with a 14-6 victory in 2000.
Coach Traylor says: “They’ve got a lot of kids back. I think they will be improved tremendously.”
August 28- Jasper @ Homer Bryce Stadium, Nacogdoches
Mascot: Bulldogs
Colors: Crimson & White
District: 18-3A
Enrollment: 813
2008 Record: 4-6, Div. I Bi-district Finalist
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 56-28
Series Record: Gilmer leads 2-0
Head Coach: Mike Bickham (1st year, 53-21 overall)
Returning Starters: 4 Offense/4 Defense
Did you know? Since the Buckeyes beat the Bulldogs 49-47 to win the 2004 Class 3A Division II State Championship, Jasper has gone through three different head coaches.
Coach Traylor says: “I hope it brings back some good memories,” said Traylor when asked about meeting Jasper on the same field as the state championship game.
September 3- Rains @ TMF Rose Stadium, Tyler
Mascot: Wildcats
Colors: Blue/White/Black
District: 13-3A
Enrollment: 485
2008 Record: 2-8
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 77-21
Series Record: Gilmer leads 11-0
Head Coach: Brannon Kidd (2nd season, 2-8, 10-20 overall)
Returning Starters: 6 Offense/5 Defense
Did you know? Rains’ 21 points against the Buckeyes last season was more than the Wildcats had scored against Gilmer in their previous 10 games combined.
Coach Traylor says: “Rose Stadium is always a great place to play. With the new Jumbotron it should be exciting for the kids. Thursday night, we’ll be the only game around so there should be a good crowd there.”
September 11- @ Liberty-Eylau
Mascot: Leopards
Colors: Crimson/Black/White
District: 16-3A
Enrollment: 802
2008 Record: 4-6
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 28-14
Series Record: Liberty-Eylau leads 11-4
Head Coach: Pat Brady (6th season, 39-22, 39-22 overall)
Returning Starters: 6 Offense/5 Defense
Did you know? The Buckeyes and Leopards faced each other every year from 1968-1979 before a 26-year hiatus was broken when the teams met in the 2006 playoffs.
Coach Traylor says: “We’re not looking forward to playing them there. They have a lot of people back, they’re very physical, they run right at you, and those are things we don’t really deal with very well. That will be a tough one. I’d circle that one.”
September 18- Kilgore
Mascot: Bulldogs
Colors: Red/Black/White
District: 14-4A
Enrollment: 1,080
2008 Record: 9-3, Area Finalist
Last meeting: 2008, Kilgore won 28-14
Series Record: Kilgore leads 4-0
Head Coach: Mike Vallery (15th season, 128-41-1, 222-65-1 overall)
Returning Starters: 2 Offense/3 Defense
Did you know? Kilgore’s 28-14 win last season snapped a 27-game regular season winning streak for the Buckeyes. Gilmer has never lost two consecutive games to the same team under Jeff Traylor.
Coach Traylor says: “They could stop both our home winning streak and our streak of never losing two games in a row to the same team. They’ll be tough for us to beat.”
September 25- Daingerfield
Mascot: Tigers
Colors: Blue & White
District: 17-2A
Enrollment: 376
2008 Record: 15-1, Class 2A Div. II State Champions
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 49-18
Series Record: Daingerfield leads 30-23
Head Coach: Barry Bowman (2nd season, 15-1, 29-17 overall)
Returning Starters: 6 Offense/7 Defense
Did you know? With three victories, Daingerfield is the only team to beat the Buckeyes under Jeff Traylor more than once.
Coach Traylor says: “We have a lot of respect for Daingerfield. When you’ve got a quarterback, tailback and receiver like those three; those three guys can play for anybody,” said Traylor about quarterback Tyler Boyd, running back KoKo Smith and receiver Chris Jones who combined for over 5,000 total yards last season.
October 9- @ Bullard
Mascot: Panthers
Colors: Blue/White/Red
District: 17-3A
Enrollment: 494
2008 Record: 3-7, 1-4 district
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 48-12
Series Record: Gilmer leads 3-0
Head Coach: Jim Taylor (3rd season, 9-11, 50-71 overall)
Returning Starters: 7 Offense/7 Defense
Did you know? Gilmer quarterback Stump Godfrey was intercepted a career-high 3 times in last season’s game against the Panthers.
Coach Traylor says: “That’s the first district ball game so you want to get off to a win.”
October 16- Chapel Hill
Mascot: Bulldogs
Colors: Blue & Gold
District: 17-3A
Enrollment: 885
2008 Record: 9-2, 4-1 district, Div. I Regional Semi-finalist
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 35-6
Series Record: Gilmer leads 5-0
Head Coach: Thomas Sitton (1st season)
Returning Starters: 4 Offense/4 Defense
Did you know? Gilmer is 8-1 under Jeff Traylor during Yamboree games. Daingerfield beat the Buckeyes 35-14 in a Yamboree game in 2000, Traylor’s first year at Gilmer.
Coach Traylor says: “Our crowds are so good at home during the Yamboree. That’s a huge advantage. We always have a great crowd. It’s like homecoming almost.”
October 23- @ Spring Hill
Mascot: Panthers
Colors: Royal Blue & White
District: 17-3A
Enrollment: 524
2008 Record: 3-7, 1-4 district
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 55-7
Series Record: Gilmer leads 11-2
Head Coach: Robert Bero (5th season, 20-22, 113-59-3 overall)
Returning Starters: 8 Offense/9 Defense
Did you know? The Buckeyes’ 684 total yards against the Panthers in 2006 is the most in team history.
Coach Traylor says: “I think they’re going to be a lot better. I picked them to make the playoffs.”
October 30- @ Gladewater
Mascot: Bears
Colors: Orange & Black
District: 17-3A
Enrollment: 568
2008 Record: 6-4, 2-3 district
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 43-8
Series Record: Gilmer leads 26-25-2
Head Coach: Scott Callaway (4th season, 13-18, 64-32 overall)
Returning Starters: 4 Offense/6 Defense
Did you know? Gilmer’s 39-game district winning streak ranks as the 5th best in Class 3A history, one ahead of Gladewater’s 38 consecutive district victories from 1986-1991 that the Buckeyes ended with a 17-14 win in 1991.
Coach Traylor says: “Scott’s been there four years now so he’s got his program close to where he wants it. He’s got good athletes. They’ll be in the playoff hunt as well.”
November 6- Tatum
Mascot: Eagles
Colors: Green & White
District: 17-3A
Enrollment: 443
2008 Record: 5-6, 2-3 district, Div. II Bi-district Finalist
Last meeting: 2008, Gilmer won 48-14
Series Record: Gilmer leads 13-6
Head Coach: Andy Evans (6th season, 57-13, 128-42 overall)
Returning Starters: 9 Offense/8 Defense
Did you know? Tatum was the last district opponent to defeat the Buckeyes with a 14-6 victory in 2000.
Coach Traylor says: “They’ve got a lot of kids back. I think they will be improved tremendously.”
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