By JOE DODD
Gilmer head football coach Jeff Traylor was all smiles after his top-ranked Buckeyes finished their first week of practice. “It was one of our better two-a-days,” said Traylor, who enters his 10th season at the helm of his alma mater. “We still have some question marks. We don’t know some of the answers yet, but we’re getting closer.”
Traylor credited the good first week to the large number of seniors and experienced veterans who return to the team ranked as state championship favorites by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine. But Traylor was quick to put the first week into perspective.
“The first week there’s no pad work hardly; you’ve got one day of pads on Friday,” Traylor explained. “So it will be a lot more physical this week because they’ll have three days of pads and then scrimmage on Saturday. This will be the most physical week of practice the entire season.”
That physical week ends with a Saturday morning trip to Atlanta, where the Buckeyes will scrimmage the Rabbits. Freshmen and junior varsity teams will scrimmage on opposite sides of the field starting at 9 a.m. followed by the varsity scrimmage at 10 a.m.
“I like their speed and how physical they are,” stated Traylor. “They’re just a good old-fashioned East Texas football team. They’ll knock the snot out of you. It’s just good for us to get in there with those physical teams. People say we’re a spread offense; we’re not physical, so I like to play those physical people.”
Traylor hopes scrimmaging the Rabbits will help him and his coaching staff find the missing pieces to the Buckeyes’ puzzle. “We need two or three receivers to step up. We’ve got to find two offensive linemen. Defensively we’ve got to find some defensive linemen. Those are the main things,” said Traylor, who said that practice only reveals so much.
“We’ve got an idea but there are some kids who step up in those games, and there are some kids who cower down in those games,” Traylor said. “You’re not so much worried about the score. You’re more worried about finding those kids.”
Season tickets on sale
Reserved seating tickets for the 2009 Buckeye football season will be sold to current season ticket holders Aug. 17 to 21.
Tickets will cost $20 each and will be available at the athletic office in the fieldhouse from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.
Mirror Photos / Mary Laschinger Kirby
FANS FILL Buckeye Stadium Saturday as Athletic Director Jeff Traylor introduces varsity football players as varsity cheerleaders celebrate each player. At left are the junior varsity cheerleaders and volleyball team during the annual “Meet the Buckeyes” community pep rally.
BUCKEYE STARS officers entertain during Meet the Buckeyes Saturday with a dance routine. From left are Lakyn Frost, Shayna Davis, Sarah Beth Morris, Rachael Hall, and Abbie Bryant. Behind the Stars, the Gilmer varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders watch the performance.
Gilmer head football coach Jeff Traylor was all smiles after his top-ranked Buckeyes finished their first week of practice. “It was one of our better two-a-days,” said Traylor, who enters his 10th season at the helm of his alma mater. “We still have some question marks. We don’t know some of the answers yet, but we’re getting closer.”
Traylor credited the good first week to the large number of seniors and experienced veterans who return to the team ranked as state championship favorites by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine. But Traylor was quick to put the first week into perspective.
“The first week there’s no pad work hardly; you’ve got one day of pads on Friday,” Traylor explained. “So it will be a lot more physical this week because they’ll have three days of pads and then scrimmage on Saturday. This will be the most physical week of practice the entire season.”
That physical week ends with a Saturday morning trip to Atlanta, where the Buckeyes will scrimmage the Rabbits. Freshmen and junior varsity teams will scrimmage on opposite sides of the field starting at 9 a.m. followed by the varsity scrimmage at 10 a.m.
“I like their speed and how physical they are,” stated Traylor. “They’re just a good old-fashioned East Texas football team. They’ll knock the snot out of you. It’s just good for us to get in there with those physical teams. People say we’re a spread offense; we’re not physical, so I like to play those physical people.”
Traylor hopes scrimmaging the Rabbits will help him and his coaching staff find the missing pieces to the Buckeyes’ puzzle. “We need two or three receivers to step up. We’ve got to find two offensive linemen. Defensively we’ve got to find some defensive linemen. Those are the main things,” said Traylor, who said that practice only reveals so much.
“We’ve got an idea but there are some kids who step up in those games, and there are some kids who cower down in those games,” Traylor said. “You’re not so much worried about the score. You’re more worried about finding those kids.”
Season tickets on sale
Reserved seating tickets for the 2009 Buckeye football season will be sold to current season ticket holders Aug. 17 to 21.
Tickets will cost $20 each and will be available at the athletic office in the fieldhouse from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.
Mirror Photos / Mary Laschinger Kirby
FANS FILL Buckeye Stadium Saturday as Athletic Director Jeff Traylor introduces varsity football players as varsity cheerleaders celebrate each player. At left are the junior varsity cheerleaders and volleyball team during the annual “Meet the Buckeyes” community pep rally.
BUCKEYE STARS officers entertain during Meet the Buckeyes Saturday with a dance routine. From left are Lakyn Frost, Shayna Davis, Sarah Beth Morris, Rachael Hall, and Abbie Bryant. Behind the Stars, the Gilmer varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders watch the performance.
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