Gilmer Buckeyes

From the Longview News-Journal: Buckeyes hand Tigers first loss of season, 49-18 From the Tyler Morning Telegraph: Gilmer Buckeyes Humble Daingerfield Tigers From The Gilmer Mirror Buckeyes rewrite record book with 49-18 win at Daingerfield By JOE DODD Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor and quarterback Stump Godfrey added their names to the school record book Friday night with the Buckeyes 49-18 win over the Daingerfield Tigers. Traylor tied Henry McClelland for most career wins with his 89th victory, while Godfrey passed Manuel Johnson for career touchdown passes. For Traylor the accomplishment was especially meaningful coming at Daingerfield, where Traylor lived while his father taught at the school. “It's special to me,” said Traylor. “I lived in Gilmer until I was five and then I moved here and stayed here until I was in junior high and then I moved back to Gilmer. People that taught me in elementary and Sunday school came up and congratulated me.” Traylor admitted that his accompl...

By JOE DODD The second longest regular season winning streak in Gilmer history ended last Friday with the Buckeyes' 28-14 loss to Kilgore after winning their past 27 regular season games. Before the loss to Kilgore, Gilmer's last defeat came at Daingerfield three years ago when the Tigers ended the Buckeyes’ longest regular season winning streak at 30 games. The challenge facing this year's team is quite different from the one that faced the 2005 team according to Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor. “The last time we lost a regular season football game we had an open week and then a game against Sabine. This time we're going to Daingerfield,” said Traylor, who needs two wins to become his alma mater's winningest coach. Getting one of those wins against Class 2A’s 8th-ranked Daingerfield Tigers won't be easy to do. “We might play our best game Friday and get beat; Daingerfield is that good,” exclaimed Traylor. “They remind me of the teams they had in the early 2000s ...

From the Longview News-Journal: Bulldogs bite Buckeyes, 28-14 From the Tyler Morning Telegraph: Kilgore Takes Down Gilmer Buckeyes From the Kilgore News Herald: Kilgore runs Gilmer out of town From The Gilmer Mirror : Buckeyes' streak ends with 28-14 loss at Kilgore By JOE DODD The Gilmer Buckeyes came into Friday's game at Kilgore with a 27-game regular season winning streak. The Buckeyes left Kilgore with four turnovers and a humbling 28-14 loss. “It's my fault. It's my team, and it's my fault,” said Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor. “We did exactly what you can't do to beat a really good 4A football team.” Like two fumbles, two interceptions, two bad snaps that resulted in two safeties, and two break downs in pass coverage that set up Kilgore scores. “You've got to give Kilgore credit,” admitted Traylor. “When you play a great team, that's what happens. It was like a playoff atmosphere except that you were on the opponent's home field.” That home fi...

By JOE DODD The 7th-ranked Gilmer Buckeyes face more than just an unfamiliar opponent Friday night when they meet the Kilgore Bulldogs at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium in Kilgore. The Buckeyes also face two unfamiliar scenarios. Gilmer is Kilgore's homecoming opponent, as well as 2-point underdogs to the Class 4A Bulldogs. “It's going to be tough,” admitted Buckeyes' head coach Jeff Traylor. “They're the toughest team we've played since we've been here as far as non-district.” Kilgore enters the game with a 2-1 record, following last week's 28-18 loss at Marshall. That loss is one of only 39 suffered by Kilgore in 13 years under head coach Mike Vallery, who won a state championship in 2004—the same year Gilmer won their only state title. “Mike's always done a great job,” said Traylor. “His teams always run the ball real well. They always play great defense. They always look good in the special teams. He does a wonderful job and they have a great program...

From the Longview News-Journal: Buckeyes battle past Leopards From the Tyler Morning Telegraph: Gilmer Earns 28-14 Win From The Gilmer Mirror : Defense key in win for Buckeyes By JOE DODD The Gilmer Buckeyes' Black Flag Defense limited the Liberty-Eylau Leopards to only two scoring drives, while forcing three turnovers, as Gilmer outlasted the Leopards 28-14 to win their 27th consecutive home game at Buckeye Stadium. The win was also Gilmer's 27th regular season victory in a row, and came despite the Buckeyes' offense struggling to their lowest point total in a regular season game since 2005. “We had a very off game. We weren't focused from the start,” admitted Gilmer running back Jeremy Jackson, who rushed for 99 yards on 12 carries, but was held scoreless for the first game this season. “Our defense did a great job though, that's how we won the game.” “Maybe this will give some people a chance to appreciate how good we do play on defense,” agreed Buckeyes' hea...

By JOE DODD The Gilmer Buckeyes might be 2-0 on the season, having outscored their opponents by an average of 67-25, but head coach Jeff Traylor knows that his young team has not been seriously challenged yet. That will change over the next three games when the Buckeyes face Liberty-Eylau, Kilgore, and Daingerfield. “It's a murderer's row,” said Traylor. “The last time we played a stretch this tough would be 2003 when we played Daingerfield, Celina, Tatum, and Atlanta right in a row in the playoffs.” “We really respect all three of these next opponents,” explained Traylor. “We're excited about it, we really are. We know it's going to be a hard stretch. We'll know when we get through with that Daingerfield game exactly where we are.” The Leopards, Bulldogs, and Tigers have a combined 5-1 record on the season, and the Buckeyes must travel to both Kilgore and Daingerfield after hosting Liberty-Eylau Friday night at Buckeye Stadium. The Leopards and Buckeyes are familia...

From the Longview News-Journal: Buckeyes roll to 77-21 homecoming win From the Tyler Morning Telegraph: It’s All Buckeyes On Homecoming From The Gilmer Mirror : Buckeyes rain on Wildcats' upset bid By JOE DODD The Gilmer Buckeyes scored an amazing 56 first half points on only 19 offensive plays, erasing an early 8-0 lead by the Rains Wildcats to win their homecoming game 77-21 before a crowd of almost 4,000 Friday night at Buckeye Stadium. After stopping the Wildcats' first drive after only three plays, and starting their own first possession with great field position at their own 49-yard line, Gilmer proved a gracious host when quarterback Stump Godfrey took the first snap from center and fired a pass directly to the Wildcats' Dakota Barker in the left flat. Barker raced into the endzone 52 yards later for the touchdown. Rains added to their lead when Taylor Marshall found Colby Hoover in the endzone for a 2-point conversion pass, giving the Wildcats an 8-0 lead with only ...

By JOE DODD Most coaches will tell you that a football team improves the most in the week between its first and second game. If that's true, the Rains Wildcats may be in trouble when they visit Gilmer Friday night for the Buckeyes' homecoming. In Gilmer's first game, the Buckeyes soundly defeated the Jasper Bulldogs 56-28. Despite the impressive win, Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor said the Buckeyes' have a lot of room for improvement. “I thought our conditioning wasn't as good as I wanted it to be,” Traylor stated. “Our receivers dropped way too many passes in the game. And we had too many penalties, which I attribute to the lack of conditioning as well. So those are the three aspects we are really concerned about right now.” Traylor is also concerned about the Wildcats, who open their regular season under new head coach Brannon Kidd. “It's really hard to tell [what they do] because they have just scrimmaged, they haven't played a game,” said Traylor. Kidd, ...

From the Longview News-Journal: Buckeyes notch impressive victory From the Tyler Morning Telegraph: Gilmer Rolls Over Jasper From Scout.com: No Doubts About Gilmer From the Jasper Newsboy: Gilmer rolls to easy win over Jasper From The Gilmer Mirror : Buckeyes blast Bulldogs By JOE DODD The Gilmer Buckeyes used a ball-hawking defense, great field position, and superior depth to overwhelm the Jasper Bulldogs 56-28 Thursday night (August 28) in the opening game of the Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic in front of almost 6,000 fans at Tyler's Trinity Mother Frances' Rose Stadium. The Buckeyes' Black Flag defense forced three first quarter turnovers and the Buckeyes' offense started six out of seven first half possessions inside Jasper territory giving Gilmer a commanding 28-7 halftime lead that the Bulldogs could not overcome. “I'm just happy we won,” said Buckeyes' head coach Jeff Traylor. “We really wanted to get this one. We knew our team didn't have a ...

By JOE DODD The Gilmer Buckeyes kick off the 2008 season Thursday night (August 28) at 7:30 p.m. against Jasper in the opening game of the Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic in a game billed as the rematch of the 2004 Class 3A Division II State Championship game. The only similarity to that game according to both Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor and Jasper head coach Thomas Brooks, is the name of the two teams playing. “None of these kids played, but they did go to the game,” said Brooks. “They know about Gilmer and they know about the program that they have. So I don't have to tell them about the tradition that they have, their winning percentage, or how many times they've been to the playoffs; the kids know about them.” It's hard not to know about Gilmer, who won that first meeting between the two schools, 49-47, on their way to their first state title. The Buckeyes have gone 34-4 since the last meeting against the Bulldogs, including another trip to the state champion...

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. 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 h...