ARE GILMER & KILGORE STILL SCORING?? | Track meet leaves Buckeyes in front of Bulldogs | BUCKEYE BEAT by PHILLIP WILLIAMS

GILMER – The onslaught of offense produced by the Gilmer Buckeyes and Kilgore Bulldogs in their wargame here Friday night might have led one to surmise that, at some juncture, the two teams’ defensive coordinators would meet at midfield in mid-game and promulgate “Let’s call a truce.”

In an affray with so many rapid-California wildfire touchdowns that the scoreboard threatened to collapse from exhaustion, its operator likely sought treatment afterward for carpal tunnel syndrome, and those who enjoy Dances of Defense reacted in horror, Gilmer keelhauled Kilgore, 64-50 – a riveting reprisal for the Bulldogs’ 66-6 bludgeoning beheading of the Buckeyes just last year.

Such factors as several Big Bang scoring plays from long distances, penalties which caused replays of conversions after two touchdowns, and the stupefying swiftness in which some scores followed after another, likely kept sportswriters in a state of needing medical tranquilization in attempting to keep written track of the action.

It appeared like everybody on the field was scoring except the refereeing crew.

With the score tied at third quarter’s end, the Buckeyes seized the grand prize by outpacing their foes 28-14 in the final chaotic period. Gilmer scored two touchdowns in the first 1:11 of that quarter before its adversaries could muster points, and that played a major role in who vanquished who.

Leading the Buckeyes’ scoring binge were quarterback Zade Taylor, who hoofed for two TDs and heaved two more, and runner Tayveon Horne, who tooted his way to three tallies. That offset a gleaming game by Kilgore QB Braddox Johnson, who had three TD tosses.

Gilmer thus advanced to 2-1 while Kilgore dropped to 0-2.

Gilmer whizzed to a 7-0 lead on the game’s opening offensive, and while the Bulldogs would eventually hogtie the score at 7-7, 29-29 and then 36-36 at third quarter’s end, thus stubbornly remaining viable, they never led.

Gilmer took the opening kickoff and swiftly wheeled 75 yards, completing the possession when runner Tayveon Horne hopped two yards to Beulah Land. Alan Sanchez airlifted the first of six successful PATs with 10:04 left in the opening quadrant.

Kilgore’s rapid response was to soon tally when Johnson hurled a 10-yarder to De’Andre Thurmond with 8:23 left in the quarter.

Ethan Reyes banged the first of his six PATs.

But Gilmer almost immediately short-circuited Kilgore fans’ elation as, on the first play after the Bulldogs’ kickoff, Buckeye QB Zade Taylor uncorked a 75-yard TD bomb to Kaden Canady with 8:12 left in the period.

Then, despite the fact the Buckeyes would end up ceding 50 points on their “Senior Night,” the Gilmer defense made what was likely one of the key plays in the outcome when Aiden Thomas recovered Johnson’s fumble at the hosts’ 31.

That eventually led to Taylor deftly faking a handoff–something he did proficiently more than once–and bopping 19 yards to Glory Land with time expired in the first quarter.

Down 21-7, the ‘Dogs nobly revived in the second quarter after nabbing a takeaway of their own. Buckeye Kipton Neighbors disgorged the ball to Kamron Ector at the hosts’ 43.

Kilgore soon cashed in that gift card as Johnson dispatched a 10-yard TD throw to Brenton Mumphrey with 5:36 left to Twirling Time.

Gilmer, though, was again galvanized and Horne rumbled 13 yards up the middle to tally with 3:55 remaining to intermission. For an encore, he ran over a 2-point conversion, only for the Buckeyes to behold the Bulldogs soon reply with Johnson’s 44-yard scoring sling to Tyler Johnigan with 1:46 to the musical interlude.

Up 29-21 at the break, Gilmer would end up outscoring Kilgore some more in the second half, despite having the visitors inflict 29 points on the Buckeyes. The hosts never led by more than 15 until they took a 64-43 advantage with just 4:33 left in the firefight.

Before that, though, somebody let the ‘Dogs out.

Gilmer unsuccessfully kicked onside to start the half, and Kilgore rolled downfield to eventually reach the Promised Land on Rayshaun Williams’ 10-yard trip with 7:12 left in the third. And then….something bizarre.

Kilgore’s holder for the PAT fumbled the snap, preventing the kick. But officials called a penalty on Gilmer, allowing a “do-over,” and Maddox Wright whipped to a 2-point conversion to tie things at 29-all.

The Buckeyes would recover from that, though, on their next possession as Horne hiked one yard for six points with 3:51 still left in the third.

Those pesky Bulldogs came off the canvas again, though, as Wright simply outran the pack with a stupefying 72-yard TD flight with 2:54 left in the third, and the final quarter began with the score Even-Stephen.

But the home team was going to go to town now.

Fast.

On the very first play of the final quarter, the terrific Taylor launched a 33-yard TD to Canady with 11:52 to go, and then came what may have been the play which decided the outcome. Kilgore fumbled the ensuing kickoff to the Buckeyes at the Bulldog 25.

On the second play afterward, Taylor again pulled that phony handoff and hooked ’em 14 yards to a TD with 10:49 left.

Then more oddity involving conversions. Gilmer lost the ball on the PAT, a Kilgore player picked it up, raced downfield a gob of yards, and appeared to be headed for two points until a Buckeye defender overtook him from behind, injuring him.

Now down 49-36, Kilgore nobly refused to concede as Williams thundered 52 yards to Touchdown Turf and, following the PAT, the visitors were down only 49-43 with 10:33 still to go.

But once again, Gilmer’s Rapid Response program played killjoy to Kilgore.

Jerzyri Johnson took the kickoff and screamed 95 yards to the Garden of Eden with 10:17 left in the dustup. And the conversion comedy continued when the Buckeyes kicked the PAT, but Kilgore was called for a penalty. So the hosts went for two points and Horne ran it in.

Another turning point then occurred when the Bulldog offense, which had been spectacular, started a movement downfield, only to surrender the pigskin on downs with an incomplete pass at the Gilmer 42.

That helped Kilgore go kaput. After a 5-yard Buckeye penalty, Neighbors nearly scored on a 61-yard steamroll to the Kilgore 2. He got one yard on the next play, and finally procured the points on another one-yard carry with 4:33 left.

Kilgore, though, had its own Right-Quick Response team as, on the first play following the kickoff, Wright whooshed 62 yards for the enthralling contest’s final TD.

The outcome was no certainty yet since, with 4:15 remaining, Kilgore trailed only 14 points. But the visitors would never regain possession of the ball as Gilmer used a series of running plays to run out the clock on the nearly 3-hour combat.

So, unlike last year, this night did not go to the ‘Dogs as Gilmer’s offense was unleashed on them.