GILMER ROUTS SPRING HILL | Rolling as the playoffs start / BUCKEYE BEAT by Phillip Williams

LONGVIEW – The Gilmer Buckeyes cemented their charter as co-champions of District 8-4A Division II against the fumble-flummoxed Spring Hill Panthers as Gilmer skewered Spring Hill, 55-28, in the teams’ regular season final firefight Friday night.

Gilmer (8-2), who tied with Carthage (9-1) as district co-titleist by writing finis to the two-time defending state champions’ 38-game success spree the prior week, now enters Playoff Paradise against another platoon of Panthers, North Lamar (4-5). The clash is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Mesquite’s Hanby Stadium.

Had Gilmer not sustained a pratfall to Pittsburg on a game-ending field goal weeks ago, the Buckeyes would have won their district blue ribbon outright. By virtue of its 49-42 conquest of Carthage, though, Coach Alan Metzel’s squadron pulls into post-season play as the number one ranked seed from its conference although both teams were 4-1 in district dustups.

North Lamar would appear to have a difficult time averting a crash landing against the Buckeyes Friday. And not just because Gilmer has repeatedly routed that team in past years.

North Lamar had a much less pleasant terminus to its regular season than Gilmer by enduring a 52-6 eradication by Quinlan Ford. And against the only common adversary the Panthers and Gilmer had this year, Sunnyvale, the Buckeyes triumphed 49-28 while North Lamar was lacerated, 56-21.

As for Friday night’s Gilmer-Spring Hill hostilities at Panther Stadium, the visitors toted up a 35-0 advantage and led 38-7 at Twirling Time as the hosts’ defense proved perforated by the Buckeyes’ usually omnipotent offense.

And Spring Hill’s own offense, while moving the pigskin proficiently at times (particularly in the second half after Gilmer lengthened its lead to a virtually insurmountable 45-7), found itself afflicted with multiple mishaps.

They included inconsistency in gaining yardage, a blocked field goal, and Fumble Fever, as the Panthers disgorged three to their foes. (In fairness, it should be noted one was near game’s end when the outcome was a done deal.)

Leading the Buckeye offensive charge, meanwhile, were Kipton Neighbors, who hot-footed for two TDs, and QB Zade Taylor, who didn’t play the second half after hoofing for one score and heaving another.

Gilmer’s Alan Sanchez got a real kick out of the game, ably airlifting both of his field goal tries and all seven PATs.

Panther Brailynn Thomas tallied three TDs, one via land and receptions of two of QB Brody Proctor’s three scoring slings. But almost all of that came too late to matter, although the hosts would close the deficit from 48-7 to 48-28 with 8:30 left in the tussle, scoring the last two TDs in an eight-second span.

Gilmer began dismantling the foe quickly, recovering SH’s game-opening onside kick and proceeding to Beulah Land on Neighbors’ 5-yard bop with 9:58 left in quarter one.

After a Panther punt, the Buckeyes steamrolled to TD Town on their second possession as, on a fourth-and-goal, Taylor tripped a yard around the left side with 3:36 remaining in the inaugural period.

The Panthers rebounded momentarily, moving deep into Gilmer territory, only to have Roc Williams’ 31-yard field goal try blocked by Aaden Borelly-Brown. On the second play afterward, Taylor flung a 33-yard tally to Keismann Johnson with 10:56 left to intermission.

Then the fumbling aspect came into play as Spring Hill’s Brock Norris snared a pass for major yardage, only to disburse it to the Buckeyes at the Gilmer 41. The Buckeyes eventually profited from that by motoring downfield till jumbo 350-lb. runner Ismael Camara tromped 13 yards to Glory Land with 7:13 left to Music Time.

Already up 28-0, Gilmer didn’t tamp down its assault after SH yielded the ball on downs on its next possession. Neighbors procured the next TD on a fourth-and-goal by scooting four yards to the right with 1:55 remaining till the drill teams performed.

Suddenly, Spring Hill rose from slumber as, right after a long kickoff return, Proctor launched a 27-yard TD to Maddox Barnes with 1:38 still left in the second period. Williams clanged the first of his four successful PATs, only to have Sanchez bang a 22-yard field goal as the half ended to make it 38-7.

SH took the second half kickoff, punted, and beheld Gilmer (which never punted) rumble back into TD turf on backup QB Ty Stephenson’s 6-yard zip to Austin Blakeley with 7:19 left in the third. Soon, another Panther fumble at the hosts’ 26 would pave the road to Sanchez’s 25-yard field goal with 3:54 left in that quarter.

At this point, the Panthers suddenly became potent, showing a gallant spirit by dredging up 21 straight points when their cause was virtually lost.

Down 48-7, Proctor uncorked a 15-yard TD to Thomas with 57.4 seconds left in the third. Then Gilmer sustained its only turnover by fumbling at the Panther 5-yard-line and, after an 89-yard pass, Thomas bounded six yards for the next point-making play with 8:38 left in the gunfight.

SH then recovered an onside kick before Proctor provided Thomas a 31-yard TD with 8:30 left, and suddenly it was 48-28 after the two TDs within eight seconds.

Was a miracle comeback in the offing?

No, for the Gilmer defense now padlocked the Panthers, and the visitors had yet another TD left to score.

The Buckeyes’ next possession ended in a backup kicker (whose number wasn’t on the roster) misfiring on a 31-yard field goal attempt with 4:14 left. But SH had to cede the ball on downs at its own 24 and on the second play afterward, Aiden Thomas roared eight yards to the final TD with 1:55 left.

The hosts then fumbled the kickoff away to the Buckeyes, letting Gilmer run out the clock.

Despite their belated comeback, the Panthers thus learned that Spring Hill was simply surmountable for the Buckeyes to climb.