GILMER! | The Buckeyes are the Goudarzi & Young, LLP / ETBlitz.com Team of the Week!

There’s no confirmation of this, but if you didn’t know better, you’d swear Kilgore, Gilmer, Chapel Hill, Pleasant Grove and Carthage all got together before the season and said, “OK, guys – let’s put together the most difficult schedules in the state and see what we can do with it. Who’s with me?”

We know they didn’t. But it’s been fun, hasn’t it? And with so many good football teams in 4A playing each other, the fans have been the ones to benefit.

The Buckeyes held off a very good Van team last week, 31-23, and have proven they may very well be on track for another successful playoff run.

And for that, coach Alan Metzel and the Gilmer Buckeyes are the Goudarzi & Young, LLP / ETBlitz.com Team of the Week, for the week of Oct. 14-19.

Back to that schedule thing for just a moment.

Gilmer and Kilgore, both in the ETBlitz coverage area, each opened the season with opponents that could beat them: Gilmer with Pine Tree, and Kilgore at Carthage. Then, they played each other; Gilmer went on to play Chapel Hill; Kilgore faced Pleasant Grove; and then when Kilgore began its district schedule, the Buckeyes played Lindale and then Brenham, the current No. 10 in the state, at a neutral site.

And look at the districts they’re in: Kilgore, with Pine Tree, Henderson, Chapel Hill and Lindale – Lindale is normally stronger, but Pine Tree is ranked in the top 10; Henderson is back, under coach Clay Baker; and Chapel Hill has had injuries and other issues, but just came off a state title game appearance last year.

With Gilmer, same thing: Chapel Hill, and then perennial playoff power Van and now this week, regular state title contender Pleasant Grove, both in its district.

The combined record of Gilmer’s opponents so far this season, plus this week’s opponent, Pleasant Grove, is 38-20.

Wait.

Ten of those losses belong to two teams (Lindale and Pittsburg).

The Buckeyes opened District 7-4A, Division II play at Pittsburg, and won big, but then had a challenge last week at home against Van.

The Vandals came in with just one loss, a 36-30 setback to Pine Tree, who also beat Gilmer in the season opener. Van had wins over Dallas Carter and Lindale, and also Sunnyvale, a talented team year-in and year-out.

But the Buckeyes got big performances, particularly from running back Trillyon Butler – two touchdowns and 153 yards on 11 carries – and Jet Bates, a defensive end for the Buckeyes who had 12 tackles, a sack, and three tackles for loss, and rose above the Vandals.

Gilmer didn’t throw the ball that much against Van, but thanks to the running game and defense, they didn’t have to. Senior Brady McCown only threw 13 passes, connecting on 10 of them, for 53 yards. Cadon Tennison, also a senior, threw it once and completed it for 42 yards (to Trace Haynes). Brendan Webb did his part, as usual, and had four catches for 43 yards.

With Butler leading the way, Gilmer ran for 221 yards and four touchdowns (Zade Taylor had 51 on 11 carries and two scores, as well).

On defense, Bates was great, but Tyler Hagler also had 11 tackles, one for loss, and Trey Lee, Devin McDonald, and Alex Guillen all each had 10. Gilmer was all over the quarterback: only the one sack by Bates, but 20 hurries.

And Webb, Hagler and Taj Manson each had an interception.

Gilmer, now 5-2, lost twice in that very-challenging non-district schedule and, by the way, they’re the defending UIL Class 4A-DII state champions. So they’re doing this with a target on them as big as Dallas.

For the big win at home over Van and again demonstrating they are a serious contender in 4A-DII, we congratulate coach Metzel, his staff and players at Gilmer High School for being the Goudarzi & Young, LLP / ETBlitz.com Team of the Week!

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