GILMER TURNS LIGHTS OUT ON CHAPEL HILL | Buckeyes drop 50-plus on Bulldogs / BUCKEYE BEAT by PHILLIP WILLIAMS

TYLER — The shopworn sentiment that “defense wins championships” has been adduced as an accurate adage in the Gilmer Buckeyes’ first two forays of the 2026 gridiron gangwars.

Gilmer’s “Black Flag Defense” tallied two traumatizing TDs in a 8-second span Friday night, which played a major role in inflicting incapacitation on the Chapel Hill Bulldogs, 54-31, at the newly-revamped Bulldog Stadium.

The prior week, in their season-inaugurating 52-40 pratfall to Pine Tree, the Buckeyes had ceded four interceptions, including one which was returned to Beulah Land.

However, it was Gilmer’s defense which daunted this time, as it provided two of three Big Bang touchdowns by the Buckeyes (a lengthy kickoff return was the other).

Down 7-0 to a Chapel Hill squadron which dominated the tussle early, Gilmer abruptly bloodied the Bulldogs when Austin Blakeley purloined a pass from QB Ja’Kaivian Snow and returned it 61 yards to Glory Land with 2:24 remaining in the opening quarter.

Alan Sanchez airlifted the tying PAT.

And on the first play after the ensuing kickoff, the Bulldogs botched a handoff, which Gilmer’s Carlos “D.J.” Brooks scooped up and returned five yards for a stupefying second scoring shot.

On top of that, the visitors tallied two points on Tayveon Horne’s hop for the conversion, putting the visitors ahead, 15-7, with 2:16 left in the quarter and allowing Gilmer to lead by at least that margin the rest of the way.

Gilmer Coach Alan Metzel told ETBlitz.com Saturday the two sudden scores “no doubt” were the game-changers in this affray. He termed it “great to go get a big road win.”

While the Buckeyes savored a 42-21 advantage at Twirling Time, though, Metzel said Saturday he reminded his charges they had frittered away a 20-0 lead against this same Chapel Hill outfit to lose, 41-26, just last year.

This time, CH could rally for only 10-second half points…while Gilmer added 12.

The hosts hoisted an early lead on their opening offensive, which terminated with runner Lemuel Stinson’s 9-yard tackle-breaking burst around right end with 6:51 remaining in the first quadrant.

Estevan Sandoval pounded the first of his four successful PATs.

After the Buckeye defense then detonated, Gilmer’s galvanized offense procured more points.

QB Zade Taylor, who joined Brooks and Horne in tallying two TDs each on this night, whizzed 37 yards around left end for one with 10:40 left to Music Time. Sanchez clanged the first of three straight successful PATs, giving Gilmer 22 unanswered points before the Bulldogs finally revivified.

Down 22-7, Stinson steamed 46 yards to swiftly score with 10:01 left to Music Time. After the PAT, Gilmer’s lead was suddenly snipped to 22-14.

The Buckeye offense countered with Brooks rolling 38 yards to tally with 7:12 left to Music Time. However, Chapel Hill, whose up-tempo offense seemed to befuddle Gilmer early in the contest, soon staged a show-stopper TD on a 60-yard heave from Snow to a wide-open Aydan Holmes with 5:09 still left to Band Time.

Once again, CH had pulled within eight points, but the Buckeyes would own the rest of the half.

First, Taylor screamed 39 yards to the right with 2:23 left, before a CH fumble to Gilmer’s Aiden Thomas eventually led to 350-pound Ismael Camara bulling a yard for the half’s final score with only five seconds left. Sanchez’s kick failed.

Probably recalling their stupefying comeback from 20-0 down just last year, the hosts rallied a bit from the 42-21 deficit when Sandoval plugged a 30-yard field goal with 7:31 left in the third. That still left CH behind by three scores.

Then the fourth quarter started with a double whammy of sorts.

First, Snow heaved his second scoring sling of the night, a 26-yarder to Maliek Brown with 11:56 left in the duel, only to see Horne stupefy the Bulldogs by returning the ensuing kickoff 69 yards to Sixpoint Soil. Gilmer feigned a PAT kick, but a pass for two points failed with 11:47 left.

Horne wasn’t through tooting up a storm as he galloped 29 yards for the game’s last score with 5:02 remaining. A bad hold on the PAT kick resulted in Sanchez missing it.

Chapel Hill put on a show for its new stadium (in the old one’s location), bringing in skydivers before the game, but having one of the two visitors side press boxes’ windows fog up, apparently due to the air conditioning. This greatly hindered television and other media coverage of the contest.

Chapel Hill’s white numbers on yellow jerseys were also not always easy to read, and media members ended up helping each other out in figuring out what was happening on the field. At least two reporters who covered the game, including ETBlitz’s, had to review YouTube footage Saturday to gather some of the details.

Meantime, CH personnel got to enjoy a brand new spectacular press box on the home side, which had been the visitors’ side in the old stadium.

But despite the glitches, the game got covered. And as it turned out, the skydivers, who all safely landed, were an omen of things to come for Chapel Hill, who’s now 0-2.

It was a portent that the sky was about to fall in on the Bulldogs.