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CasualObserver70

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Everything posted by CasualObserver70

  1. Drop out LE and add Van. As down as LE has been the last several years, this district got stronger. Region 3 is going to be a killer region with China Spring and La Vega going back down. I don’t know if that influenced the UIL to keep Carthage in region 2 or not, but 4A D2 just got tougher.
  2. Pine Tree’s reward for dropping from 5A to 4A is to get thrown into this murderer’s row district! But I agree they could be a dark horse.
  3. Great News Pine Tree! You moved down from 5A to 4A! Terrible News Pine Tree! You moved into the District with Kilgore, Lindale, and Chapel Hill!
  4. To do list for the next 7 months: 1. Spend the next month basking in glory of Gilmer state championship 2. Watch college football playoffs and NFL playoffs while thinking about Gilmer's state championship 3. Rewatch all of the Gilmer games of 2023 and try to find the Gilmer-Bellville game without having to dish out any money to Bally's 4. Pull up great Gilmer victories from past seasons on youtube. 5. Start going to Gilmer Track Meets (could see a state championship repeat from last year?) 6. Start watching Gilmer 7 on 7. 7. Get ready for Gilmer 2 a days. I think I can make it thanks to William Greene He's got about 15 years of Gilmer football games on Youtube.
  5. The Football season is over, and Duncanville has won another State Championship and Desoto has won another state championship, cementing them as the 2 best football programs in the state of Texas. However, I'm betting it won't as mean as much in Duncanville or Desoto as it will in Gunter, or Timpson, or Gilmer. Because the heart of small towns is their football team. Gilmer is like most small towns. It's a friendly, close-knit community, but it is still a very divided community. Divided by religion, culture, ethnicity, and socioeconomics. However, on a Friday night, everybody is a Buckeye. The bond to the Buckeyes goes beyond denomination, economics, race, and everything else in the community. But this is not just true on Friday night. It's true throughout the year. When unspeakable tragedy hit the Gilmer community, the football team rallied around the city and the city rallied around the football team. It was the selling of football shirts that helped provide for the families and pay for the services. It was to football coaches who were putting out extra seats at the funeral. It was the football players who loved on and surrounded a teammate. The whole town came together around the football team. It's why the emotional release was so huge on Friday. It's why Metzel spoke with tears in his interview. He wasn't a head coach talking about a game; he was a pastor, a mentor, and a community member talking about how young students became young men and carried the hopes and hurts of their town. It's why we love the Gilmer broadcasters: as homerish as they can be at times, they love the kids and know them personally. It just means more in a small town. I know the same could be said this year for Timpson and Terry Bussey. For these small towns, football becomes a reminder of what we can do and be when we put aside our differences and come together for a common goal. Hopefully, we can learn to move this from the football field and into our everyday actions with those in our community.
  6. I actually think the same thing. The Carthage and PG offense was better than Bellville’s offense. Once Gilmer made 2nd half adjustments, they were able to shut Bellville down for the most part. That didn’t happen with Carthage or PG. As far as the closeness of the game, Tate had a clear TD if Tennison doesn’t under throw him for the interception, and Gilmer ended the game on the Bellville 9. I thought I heard someone say Bellville had punted twice all season. They punted 3 times in the second half last night. But most importantly I thought Gilmer was the tougher, more physical team. That was definitely not the narrative before the game.
  7. Metzel has been to 3 state championships in 4 years as head coach. Knocked out last year by the eventual champion Carthage. More importantly, he has established a culture that permeates through the program. I know everyone likes to complain about the coach, but it’s hard to argue with that kind of success.
  8. Thanks for the props! So here it is: 1. Gilmer was +1 in the turnover battle, and that was the difference in the game. 2. That being said, Gilmer took a knee inside the 10 to end the game. If Bellville kicks the field goal (instead of the interception) who’s to say Gilmer doesn’t win yet another game this year on another game ending field goal? 3. I’m not sure if Henderson is the best Buckeye of all time. I think I might still give that to Stump or Kris Boyd. But this was the best individual season of any Buckeye ever. Routinely got hard yards after first contact. 4. Gilmer Defense. Wow. Best showing of the year. And that side of the ball is pretty young for Gilmer. Ditto about Gilmer Dline being a beast next season. 5. This was supposed to be a showdown between the speed of Gilmer and the strength of Belleville. But Gilmer was the more physical team almost all night long. 6. 99 was a great player, but not a game wrecker. He made some plays, but Gilmer did a good job of running away from him or allowing him to overrun the play and take himself out of the action. He didn’t have near the impact on the game as Mack did in that 2014 game. This was just a great season and a great group of kids for Gilmer. The team and the entire community came together. I could do a whole different post on Gilmer, state championships, and tragedy. Football season is over, but loving and supporting these kids will continue. Hopefully this helped some small way in the healing process.
  9. You can say that again. Most miserable I think I’ve ever been at a football game. There was no way to stop the wind from cutting through everything you were wearing.
  10. I will give 3 possibilities to this game based on previous State Championship games the Buckeyes have been in: 1) 2007 vs. Liberty Hill. Liberty Hill ran the Wing T, and it's motion, reverses, misdirection, and trap plays gave the Gilmer defense fits. But the key to the game was the Liberty Hill Defense: It totally (along with the 50 mph wind) shut down the Gilmer passing game, and the game was never close. It that's the case this year, with Bellville defense being able to shut down Gilmer offense, I see a similar result. 2) 2004 vs. Jasper. Both teams had explosive offenses, Gilmer with the pass and Jasper with the weird snap it to any of 3 people option they ran. Both teams relied on big plays from the defense to get key stops, but both teams really couldn't stop the other team most of the game. If that happens, this game will be a shootout with the team making the fewest turnovers winning. 3) 2014 vs. WOS. West Orange Stark came in with a good offense and a GREAT defense. Gilmer struggled throughout the 1st half but finally figured some things out on defense and let their athletes be athletes on offense and outsored WOS 28-0 in the 2nd half for the championship. If that's the case, the key to the game will be making key defensive adjustments and getting the ball to Henderson, Tate, Webb, and Noble. I think the most likely scenario is 2007 or 2014. Bellville might have one of the best defensive players in the state, but does that make it one of the best defenses? I don't know. But Gilmer has not been totally stopped by even great Defenses: They've been able to score on Kilgore, Carthage, and PG. Can they score on Bellville? Can they get some key stops against the Wing T? I can't answer that. I'm looking forward to Friday, and I'll be cheering like crazy for the Buckeyes.
  11. Ok, a few quick observations: 1. As mentioned earlier, GR had no answer for Gilmer running game. Great game by the Oline. 2. The GR passing game was legit. Lots of crossing routes that created natural runs, they would flood the zone and find the open receiver (#3 Usually) and their wide receiver screens were well executed. But they just made a few too many mistakes. 3. This game reminded me of some Gilmer teams from the past: they scored in bunches. This was a 14-7 game and the next thing you know it’s 42-7. 4. Got to agree with MetalHead about the 4th quarter. GR could have decided to run the ball and the clock (the refs were every time they had the chance.). But they kept throwing and that led to the 2 late TDs. 5. I don’t think GR had seen a team with this kind of speed, or anything close to this type of speed, all year. And not just Henderson. Every Gilmer player when he was in the open looked like he was going to go for 7. Great win Buckeyes!! Now go get that ring!!
  12. 79-42 final. Glen Rose had no answer to the Gilmer running game. I’m guessing Gilmer had 500+ rushing yards.
  13. Gilmer played excellent for the first 16 minutes of the game. Unfortunately for Gilmer, there is no such thing as a safe lead with this defense, and the Glen Rose screen game is brutally effective. Gilmer will have to keep their foot on the gas the entire second half.
  14. The teams that have given Gilmer the most trouble this year are teams with running QBs. If Gilmer can put consistent pressure on the QB, and he’s not a huge scrambler, I like Gilmer’s chances. One thing I know for sure: I’m leaving for this game a lot earlier than I did the last time Gilmer played at Prosper. The traffic around the stadium was horrendous.
  15. That 2006 LE team had a kid named Will Middlebrooks and a kid named LaMichael James…. I still get nightmares. As far as the Gilmer defense, #54 Hagler is a Sophomore and #43 King is a Freshman. I think part of the defensive improvement was watching those two grow up through the season. Gilmer’s defense is predicated on the linemen keeping the linebackers free to run to the football. Hagler and King just got better and better every game.
  16. Totally agree. And the one site for state championship games makes it extra special also. You can go and watch three state championship games at one location on one day. hopefully, the buckeyes will take care of business against Glen Rose and I will be able to do that this year!
  17. Nope, not buying that. Carthage scored 6 times, Gilmer scored 9 times. And Carthage was stopped on their first possession except for a face mask call that had to be called but didn’t affect the outcome of the play. And Gilmer wound up with a field goal on first and goal at the 1. If either of those situations is different this game never gets to OT. Both teams are good teams. Both teams made mistakes. But Gilmer moved the ball all night.
  18. Okay, for a few quick observations: 1. Gilmer deserved to win tonight. They had the game wrapped up. All Tennison has to do is slide down after gaining the 1st down and Gilmer runs out the clock and wins 37-36. I’m glade the Buckeyes wound up winning, but the TD made a Carthage win possible. Someone should have told the kids one more 1st down ends it. I don’t think Surrat let them score. He had to be playing to get the ball back with 30 seconds left with a chance to win outright. He couldn’t take the risk of a Gilmer player getting the 1st Down, getting down, and running out the clock. 2. That said, Carthage still had to go 75 yards with 1:49 left and no time outs and then convert on the 2 pt try. I don’t know what it is with Gilmer, but they have struggled all year on defense with less than a minute left in the half / game. But give credit to Carthage for the drive. 3. Gilmer won the game tonight through the air. Henderson and Tennison had some big plays in the running game. But they won by passing the football. Great game by Tennison, Webb, Noble, and Tate. And the seam route to Henderson to give Gilmer the lead in the 4th quarter was a thing of beauty. 4. Fans might want to complain about the refs, but this was an evenly called game. There was only one horrible call, and that was the fumble that wasn’t on Carthage’s first possession of the 2nd half. What made the call so awful was the explanation: the runner’s forward progress was stopped. That doesn’t matter, the running back was still fighting for yards and the whistle had not blown. So the play is still live. If the ref had said his knee was down, I would still disagree but the play would have been technically dead at that point. But the play was still live because the whistle had not blown. Awful call there, but overall not much to complain about from the refs. 5. Give Gilmer defense some credit: When Carthage went up 36-24, most people thought the game was over. But Gilmer got a field goal, a Defensive Stop, and then the TD that put them ahead. Gilmer scored 17 unanswered points in the 4th quarter due to some huge defensive stops. 6. Pate. Wow. Ice Water in the veins. 4 field goals, each longer than the previous one. And the huge punt that led to the muff. Great game. 7. If any college scout was watching, Will Henderson can be a D1 cornerback. The play where he fought through the block to blow up the screen was incredible, and his interception was also great. For not playing much out there all season, he looked good. I’ve been waiting 9 years to say this: WE BEAT CARTHAGE!! Great game by both teams, great plays on both sides of the ball. Now Gilmer don’t have a let down for Glen Rose.
  19. This replaces the Gilmer / Gladewater game from 2014 as the best HS football game I’ve ever seen
  20. Ok, a few quick observations: 1. Say what you want about the Gilmer defense and defensive coaches, but they made adjustments and shut Aubry out in the second half. A botched snap certainly helped, but the defense is why Gilmer won tonight. 2. As for the offense? Every time Gilmer lined up in their heavy package, they were beaten at the point of attack and lost yards. So what did they do in the 4th quarter with 1st and goal at the 4? Brought in the heavy package and lost 4 yards. What did they do on 3rd and goal at the 2? Brought in the Heavy package and lost 6. Some creativity would have been nice. 3. Also, please explain why you don’t go for 2 up 33-21? 4. I said this last week but I’ll say it again: STOP THE DIRECTIONAL KICKING!!! Why give up the extra 20 yards of field position? If the Kick coverage was excellent it might make sense, but it’s just giving up field position that is not helping the defense. 5. Gilmer has to clean up the penalties. This could have been a much bigger win without the penalties. That sounds like a lot of complaints, but Gilmer played a great game against a really good opponent. I’ll be in the stands next Friday night cheering for the Buckeyes regardless of the odds.
  21. 21-17 Aubry at the half. Gilmer called a Timeout to try to give their offense another shot at scoring and it backfired on them. 2nd week in a row the Gilmer defense has given up a TD in the last 30 seconds of the half. so far the difference is the Aubry QB. He’s been able to pick up yards with his legs when plays break down.
  22. Aubrey was 2nd at the State Track Meet to Gilmer, so they also have some speed. From what I saw watching the Van / Aubrey game, Van had open receivers throughout the game and just missed on some key connections. Gilmer defense may struggle with the Aubrey scheme. But QB plays both ways. If Gilmer can get Aubrey in a track meet, I think they can wear Aubrey down in the 4th quarter.
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