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buckeyefandom

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  1. About like I expected. Celina was well coached and took their shots, but they are not nearly as athletic as Gilmer. Just wasn't their night. SC Game should be a good'in against WOS. They WILL have some athletes. 4 more quarters to make 8 proud! #DEZign8!
  2. THINGS TO WATCH FOR TONIGHT...which may affect the outcome: 1) Who gets the ball first! "Tempo" will be a huge factor in tonight's game. Winner of the toss gets a chance to set it. 2) Will Celina have the stones to run their 10-1 defense against McLane Carter and dare him to throw deep? 3) Will Celina's big O-Line be able to keep the chains and the clock moving with the Bobcat running game, limiting the Buckeye Athletes and offense to watching from the sideline? 4) What factor will special teams play? (If either team has +14 points in that phase of the game, they probably win.) 5) Who wins the battle of TURNOVERS! (The higher the calibur of teams facing off, the more important this becomes! 6) How often is Celina in 3rd and 6 or longer, and how will their 3rd down conversion % look? The worse it is, the harder it will be for them. 7) Time of Possession. Gilmer's style of offense (Especially if Celina thinks they can stay in a 10-1, Man Free defense) lends itself to scoring quickly. Look for the Buckeyes to try and score early and often and "Run and Hide" on the scoreboard from Celina. But if Celina is within a TD at the half and has successfully won TOP by 65-35%, then they have the tempo they want and will have a chance... Especially with a turnover or two from Gilmer. Conclusion: Celina can beat Gilmer, but they have to control the ball, control clock, control the line of scrimmage and capitalize on catching a few breaks off of Gilmer mistakes. Gilmer can beat themselves by not executing, not tackling and not taking care of the football. But if Gilmer plays like they did last week, look out! Prediction: Gilmer over Celina 62-28. Look for Carter to have a HUGE game through the air and the usual myriad of receivers to "Go Deep", setting up the run and Gilmer's screen game. The Black Flag Defense holds the keys to a state title in answering a simple question... "Can you draw the LINE?" And stop the run (Especially on 1st Down). We will see, and we'll C-U in Ponyland shortly! GO BUX! DEZign8!
  3. I think it is worth saying, this is the State Semis. Every team left playing is really, really good. To advance, anticipate playing your very best and be faced with the task of beating a very good team. Otherwise, plan on being ousted. This is at it should be at this level. Two games left in the season, and if you make it to next week you are playing in the last game. So for whoever is left standing, be great or be gone!
  4. Seems like back in 2003, we had all of these same conversations regarding Celina and Gilmer. It was said then, and it is still true now. Celina will be no doubt disciplined, fundamentally sound and will execute well on both sides of the ball. But at the end of the day, (all other things like turnovers, mistakes, penalties, etc. being equal...) SPEED KILLS. Atlanta was not ready for Gilmer's speed. And that's a pretty athletic (and fast) team in their own right, butbI'm not sure Celina has seen anything like what is coming at them Friday night.
  5. Let's be honest people. The management of College football is a FARCE from beginning to end. The "Polls" were a Farce, the BCS was a farce, and now the "Playoff System" is a farce. This is ONLY about MONEY! Plain and simple. Nike releases "New Shoe Line" for all four playoff teams (all represented by Nike) just minutes after they announce the "Final Four"? Ohio State (with a living Alumni base that DWARFS Baylor's and TCU's combined) suddenly "Hops" into the rankings so that a set up of match-ups of "Saban vs Meyer" on one side, with the "Heisman QBs" Matched up on the other? Call it what it is... A BUSINESS DECISION that is ALL about TV, ALL about money, ALL while "Players" get "NOTHING BUT AN EDUCATION" while the Fat Cats reap billions in TV Dollars. Anybody with any integrity whatsoever will boycott the whole thing, turn OFF the TVs during the Holiday season and get your football fix from the NFL or your favorite HS Team still playing. The NCAA is a FARCE and a DISGRACE. It should be BOYCOTTED all together.
  6. I would be careful coming on here and making a comment like "...Gilmer passing game is weak..." and "QB is below average" if you want people to take you seriously. Gilmer had drops that hit receivers right in the hands all night against Gladewater...very uncharacteristic, but #4 is one of the most accurate passers you will find in HS Football at any level. Don't mean to be disrespectful, but your comments are about as far off as it gets. Say what you want about Traylor, sideline antics, etc... but show me another Program that has produced THREE different State Players of the Year at the QB Position (that's just during his tenure at Gilmer). The current Gilmer QB's brother threw 49 TDs against 1 INT his senior year. He was the 3A MVP and is on an NFL Roster as we speak. The other was "Mr. Texas Football" (All Classifications) and both of those guys rank among the top 5 QBs in Texas Football History. Think those guys were "Weak"? Now go check the current Gilmer QBs stats... look familiar? There are also a couple Traylor products named McCown who play on Sundays. So you may want to dig into a few stats before you speak.
  7. Navasota was absolutely "Ball Control" and still are. Go back and with the film. Just because a team does not line up in a Power I or run a FB Dive every play does not make them any less "Ball Control". Navasota ran off tackle with superb athletes that we couldn't catch or tackle. They whipped us up front and ran away and hid on the scoreboard. That had nothing to do with offensive style... we just did not contain them for 3 out of 4 qtrs. But if memory serves, that was a 3-0 ball game at the end of the first qtr, and they limited us to two possessions. that is the definition of "Ball Control". Heck, the "West Coast Offense" is a passing offense, but it is also very much a ball control offense. An offense designed to manage 3-5 yard pick-ups on first downs, "Stay Ahead of the Chains", and force your defensive opponents to play lots of snaps while your defense rests is "Ball Control". By contrast, Gilmer's objective on offense is to play as many snaps as possible, as fast as possible and force you to defend athletes in space and force you to play to their strengths (Speed, Execution, Depth, Deeper, Better Athletes, Well-Conditioned, Etc) which means they often put opponents in a place where in short order they must play from behind on the scoreboard. When you play from behind, you tend to throw more than you normally would, which leads to more clock stops, which leads to Gilmer getting more offensive snaps, which leads to being more behind. This is why you see the PPG average from Gilmer that you do. At the NFL Level, take Chip Kelly's Philadelphia Eagles...they share the same philosophy as Gilmer. In contrast, the Patriots subscribe to "Ball Control". That does not mean Tom Brady does not throw the football, or that Shady McCoy does not run the football. But they do have differing offensive philosophies. So my point stands, playing "Keep Away" (Ball Control) from the Buckeye Offense and keeping the clock moving has historically been the formula for success to beat them, limiting their offensive snaps and forcing them into mistakes (turnovers) and out of any offensive rhythm. And IMO Gladewater was better equipped to do that than anyone else left in the tournament.
  8. As much as I hate to see it, (don't hate saying it, because frankly your kids truly deserve it.)...That was the best coaching job that has come out of Gladewater since JM roamed the sidelines. Honest is honest...the longer that coaching staff stays together in Gladewater, the less sleep your orange and black neighbors to the north will be getting! The fact is, those guys in your field house put a plan together that only came up two inches short of triggering a quantum shift in the ET Football Landscape. I am one Buckeye fan that is very happy we have at least one more year to not worry about the "Other G-Town" being in our District because you now have "Great Coaching" to go along with all that talent you have always had. Now that you do, this rivalry will be lots of fun because we will be seeing a lot more games like the one we saw every time we get together. But it is obvious that the Gladewater Bears that have shown up the past dozen years to line up across from us are long gone. Your kids played clean, they played discipline, they played hard, they played with class and respect, and they were incredibly well coached. So yes... consider your notice served... a new era has begun in Gladewater. You, your kids and your community have a lot to be proud of and you are right to point out the men you have to thank for it. We are well aware that we can no longer freely roam the ET Football Woods without making sure we are loaded for Bear before we leave the house!
  9. Agree 100%. 4 Rounds Deep in the playoffs, any team that does not play their best does not really deserve to advance. As I said before in a previous post, handing out SC Rings is not a democratic process. There is no voting here. No committee is going to read your roster, see the size, speed or talent levels and say "WOW! We voted and you won. Here's your ring!" Whoever walks away with the title will have to beat the team in front of them until only one team remains. Doing that is going to require playing the best football that championship team can play. Here's hoping our BUX do exactly that from here on in! I know that's what I keep buying tickets to see.
  10. You'll find nothing but admiration and respect here for the quality program, long championship history and winning traditions that Celina, their fine players, Coaches and Community have built in recent decades. Heck, 99.9% of the small towns in Texas would kill to have one of your "Off Years". But as a great Coach once said, "To whom much is given, is much expected!" So y'all go get yourselves focused on TCB against those West Texas Boys from Sweetwater this week... and if we are fortunate enough to advance as well, we'll have a great time over here in God's Country comparing resume's and all of that happy hulla-baloo with the "Big Orange". Until then, you'll simply have to wait out the next 6 days of Rabbit Season. Good luck!
  11. Only one team since 2003 has beaten Gilmer WITHOUT a "Ball Control Offense"... that was Canton in 2005, (who won the turnover battle and won in a last-second shoot-out). Everyone else who has handled the Buckeyes has done it by keeping the ball away from them, keeping the clock running and have still had some other things go right (< +2 turnovers, etc.) Once you get to this level in the playoffs, the formulas get pretty simple. Gladewater is the kind of team that matches up well with Gilmer. There are also a few teams in D1 4A Teams I think would give Gilmer trouble...and they are "Ball Control" teams as well. But when you look at the rest of the bracket in 4A D2, the teams left will have a VERY difficult time containing the Buckeye offense precisely because they are not necessarily designed for "Ground & Pound". Of course, (as Gladewater proved last Friday night)teams still have to go out and play well, execute, take care of the football, etc. etc. to win it all. And Gilmer is no exception. Nobody "Gives" you a SC Ring! But when you looked at the potential tournament match-ups when the playoffs started, trust me when I say the BUX are now very happy that the orange and black storm (wearing #34) that could have grounded their high flying offense is now in their rear-view mirror, and the skies ahead look promising!
  12. A few thoughts... First, it is rare (but not so much in East Texas) to watch a HS Football game we will all look back on in X Years and say "Wow, 7-8 D1 Players and 3-4 Pros played in that game!" I was reminded on the 2006 Gilmer / LE game, featuring guys like LaMichael James (Oregon, now Miami Dolphins), Will Middlebrooks (Boston RedSox), Curtis Brown (Texas, Steelers), David Snow (Texas, Bills & Steelers), GJ Kinne (Texas, Tulsa, now Philadelphia Eagles), Justin Johnson (Oklahoma), Lamar Harris (Oklahoma), etc... I think guys like Mack, Boyd (Kris and DeMarco), Carter, Lynch, Tate will all be tied to tonight in a similar way as the years go on and those young men become what they will become. Just makes me fell like "What a blessed night to call ourselves East Texans". Our little towns and our little schools from here in the piney woods puts out more football talent per capita than any place else in the world! And quite frankly, nobody does HS Football like we do it...PERIOD! Tonight just typifies that fact! Second, Gladewater coaches will watch this game 100 times in the months to come...and each time they see it, a little part of them will still think with 2:00 minutes left, they'll wind up winning it! Only to walk away with a sick feeling, saying to themselves forevermore "How in earth did we lose that game? We did EVERYTHING right! Everything!" (and they will be correct.) Gilmer should do themselves a favor and simply NOT watch the film EVER. Just get up tomorrow, go to PT Stadium and watch Atlanta and Tatum and be happy you will live to play next week. Say what you want, it is better to be lucky than good...and it helps when you are both. Third, for Gladewater's sake I hope Gilmer goes and gets another ring this year. This is undoubtedly a tough pill to swallow for the Bears, but they deserve to say when Santa Claus comes in a few weeks "We were 2 inches away from taking out the State Champion." Finally, for both Gilmer and Gladewater citizens, Longview is the "Big City". So I am a little saddened to say that Longview ISD Folks seem to think it's never a "Big Deal" when little towns like Gilmer and Gladewater come to play in their house. But I would bet you that was a near record crowd, and the majority of us were (the respective) "G-Town" folks... NOT just "Curious By-standards" from elsewhere. And having been to a lot of these "Small Town" contests in Longview, they always seemed somehow surprised that so many "Country Folk" show up! Sadly, it once again did not seem like there was quite enough thought or preparation put into this game with staff, planning, parking, etc. for this event. There were several THOUSAND people standing outside the gates at 4:30. With all of the money pumped into Longview by our "Satellite Towns" like there was tonight, the economic impact is likely quite significant. So would it kill y'all to roll in a few extra concession stands, have more than a few restrooms open, and maybe have a few extra folks show up a little early to let people into the venue in an orderly way? Trust us, we spend almost as much of our hard earned discretionary dollars in Longview as you do. And the fact is, that two of our "Little Towns" just PACKED your stadium and FILLED your concession stand cash registers, despite the HALF HOUR waits! In the past 10 years, Buckeye fans have been privileged to be hosted in quite a few "Big City" venues around the state, (and I regretfully say) MOST of which are a lot nicer, hospitable, courteous, polite, welcoming, better prepared and LESS PAINFUL than Lobo Stadium has consistently felt. I am not saying anyone was rude, nor am I saying that anyone went out of their way to create an unpleasant experience. I'm just saying we go to "Better Places" all the time, which is a real shame seeing as how Longview is our "Home Big City" too. We will be back next week to your place I understand...back to shop, spend, eat and enjoy our team again. So how about "Stepping Up" and making us as proud to play at "Your Place" as we are proud to say we are from "Our Places"? Congrats to the Bears for making it mean something to say "I'm from G-Town!" And congrats to the Buckeyes on another week's opportunity to keep saying the same thing! Both teams and towns have a LOT to be proud of!
  13. No Demarco vs Kilgore means you can't even take that game into consideration when judging Gilmer's D-Line and the ability to stop the fun between the tackles. Gilmer will determine Gilmer's fate the rest of the way. They will have to turn it over and make mistakes to get beat. Facing the #3 team in the state vs Kilgore (without #22 anchoring the D-Line) and turning it over 5 times... And STILL having a chance to win should say all that needs saying. As has been said, Gilmer is capable of beating Gilmer. I'm NOT convinced Argyle of anybody else in 3A or even 4A could without turnovers and mistakes. If Gilmer plays up to their capabilities, they roll.
  14. I think this will be a 10 to 12 point contest. Somebody is going to have somebody's "Number" and a +2 turnover margin on one side it another will make the difference. "Coaching" and a few "Big plays" make all the difference. Also, a healthy Demarco Boyd who did not play a snap in the Kilgore game will make a huge difference for Gilmer getting off the field. Also, Gilmer's O-Line should expect pressure. Should be the real SC Game. Gilmer 42 Argyle 36
  15. I slept in ;-). Long drive home last night! But it was worth it! I'll eat my crow. CH's offense did not really show up until the 4th qtr last night. But as several Kilgore fans said, it is hard to get in a rhythm offensively when your opponent holds the ball for 6+ minutes. Justice is as good a HS runner after contact as I have seen. Anyone Kilgore faces will have to swarm him to stop him. Kilgore also played less "Sloppy" than last week, although they did have penalties. They did not turn the ball over and therefore they never allowed CH to be in the game. Once CH started throwing it, Kilgore's secondary got exposed. They will have to fix that. Congrats to Kilgore. Very impressive. Can't wait to see you play "Keep Away" from the Buckeyes!
  16. Kilgore played MUCH better this week. No turnovers and dominant running game controlled the clock. The Kilgore defensive front also kept CH in 2nd and 3rd and long all night. CH did manage to expose Kilgore's secondary in the second half , but could not stop Kilgore's ground game. Everybody stays healthy and TCB as they should next week, and we will have our showdown in a Week 10 for the trophy! That will be my next trip to ET and should be a good one.
  17. Justice requires 4 guys at least every carry. He's an impressive back!
  18. CH forces to punt back to Kilgore. Great punt... Better return! Now more "Dust" and clock eating. No way CH sees the ball with enough time left.
  19. CH had better Onside kick this and NoT give it back. Kilgore will take the air out of the ball... Onside kick. CH ball!
  20. TD CH! Kilgore's secondary better hope Gilmer coaches don't get this film!!! 35-25.
  21. Big KO Return from Kilgore... Now more "Dust". TD run Justice. 35-17 with 8:02 left.
  22. CH throwing effectively. But they better score NOW to have a chance.
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