Posted 9:40 am Sunday, December 27, 2009
Two State Titles, Total Domination Define Memorable Decade For Buckeyes
By CLINT BUCKLEY
Staff Writer
Following Gilmer's win over Abilene Wylie in the Class 3A Division I state championship game two weeks ago, head coach Jeff Traylor said it best.
Staff Writer
Following Gilmer's win over Abilene Wylie in the Class 3A Division I state championship game two weeks ago, head coach Jeff Traylor said it best.
“It's been a fun 10 years.”
The 43-26 victory resulted in the Buckeyes' second state title in six years and officially cemented Gilmer as the Tyler Courier-Times--Telegraph East Texas team of the decade.
Gilmer's overall record in the 2000s was 112-17 — a winning percentage of .868 — and included nine trips to the postseason and three berths in the state finals.
And it was all conducted by Traylor, a graduate of Gilmer High School, who took over the program in 2000. Prior to his arrival, the Buckeyes had missed the playoffs every year since 1991.
Sure, the trophies and victories are there.
The school won its first state title in 2004, followed it up with an appearance in the finals in 2007 and wrapped up the decade with another championship earlier this month.
But perhaps no other school in the area has had more players sign Division I scholarships in recent years.
When National Signing Day 2010 passes, Gilmer will have had 15 players sign letters of intent to play college football at the highest level.
The most notable of these athletes were Manuel Johnson, G.J. Kinne, Curtis Brown and David Snow.
Johnson, who quarterbacked the '04 Buckeyes to the title, took his exploits to Oklahoma as a starting wide receiver and was a seventh-round NFL draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2009. He is now a member of “America's Team's” practice squad.
Kinne transferred to Gilmer from Canton for his senior year and led Gilmer to an undefeated regular season in 2006. He initially committed to Baylor, then signed with Texas before transferring to Tulsa, where he is now the Golden Hurricane's starting quarterback.
Brown, despite playing most of his high school career at wide receiver, became one of the nation's most coveted defensive backs as a senior. He is now a starting cornerback for Texas.
Snow, who anchored an offensive line that carried Gilmer to the 2007 state finals, currently is a starter on the Longhorns' front five.
All of these players helped Gilmer put together some impressive streaks, which will carry into the next decade. The Buckeyes have won nine straight district titles, 45 consecutive district games and 34 in a row at home.
Taking Gilmer's decade-long dominance a step further, in four instances in the playoffs, Buckeyes' losses were to the eventual state champions — Atlanta in 2003, Liberty-Eylau in 2006, Liberty Hill in 2007 and Carthage in 2008.
The Buckeyes' dynasty era didn't begin in earnest until their 2003 run to the state quarterfinals. Since then, Gilmer's record is 90-7 and the Buckeyes have outscored opponents on average 46-16.
———
YEAR-BY-YEAR
Year Record Result
2000 6-4 finished fourth in district
2001 8-3 lost to Pleasant Grove, 10-0, in bi-district
2002 8-3 lost to Daingerfield, 36-23, in bi-district
2003 13-1 lost to Atlanta, 34-14, in state quarterfinals
2004 16-0 defeated Jasper, 49-47, in state finals
2005 10-2 lost to Canton, 61-58, in area
2006 10-1 lost to Liberty-Eylau, 39-36, in bi-district
2007 14-1 lost to Liberty Hill, 38-13, in state finals
2008 12-2 lost to Carthage, 31-28, in state quarterfinals
2009 15-0 defeated Abilene Wylie, 43-26, in state finals
Gilmer's overall record in the 2000s was 112-17 — a winning percentage of .868 — and included nine trips to the postseason and three berths in the state finals.
And it was all conducted by Traylor, a graduate of Gilmer High School, who took over the program in 2000. Prior to his arrival, the Buckeyes had missed the playoffs every year since 1991.
Sure, the trophies and victories are there.
The school won its first state title in 2004, followed it up with an appearance in the finals in 2007 and wrapped up the decade with another championship earlier this month.
But perhaps no other school in the area has had more players sign Division I scholarships in recent years.
When National Signing Day 2010 passes, Gilmer will have had 15 players sign letters of intent to play college football at the highest level.
The most notable of these athletes were Manuel Johnson, G.J. Kinne, Curtis Brown and David Snow.
Johnson, who quarterbacked the '04 Buckeyes to the title, took his exploits to Oklahoma as a starting wide receiver and was a seventh-round NFL draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2009. He is now a member of “America's Team's” practice squad.
Kinne transferred to Gilmer from Canton for his senior year and led Gilmer to an undefeated regular season in 2006. He initially committed to Baylor, then signed with Texas before transferring to Tulsa, where he is now the Golden Hurricane's starting quarterback.
Brown, despite playing most of his high school career at wide receiver, became one of the nation's most coveted defensive backs as a senior. He is now a starting cornerback for Texas.
Snow, who anchored an offensive line that carried Gilmer to the 2007 state finals, currently is a starter on the Longhorns' front five.
All of these players helped Gilmer put together some impressive streaks, which will carry into the next decade. The Buckeyes have won nine straight district titles, 45 consecutive district games and 34 in a row at home.
Taking Gilmer's decade-long dominance a step further, in four instances in the playoffs, Buckeyes' losses were to the eventual state champions — Atlanta in 2003, Liberty-Eylau in 2006, Liberty Hill in 2007 and Carthage in 2008.
The Buckeyes' dynasty era didn't begin in earnest until their 2003 run to the state quarterfinals. Since then, Gilmer's record is 90-7 and the Buckeyes have outscored opponents on average 46-16.
———
YEAR-BY-YEAR
Year Record Result
2000 6-4 finished fourth in district
2001 8-3 lost to Pleasant Grove, 10-0, in bi-district
2002 8-3 lost to Daingerfield, 36-23, in bi-district
2003 13-1 lost to Atlanta, 34-14, in state quarterfinals
2004 16-0 defeated Jasper, 49-47, in state finals
2005 10-2 lost to Canton, 61-58, in area
2006 10-1 lost to Liberty-Eylau, 39-36, in bi-district
2007 14-1 lost to Liberty Hill, 38-13, in state finals
2008 12-2 lost to Carthage, 31-28, in state quarterfinals
2009 15-0 defeated Abilene Wylie, 43-26, in state finals
