Region III GOTW: Texarkana Liberty-Eylau @ Gilmer

[JR2004]

Gilmer and Eylau is probably the biggest game this week out of the five.

[Necks_Fan]

Originally posted by JR2004
Gilmer and Eylau is probably the biggest game this week out of the five. Maybe the most lopsided game this week.

[charlesrixey]

Originally posted by JR2004
Gilmer and Eylau is probably the biggest game this week out of the five.

the most anticipated, perhaps, but can LE tighten it up again?

this was also the game of the week last year (once, maybe twice?--they all seem to run together)

[JR2004]

Originally posted by charlesrixey
the most anticipated, perhaps, but can LE tighten it up again?

this was also the game of the week last year (once, maybe twice?--they all seem to run together)

It probably is the most anticipated. Godfrey will probably be too much for Eylau to handle though.

I like the choice on Prosper-Bridgeport. I'll be interested to see how it turns out. Prosper has a chance to make some deep playoff runs over the next few seasons before they move on up to 4A ball.

[charlesrixey]

there was no reason LE should've been in their first round matchup with Gilmer at all last season, and yet they still gave the buckeyes a scare.

SHOULD it be a lopsided game-yes

but LE (a two time champion-most recently in '06) has raised their game against Gilmer more than any other team in any other rivalry recently

[pirate4state]

Originally posted by charlesrixey
there was no reason LE should've been in their first round matchup with Gilmer at all last season, and yet they still gave the buckeyes a scare.

SHOULD it be a lopsided game-yes

but LE (a two time champion-most recently in '06) has raised their game against Gilmer more than any other team in any other rivalry recently

You are right LE gets up to play Gilmer and I expect this to be a very good game!

GO BUCKEYES!

KALE!

:D

[RattlerDude]

Originally posted by JR2004
Gilmer and Eylau is probably the biggest game this week out of the five.
I definitely agree

[navscanmaster]

Originally posted by RattlerDude
I definitely agree

Still could be. In Region III! Go vote on that thread and make it happen.:D

[charlesrixey]

Originally posted by navscanmaster
Still could be. In Region III! Go vote on that thread and make it happen.:D

:p

i picked something else on purpose

that matchup was gotw last year

[waterboy]

Originally posted by pirate4state
You are right LE gets up to play Gilmer and I expect this to be a very good game!

GO BUCKEYES!

KALE!

:D
Hey! That's supposed to be K.L.E.A.! KALE is Liberty-Eylau's fighting words! I'm expecting this to be a good game. I'm from Gilmer and I don't expect an easy win. I expect a win, just not an easy win. As someone else mentioned, the games between these two have a history of being close. I wouldn't expect anything different this time around. The Leopards always play at a different level when they meet the Buckeyes. I sure would like to see Gilmer win big, but I'm not sure it'll happen.

[R3Editor]

Voted on by you the fans, this matchup edges West Orange-Stark @ Kirbyville as the week 2 game of the week. Let the discussion begin!

[Dieselsmoke]

If Gilmer can stop the big play, Gilmer wins big!

[rockdale80]

Gilmer is going to get destroyed. I mean they only put up 77 last week against Rains. WEAK!!!;)

[Aesculus gilmus]

Gilmer 84, Liberty-Eylau 14

The Buckeye faithful still, unfairly in my view, go around saying that the Leopards "stole our rings" in 2006.

No, the better TEAM won that night in Longview against a bunch of individual stars.

But once you get on Gilmer's bad side, even if it is questionable WHY you are even on its bad side, the Buckeyes will NOT hesitate to use the alleged "disrespect" to wipe the field with you in rematches.

The buildup to last year's rematch was "over the top" in terms of generating motivation and began even before the season did. I HOPE this upcoming blowout gets these vengeful feelings toward one team, which did nothing other than execute an excellent game plan that night in 2006 en route to a state championship, out of the Buckeyes' system. It's not healthy to focus that much animosity on one school.

[waterboy]

Originally posted by Aesculus gilmus
1. Gilmer 84, Liberty-Eylau 14

2. The Buckeye faithful still, unfairly in my view, go around saying that the Leopards "stole our rings" in 2006.

3. No, the better TEAM won that night in Longview against a bunch of individual stars.


1. I don't see this kind of score happening at all. The recent history of this matchup tells me that this game will probably be much closer, less than 4 TDs. If Gilmer does play their best game I can see the Buckeyes running away with this one, but they'll have to prove they can play at that level first.

2. I am one of the Buckeye faithful and I know a whole lot of others, but I still have never heard ANYONE say that the Leopards "stole our rings" in 2006. I, for one, and everyone I socialize with, knew that was going to be a tough game. I knew there was a strong possibility we could lose because, face it, for all the offensive firepower we had, we had no defense. When the Buckeyes played Daingerfield and won 62-42, I told my wife and everyone else that Gilmer wouldn't go anywhere when the playoffs started because they were poor defensively. I actually felt like we lost that game even though we won easily.

3. I definitely agree with you here. The best TEAM won that fateful night. Sometimes, even I think "what if?", but I've always given credit where credit is due and L-E was better team that night.

Friday night is a different night, with 2 completely different teams, and after the kickoff it won't matter what happened last year, or the year before. The past helps to motivate, but that motivation is there for both teams, which only makes the game more intense.......which I like, BTW!

[Aesculus gilmus]

I am also calling it a blowout because the home field advantage alone is worth about four or five TDs in Gilmer.

This is the first time, in the 21st century anyway, this game has not been played at a neutral site.

The obsession with Eylau last season began to take on the characteristics of the Aggies' obsession with the Longhorns.

The overall 11-3 lead TLE has in the series is also reminiscent of the Aggies-'Horns rivalry.

I think when a program obsesses on one team, it detracts from its performance in other games. When I was a student at Texas, the A&M game was just another game. With Texas A&M's faithful, they saw it as an existential crisis due to their longtime inferiority complex from being the "rural" school.

[waterboy]

Originally posted by Aesculus gilmus
I am also calling it a blowout because the home field advantage alone is worth about four or five TDs in Gilmer.

This is the first time, in the 21st century anyway, this game has not been played at a neutral site.

The obsession with Eylau last season began to take on the characteristics of the Aggies' obsession with the Longhorns.

The overall 11-3 lead TLE has in the series is also reminiscent of the Aggies-'Horns rivalry.

I think when a program obsesses on one team, it detracts from its performance in other games. When I was a student at Texas, the A&M game was just another game. With Texas A&M's faithful, they saw it as an existential crisis due to their longtime inferiority complex from being the "rural" school.
So, what are you saying? You think the Buckeyes have an inferiority complex with the Leopards? I think that is ludicrous and I definitely don't see that! Yes, L-E has an 11-3 advantage in head-to-head matches, but that is irrelevant now. Nearly all of those wins by the Leopards were when the Buckeyes were not very good at football at all. The "obsession" you say the Buckeyes have with beating L-E is not what I would call an obsession. Yes, beating L-E is one thing we always feel we must do, and is especially sweet, but it's not an obsession. After years of seeing the Buckeyes struggle, I feel especially good when Gilmer beats teams like Daingerfield, Gladewater, and Liberty-Eylau. Now that we've gained the upper hand on those first two teams, that makes L-E a focal point team. If we can beat them consistently that'll be one more team that'll feel like playing Gilmer will likely be an "L" on their schedule. I remember years ago when you could look at the schedule and automatically assume an "L" just because of who we were playing. That's what you want your opponent to do. That's what it's all about, nothing more, nothing less! Right?

[Aesculus gilmus]

I shouldn't have brought up the Aggies. There are too many of them on this board.

And I certainly do not want the Buckeyes to take on any of the characteristics of the Aggies (God bless 'em everyone).

At any rate, not that I am privy to any inside knowledge of scheduling, it is my understanding that this will only be a 2-game home-and-home series with the Leopards.

I would guess that by 2010, the UIL will have strongly encouraged schools to schedule closer to home because of the high fuel prices, which aren't likely to return to the levels of even five years ago short of another Great Depression (which IS possible, but let's hope it doesn't happen).

[waterboy]

Yeah, I don't like that comparison, either, for obvious reasons! There are some Aggies on here, too. This may be a two-game series, but the UIL doesn't have much, if any, say-so in which teams are scheduled in pre-district. At least that's my understanding. Nevertheless, 80 miles is not that far to go for quality 3A competition. I wouldn't be surprised to see this matchup renewed, or dropped for that matter, after the next realignment. Who knows, the way the UIL works, we may even be in the same district as L-E! I don't see that happening, but the UIL does some weird stuff every time around so it's not out of the realm of possibility.

Oh, and lighten up a bit! Don't worry, be happy!:D

Just watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjnvSQuv-H4

[charlesrixey]

52-28 Gilmer

or

35-34 Gilmer

good enough?:)

[waterboy]

Originally posted by charlesrixey
52-28 Gilmer

or

35-34 Gilmer

good enough?:)
I'll take the W either way! Liberty-Eylau posters say they haven't had 50+ points scored on them since they can remember, but it would be nice to see us score that many. Not sure we can score 50+, but it would be nice!

[txkmom]

22-14 Gilmer, in the 3rd

[easttexas3a]

Game Ended 28-14 for Gilmer. Gilmer Offense struggled, LE has a very good athletic defense. Gilmer was unable to get the passing game really going, dropped probably 4-5 passes, there were some points left on the field, one for sure wide open TD the kid let just go through his hands. LE was plagued with turning the ball over, I think they had 3 turnovers, had they eliminated those game would have been extremely tight. Gilmer D played well, caused turnovers, held a good LE team to 14 points. LE had a great game plan, control the clock, and pound gilmer on both sides of the ball. I see LE being just as good as they were last year, I wouldn't want to face em again.

Gilmer has Kilgore next week, a 4a team that will make the playoffs, probably win their district, and will probably make a good run. Gilmer will not be able to play like they did offensively tongiht and win in my opinion. Should be a great and fun game. with what daingerfield did tonight Gilmer's next 2 weeks look to be brutal.

[lostaussie]

Buckeyes looked very flat last night. don't know why lots of missed opportunities and points left on the field. We were the much better team last night. that being said..............L/E is very athletic and will be able to plat with anybody they face down the road. Biggest problem they had was turnovers, and that they weren't very deep.

[lostaussie]

and btw...........the game was played on a beautiful ETexas night and at least, I don't know, maybe 65 fans showed up from L/E. I didn't quite get that. Maybe those hurricqane force winds reached Texarkana before they got to gilmer:D

[txkmom]

In Texarkana we got a heavy, heavy rainstorm late Friday afternoon, part of a large band of storms that stretched from sw of Gilmer all the way into se Arkansas. Many people probably thought they would be heading into early bands of severe weather from Ike - I know I did - and that the game would not make. The band obviously had to make a decision about going fairly early in the day. When I talked to my husband, the team had arrived in Gilmer in a pouring rainstorm. Plus, we all knew by mid-afternoon that Atlanta's game with Carthage was postponed until October because of the weather and that may have influenced travel decisions too. Some fans made the choice not to travel and to stay for the Texas High-Arkansas game, a yearly extreme cross-town rivalry. Many Texarkana fans have friends and family playing in more than one school in the area. So our fan base was slashed pretty harshly, but not by lack of love for our Leopards. I'm glad they got the game in - rivalries aside, it was an important test for both teams.

[Aesculus gilmus]

Originally posted by lostaussie
and btw...........the game was played on a beautiful ETexas night and at least, I don't know, maybe 65 fans showed up from L/E. I didn't quite get that. Maybe those hurricqane force winds reached Texarkana before they got to gilmer:D

You DO understand that, even at $3.50 a gallon, it would cost a Leopard fan with a 15 MPG vehicle about $35 to drive round-trip to this game.

The era of long-distance, pre-district road games is coming to an end. There are already restrictions on miles traveled being enforced in some Metroplex districts.

BTW, I would like to point out that I got three out of the four numerals in my prediction right and I nailed Liberty-Eylau's score exactly. I have to admit though that having that Gilmer "8" in front rather than back cannot be ignored. :D

[Panther Dad X 2]

Gilmer by 14