Where are Grant and Terry?

[waterboy]

I'm just giving the ol' boy a hard time. He deserves some kudos for such a great prediction. I don't think I started to believe in PG until they beat Gilmer. And then when they beat Celina in the manner in which they did, I figured there wasn't anybody left in the state that could beat them. I really do think they would have given Carthage all they could handle last year.

I didn't believe him, either. I'm not sure he was even "sold" on them, or at least not until they beat us. I would've loved to have seen them match up with Carthage, too. It would've been a really good game and fun to watch. We played both teams. The thing about Carthage is they have the X factor in Surratt. I would never bet against him in a championship game. PG had a special year with special players, had the heart of a champion, and a very real belief that they were not going to be denied. Who knows for sure what would've happened?

[Aesculus gilmus]

That night Pleasant Grove played us in Gilmer, it seemed to me as if the Buckeyes were going uphill and the Hawks downhill the entire game.

After that game, I really didn't want to see a rematch either. I think they could have hung with Carthage definitely.

If Gilmer were ever to field an actual defense on a consistent basis, we could have Carthaginian greatness here, I believe.

BTW, one of PG's best returning starters was going to Gilmer until a couple of years ago.

#40 Landon Jackson started as a 6'5" freshman last year. His mom still lives a few blocks from Traylor Stadium, I've heard.

Gilmer is now winning based on the strength and tradition of the program. It's the other schools IMO who are more into recruiting (not necessarily illegally either just as it was never proven to me that anything Gilmer was doing under Traylor was illegal; people just wanted to play for the Buckeyes).

[poisoned10]

BTW, one of PG's best returning starters was going to Gilmer until a couple of years ago.

#40 Landon Jackson started as a 6'5" freshman last year. His mom still lives a few blocks from Traylor Stadium, I've heard.

What a dumb move!

[Aesculus gilmus]

Harmony didn't do much in the playoffs, but they went undefeated in the regular season.

Their top two players, I was told, were transfers FROM GILMER into Harmony ISD.

I can't see this happening if Traylor were still here.

I'm not sure their QB could have started in place of Poppy, but he damn sure could have been a factor on defense. The RB could have also.

Both could have contributed on offense. They just might have had to switch positions.

[d0tc0m]

How's Gilmer gonna look this year? Same ol' Buckeyes? Lots of offense, no defense?

[Aesculus gilmus]

Well, the Gilmer coaches aren't stupid. They KNOW the problem is on defense and so extra emphasis is being given to this, I've been told.

They are going to field players who can run at least as fast as safeties typically can, if possible, even in the front seven.

Frankly, I don't know if this team has enough speed to be able to do that. But they'll give it their best shot and do better than expected, I hope.

One thing that hasn't changed is that every Buckeye team will go toe-to-toe with every opponent, no matter how gifted and talented the latter is, on every play of the game to the last whistle.

There's no quit in these guys and hasn't been for about 20 years now.

QB is a question mark to me on offense. He's probably better than I think. Again, I hope so. Everyone's rooting for him because of his late dad's story. I still miss the guy.

[d0tc0m]

Well, the Gilmer coaches aren't stupid. They KNOW the problem is on defense and so extra emphasis is being given to this, I've been told.

They are going to field players who can run at least as fast as safeties typically can, if possible, even in the front seven.

Frankly, I don't know if this team has enough speed to be able to do that. But they'll give it their best shot and do better than expected, I hope.

One thing that hasn't changed is that every Buckeye team will go toe-to-toe with every opponent, no matter how gifted and talented the latter is, on every play of the game to the last whistle.

There's no quit in these guys and hasn't been for about 20 years now.

QB is a question mark to me on offense. He's probably better than I think. Again, I hope so. Everyone's rooting for him because of his late dad's story. I still miss the guy.

Gilmer has certainly always had the athletes to field a great defense. Seems like they've always spent them on offense, though, and, I suppose that's OK. Hopefully, you guys will get it figured out on that side of the ball this year and your new QB will have a lot of success. If that happens, look out.

I'd love to see Celina and Gilmer get a pre-district matchup going, especially now that we're not going to see each other in the postseason again. Maybe it'll happen.

[waterboy]

That night Pleasant Grove played us in Gilmer, it seemed to me as if the Buckeyes were going uphill and the Hawks downhill the entire game.

I agree, but mostly because of excessive turnovers, penalties, and lack of defense.

After that game, I really didn't want to see a rematch either. I think they could have hung with Carthage definitely.

We likely would've gotten beat again, but I still wanted to see it. I think we should've seen it. We have been extremely turnover prone the past three years. That trend needs to stop, too. They would've hung with Carthage for sure. Gilmer "could've" beaten both teams if not for turnovers even though we were overmatched talent-wise.

If Gilmer were ever to field an actual defense on a consistent basis, we could have Carthaginian greatness here, I believe.

This is something I've been saying for years, even in the Traylor era. I've caught a LOT of flack over the years for saying it, too. I shutter to think of what could've been.

BTW, one of PG's best returning starters was going to Gilmer until a couple of years ago.

#40 Landon Jackson started as a 6'5" freshman last year. His mom still lives a few blocks from Traylor Stadium, I've heard.

Do you know why? Is he living with his dad?

Gilmer is now winning based on the strength and tradition of the program. It's the other schools IMO who are more into recruiting (not necessarily illegally either just as it was never proven to me that anything Gilmer was doing under Traylor was illegal; people just wanted to play for the Buckeyes).

Tradition can only carry you so much. You have to have good coaching and good talent. Gilmer has always had talent, even when they weren't winning. Those "other schools" usually get a pass because they don't win consistently. We are a high profile school with a winning tradition that will bring out the haters if we have a move in, especially players with an already established high profile. Does "recruiting" happen? Absolutely. It's been happening. The majority of recruiting happens in the inner city and suburban communities, but goes unnoticed because it is standard practice. Nobody knows where anybody of the kids come from and they usually don't ask questions if the "rules" are followed.

As for our defense, or lack thereof, we haven't had the size we used to consistently have. I do, however, see a lot of size with decent speed sitting on the sidelines when the defense is playing. You have to have some size on the D-line or else you're going to get pushed around. Speed is not as important as strength on the line. We have been getting pushed around on defense for the better part of 20 years. It's well past time for some major changes on that side of the ball. The offense is fine, always has been, except for the turnovers over the past three seasons. That is fixable.

[waterboy]

Aesculus gilmus, why do think there has been an exodus of players instead of retention and/or influx the last couple of years? I know the reason, but I'm just curious as to whether you know.

FWIW, I think the team this year will be as good, if not a little better overall than last season. I think they will have less of the "entitled" attitude, and play more as a team. I just don't know if the talent is there to be a real contender. I think Cade Camp will be very good at QB, and less mistake prone. The only knock on him is he can't run like Poppy could.

[Aesculus gilmus]

I have no idea. My guess would be a great deal of it would be related to the fact Jeff Traylor hasn't been there since 2014.

Whether you love him or hate him (and a lot of people even around here didn't really like him and took it out on him at the bond election polls), he was just so charismatic that people wanted to play for him.

As for your other question, the PG star lives with his dad, who is 6'10" IIRC, now. I don't remember why the mom still lives here if she does. I think the parents are still a couple. This is all secondhand info from "a source close to the program."

[d0tc0m]

I have no idea. My guess would be a great deal of it would be related to the fact Jeff Traylor hasn't been there since 2014.

Whether you love him or hate him (and a lot of people even around here didn't really like him and took it out on him at the bond election polls), he was just so charismatic that people wanted to play for him.

As for your other question, the PG star lives with his dad, who is 6'10" IIRC, now. I don't remember why the mom still lives here if she does. I think the parents are still a couple. This is all secondhand info from "a source close to the program."

Being sans-Traylor certainly has an effect on Gilmer. Just like Carthage would/will suffer the day Surratt is no longer in the red and white. I mean, Alabama will cease to be Alabama when Saban finally gets ready to hang it up. That's just the way it goes.

But, still, even without Traylor, Gilmer has been to a pair of semifinals and the Region II semis (a very good, deep region, at that). Not terrible.

[waterboy]

I have no idea. My guess would be a great deal of it would be related to the fact Jeff Traylor hasn't been there since 2014.

I talk to some of the parents of the kids in the program regularly. It's much more political now that Jeff is gone, which leads to other problems I won't go into on a public board. It certainly hasn't helped in that the program has lost a LOT of the coaches that were successful here.

Whether you love him or hate him (and a lot of people even around here didn't really like him and took it out on him at the bond election polls), he was just so charismatic that people wanted to play for him.

There will always be those people that hate people who are successful. I never got that, especially when it's a good thing that brings the community together. The "bond election", to me at least, wasn't about football. It was about the cost per square foot analysis that left me scratching my head. It was double what it cost to build other schools in the area. If they would've given the voters a chance to voice their opinions about the left over monies from the bond election that actually did pass earlier, I think the people would've voted "FOR". Jeff didn't play politics, which is one of the many reasons he had the success he had. The players knew that they HAD to perform, follow team rules, etc., or they could lose their spot in the line up.

As for your other question, the PG star lives with his dad, who is 6'10" IIRC, now. I don't remember why the mom still lives here if she does. I think the parents are still a couple. This is all secondhand info from "a source close to the program."

Is he any kin to Rebel from the '80s? I don't look for PG to have nearly the team they had last season, and I think he would get more recognition playing for Gilmer, but I digress...

[Aesculus gilmus]

Not kin to Rebel. And, yeah, I can believe that other stuff you wrote. I also think that football at all levels is declining in popularity.