Gold Standard: Gilmer Buckeyes’ journey to become champions

GILMER, Texas ( KETK ) – The legends of the past loom large in Gilmer, and championship expectations run deep for the orange and black.

“We understand that’s what people in town want, that’s what the people in the school want, that’s what the kids growing up want, and then you have to match that want with the amount of work, with the amount of self-sacrifice,” Alan Metzel, Gilmer head coach, said. “We love having that as our place that we are trying to get to each year, we’ll embrace the pressure and look forward to another journey this season.”

In 2023, coach Metzel led the Buckeyes to their third state title game in four years , and for the first time since 2014, Gilmer brought the championship home.

“It was a great feeling because we always had the dream to go out there and win and we finally got the job done,” said quarterback Cadon Tennison.

“There’s going to be more kids coming through here that are going to ask about that 2023 team, you know it will be a good story to tell,” said wide receiver Brendan Webb.

The story of Gilmer’s success has a rocky beginning.

The Buckeyes lost the first two games of the regular season, falling to powerhouses Chapel Hill and Kilgore.

They rebounded with close victories over Paris and Lindale, then went on to knock off Walnut Grove.

However, the turning point of the season came in the first week of district, after a 35-point loss to Pleasant Grove.

“So I think everything clicked after [Pleasant Grove], we got our pieces in the right places, and our defense right, and everything started to come together,” Webb said.

The Buckeyes rolled into the playoffs, beating Center, Sunnyvale and Aubrey to make it to the regional final, where their old friends in red waited, in the Rose City.

“There was a maturing that took place, those are things that sometimes get overlooked, it’s all about how fast you are, how strong you are, those kind of things,” Metzel said. “Am I willing to put in the work to make that next movement up into the next echelon and that team took that challenge and obviously came through.”

When talking about gold standards of East Texas high school football, the Carthage Bulldogs have to be mentioned. Going into 2023, they were once again favored to win the state championship.

However, the Buckeyes have plenty of history with the Bulldogs and they met once again in the regional final in Tyler. Despite that most, outside of this community, expected Carthage to walk away with the win, Gilmer had other plans.

“My heart dropped, I didn’t know how to feel, it felt like it was all a movie, but it felt good,” Tennison said.

“We haven’t beat Carthage in a while, but we just went into it with a mindset like we are just going to have to play these guys for a full four quarters,” Webb said.

“Lost a number of games in a row to them and so there were certain hurdles that we had to overcome, things that your own mind begins to do to yourself and so those things had to be defeated first and then you have to go play the team,” Metzel said.

The win over Carthage sent shockwaves across the state, but Gilmer’s job was not finished, and after an impressive victory over Glen Rose in the state semis, the time had come for a trip to Arlington, and the state title game against Bellville.

When the dust settled, the Buckeyes, were champions.

“When you go through things like that, when you are forged in the fire, it bonds you in a very unique way. So for the staff, for the coaches, to the kids, to the team, to the community all those things, pretty special season and all I can say is we’re very grateful,” Metzel said.

“The standard is real high, the bar is set at a point, and it’s not going to change, for anybody, and you’ve got to come meet at the bar,” Webb said.

Every team has its own journey and its own story to tell.

The faces on the field will always change, but the standard in Gilmer, it’s always golden.

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