TYLER -- Six days after losing the title of being ranked No. 1 in the state, the District 16-3A championship and an undefeated season, Gilmer returned to the win column with a vengeance.

Tanner Barr fueled an offensive eruption for the Buckeyes with three touchdown passes and No. 4 Gilmer blew out Mineola, 52-0, on Thursday night at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium to open the Class 3A Division II playoffs.

The bi-district win sets Gilmer (10-1) up to face either Pittsburg or Wills Point in the area round.

Gilmer quarterback Tanner Barr threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns against Mineola on Thursday night. (Mike Davis, ETSN.fm)
Gilmer quarterback Tanner Barr threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns against Mineola on Thursday night. (Mike Davis, ETSN.fm)
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Barr, who completed his first seven passes, finished 12-of-14 for 261 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-point first-half for Gilmer, which had possession for less than six minutes before halftime.

None of the Gilmer starters on offense saw the field in the second half, which went by quickly in a game that lasted just two hours and 13 minutes.

Gilmer scored 28 points four

Mineola quarterback Jeremiah Crawford tries to get away from Gilmer's Tristan Olivares on Thursday night. (Mike Davis, ETSN.fm)
Mineola quarterback Jeremiah Crawford tries to get away from Gilmer's Tristan Olivares on Thursday night. (Mike Davis, ETSN.fm)
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different ways in a 5:38 span in a 35-point second quarter.

Less than a minute after Kris Boyd scored on a 5-yard touchdown run, John McPherson returned a fumble 16 yards for a touchdown. DeVondrick Dixon added a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown 2:33 later, followed by a Barr-to-Chase Tate 42-yard touchdown with 5:01 left in the half to put the Buckeyes up 38-0.

Barr closed the half with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Desmond Pollard -- his second touchdown catch of the game -- in which Pollard snagged the ball with a leaping catch, turned right and waltzed into the end zone.

Barr and Pollard connected for a 12-yard touchdown to cap Gilmer's longest drive of the first half: 11 plays for 76 yards. Pablin Olivares added a 21-yard field goal late in the first to give the Buckeyes a 10-0 lead before the scoring onslaught began.

Sophomore Cambron Greenville scored on a 21-yard touchdown in the third quarter to finish Gilmer's scoring.

The Gilmer defense limited Mineola to 181 total yards, 98 of which came from running back Rhett Self on 24 carries. The Yellow Jackets (5-6) crossed midfield on just four drives in the game.

No. 4 Gilmer 52, Mineola 0

Class 3A Division II Bi-District
TMF Rose Stadium, Tyler

Mineola     0     0     0     0  --  0
Gilmer     10    35    7     0  --  52
First Quarter
GIL -- Desmond Pollard 12 pass from Tanner Barr (Pablin Olivares kick), 7:34
GIL -- Olivares 21 FG, 2:44
Second Quarter
GIL -- Kris Boyd 5 run (Olivares kick), 10:39
GIL -- John McPherson 16 fumble return (Olivares kick), 9:47
GIL -- DeVondrick Dixon 62 punt return (Olivares kick), 7:14
GIL -- Chase Tate 42 pass from Barr (Olivares kick), 5:01
GIL -- Pollard 29 pass from Barr (Olivares kick), 0:23
Third Quarter
GIL -- Cambron Greenville 21 run (Tristan Olivares kick), 7:27

                                  GIL                  MIN
First Downs              20                    11
Total Yards               458                  181
Rushes-Yards          32-135             42-148
Passing Yards          324                  33
Comp.-Att.-Int.          17-23-0            3-12-0
Punts-Avg.                2-45.5              6-37.2
Fumbles-Lost           0-0                   3-1
Penalties-Yards        9-62                 2-10

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Gilmer, Cambron Granville 8-30, Jamel Jackson 5-26, Darrian Lewis 2-21, Zac Spears 4-17, Tanner Barr 2-17, Kris Boyd 4-11, DeVondrick Dixon 1-7, Kelton Collier 3-7, Josh Walker 1-2, Cameron Bowman 1-0, Jordan Williams 1-(-3). Mineola, Rhett Self 24-98, Kourtland Sinches 4-21, Juan Vargas 3-18, Jeremiah Crawford 9-11, Chantz Perkins 1-2, Tino Elias 1-(-2).
PASSING -- Gilmer, Barr 12-14-0--261, Spears 5-9-0--63. Mineola, Crawford 3-12-0--33.
RECEIVING -- Gilmer, Desmond Pollard 4-58, Nick Smith 2-55, Chase Tate 2-50, Jaidon Parrish 2-28, Dakeilen Nelson 2-26, Jordan Williams 2-24, Darrian Lewis 1-50, Granville 1-24, Zod Heath 1-8. Mineola, Self 2-8, Casey Gilbreath 1-25.

Gilmer's Chase Tate hauls in a pass from quarterback Tanner Barr against Mineola on Thursday at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler. (Mike Davis, ETSN.fm)
Gilmer's Chase Tate hauls in a pass from quarterback Tanner Barr against Mineola on Thursday at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler. (Mike Davis, ETSN.fm)
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