Rivals Gilmer, Gladewater Start District 16-3A Slate Against Each Other

Gilmer Buckeyes (3-1)
vs.
Gladewater Bears (3-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Jack V. Murphy Bear Stadium, Gladewater

Coaches
Gilmer: Jeff Traylor
Gladewater: Jerrod Baugh

Last week
Gilmer: def. Daingerfield, 43-14
Gladewater: lost to Atlanta, 31-20

Next week
Gilmer: vs. Chapel Hill
Gladewater: at Spring Hill

Playmakers
Gilmer

• QB Tanner Barr, Jr., 6-1, 175 (76 of 133, 921 yards, 9 TDs, 5 INTs; 34 carries, 211 yards)
• WR/CB Trey Washington, Sr., 6-1, 170 (14 catches, 164 yards, 2 TDs; 16 tackles, 1 INT; committed to SMU)
• ATH Chase Tate, Soph., 5-5, 150 (18 carries, 96 yards, 1 TD; 24 catches, 191 yards, 1 TD)
• NG Xavier Fluellen, Sr., 6-1, 260 (24 tackles, 3 sacks)
• DT C.J. Williams, Sr. (30 tackles, 11 QB pressures)
• RB/LB Josh Walker, Jr., 6-1, 220 (27 carries, 156 yards, 2 TDs; 10 catches, 120 yards, 2 TDs; 17 tackles)
• RB Kris Boyd, Soph., 5-9, 180 (25 carries, 203 yards, 2 TDs)
• ILB John McPhearson, Jr. (35 tackles)

Gladewater

• QB Derrick Daniels, Sr., 6-1, 182 (14 of 38, 185 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs; 70 carries, 613 yards, 7 TDs)
• FB/DT Daylon Mack, Soph., 6-2, 297 (17 tackles, 5 for loss, 3 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries)
• RB Tyler Price, Sr., 5-8, 162 (94 carries, 481 yards, 4 TDs; 3 catches, 26 yards)
• WR Nick Johnson, Sr. 6-3, 176 (9 carries, 90 yards, 1 TD; 8 catches, 105 yards, 2 TDs)
• DB Daedrian Gordon, Sr., 5-10, 171 (38 tackles, 1 INT)
• LB Hagen Cooper (34 tackles, 3 for loss, 2 sacks)
• DT L.D. Anthony, Sr., 5-10, 302 (22 tackles, )
• LB Seth Jarman (29 tackles, 1 INT)

Just the facts

• Gilmer averages 30.0 points per game and yields 26.5.
• Gladewater averages 27.8 points per game and allows 23.3.
• Gilmer has three players that average at least 6.3 carries per game and four who average at least 4.5.
• Gladewater QB Derrick Daniels and running back Tyler Price have accounted for 84.5 percent of the Bears' offense (1,279 of 1,513 yards) this season, and Daniels alone is responsible for 52.7 percent.
• Twelve Buckeyes have caught passes this season, and seven average at least one per game.
• Gladewater averages 48.5 running plays per game and 9.8 passing plays.
• Gilmer averages 30.0 running plays per game and 33.3 passing plays.
• Gilmer leads the all-time series with Gladewater 29-25-3.

Key matchup: Gilmer's front seven vs. Gladewater's running game. Gladewater will have to be on top of its game to match up with Gilmer's skill players in the Buckeyes' spread offense, but perhaps the Bears' best defense could be their offense. Gladewater's running game has carried the Bears to a 3-1 start, and quarterback Derrick Daniels and running back Tyler Price have been the playmakers. Daniels averages 8.8 yards per carry and is a big play waiting to happen, while Price, despite his diminutive frame, is the Bears' workhorse, averaging 23.5 carries per game. Gladewater must limit Gilmer's big plays, and there's no better way to do that than by simply not allowing the Buckeyes' offense on the field. Gilmer cannot let Gladewater dictate the tempo. Not that the Buckeyes can't run the ball well themselves, but Gilmer doesn't want to play that style of game. They're much more happy in a cut-it-loose contest, so Gladewater needs to slow the pace and grind it out.

Chalk talk

• Gladewater coach Jerrod Baugh on the Bears' scrimmages (Tatum and Carthage) and non-district schedule, and if that's readied them for the "District of Doom": "I was hoping when I scheduled the tough scrimmages and the non-district schedule that it would have us prepared for the district run. I feel like it has up to this point, but only time will tell."
• Baugh on game planning for Gilmer's offense: "It's very hard to game plan against a team as balanced as what Gilmer is on offense with the run and pass. That's why coaches on all levels strive to be as balanced as they can. If you are able to do both, you can exploit another team's weakness on defense. Of course, how well you do in those areas is determined mostly by a team's personnel. They have great players, which allows them to do that. Gilmer is just a great football team on both sides of the ball."
• Baugh on what could decide Friday's matchup: "I think the key to the game for us will be if we can control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball."
• Gilmer coach Jeff Traylor on Gladewater's various offensive playmakers: "The quarterback (Derrick Daniels) can score on any play, but their offensive line does not get enough credit. They will get after you up front. (Tyler) Price is a good back and (Nick) Johnson at wide receiver can really go."
• Traylor on Gladewater's strong interior defensive duo of Daylon Mack and L.D. Anthony: "Mack and Anthony are great defensive tackles. We have never blocked either one of them so we are used to that."
• Traylor on the progress of his team, which he said was inexperienced entering 2012: "We still are not playing real well, but we are getting better. Our senior captains are doing a great job of leading and our young kids are getting better every week. We just hope it is enough to beat a three-year senior starting quarterback in Daniels."

Don't be surprised if: Tonight's game is a better contest than last season's 55-19 Gilmer win at Gladewater. Gilmer has won 10 consecutive matchups with its Highway 271 rival, but Gladewater has proven so far this season that the Bears are a tougher opponent than recent seasons. Fans headed to this game will see two solid quarterbacks running vastly different offenses, and some defensive players on each sideline who will play in college, such as Gilmer linebacker Josh Walker, Gilmer cornerback Trey Washington, and Gladewater defensive tackle Daylon Mack. The "Orange and Black Bowl" should be very entertaining and is a solid matchup to kick off the "District of Doom" schedule.