Friday, Sept. 11, 2026 • Jeff Traylor Stadium • Gilmer, Texas • 7:30 p.m.

GILMER BUCKEYES	KILGORE BULLDOGS
Class 4A Division II • District 8	Class 4A Division I • District 8
2026: Season Record 1-1	2026: Season Record 0-1
2025: 4-7 overall, 3-2 district	2025: 14-2 overall, 6-0 district
Head Coach: Alan Metzel • 7th season • 65-20 Enrollment: 878.5	Head Coach: Clint Fuller • 6th season • 63-12 Enrollment: 1,127.5

GAME SITE

• Jeff Traylor Stadium is Gilmer’s home field. Per Gilmer ISD, the stadium officially seats 4,750.
• This is a non-district game. Gilmer is in District 8-4A Division II; Kilgore is in District 8-4A Division I.
• Friday is Gilmer’s 2026 home opener after road games at Longview Pine Tree and Tyler Chapel Hill.

2026 RESULTS TO DATE

GILMER (1-1)	KILGORE (0-1)
Aug. 27 — Pine Tree 52, Gilmer 40	Aug. 28 — Pleasant Grove 42, Kilgore 7
Sept. 4 — Gilmer 54, Chapel Hill 31	Sept. 4 — Open

MAIN STORYLINES

• Rematch of Kilgore’s 66-6 victory in 2025. The 60-point margin was the fifth-largest loss in Gilmer history and Gilmer’s largest margin of defeat since a 72-0 loss to Mount Pleasant in 1977.
• Gilmer enters 1-1 after responding to a 52-40 opening loss at Pine Tree with a 54-31 victory at Chapel Hill. Kilgore is 0-1 after a 42-7 loss at Pleasant Grove and had an open date last week.
• Kilgore has played in the Class 4A Division I state championship game in each of the last two seasons and went 14-2 in 2025.
• Kilgore returns only four offensive and four defensive starters from last year’s state finalist. The Bulldogs lost 25 lettermen and three players who moved on to Division I college programs.
• PigskinPrep.com projects Gilmer as a 1-point winner. Gilmer is No. 11 in Class 4A Division II scoring at 47.0 points per game and No. 2 in Class 4A Division II strength of schedule this week, behind Brownwood.

KILGORE PLAYERS TO WATCH

• RB Rayshaun Williams, Sr. (5-9, 170): rushed 243 times for 1,924 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025. Against Gilmer last year, he rushed for 209 yards and three TDs and returned a kickoff for another score.
• QB Braddox Johnson, Jr. (6-2, 195): expected to take over after the graduation of record-setting quarterback Kayson Brooks.
• WR/DB Jason Johnigan, Sr. (6-0, 180): 35 receptions for 500 yards and five TDs in 2025; also 47 tackles and one interception.
• WR Takieran White, Sr. (5-9, 160): 26 catches for 401 yards and five TDs in 2025.
• DB/WR Kaeson Clayton, Sr. (5-10, 170): 51 tackles and two interceptions in 2025.
• WR/LB De’Andre Thurmond, Sr. (6-3, 185): 26 tackles in 2025 and gives Kilgore length and athleticism.
• DL Zarak Hall, Sr. (5-11, 220): 35 tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks in 2025.
• DL Crisean Smith, Jr. (5-10, 260): 59 tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks in 2025.
• Other Kilgore prospects listed in the preseason material include OL Fabian Abeldano, WR Se’Kemian Moore, DL Landon Ector, FB/OL Gavin Wall, RB Maddox Wright, WR/DB Brenton Mumphrey and OL Aldo Loredo.

GILMER PLAYERS TO WATCH

• RB/LB Tayveon Horne, Jr.: leads Gilmer with 235 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, 382 all-purpose yards and five total touchdowns through two games. He also has a 68-yard kickoff-return touchdown.
• QB Zade Taylor, Sr.: has rushed for 227 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries, averaging 9.9 yards per attempt, and has passed for 176 yards.
• RB Carlos Brooks: has rushed for 119 yards on 13 carries, including a 38-yard touchdown against Chapel Hill, and also returned a fumble five yards for a touchdown.
• WR/S Kipton Neighbors, Jr.: has 167 all-purpose yards, including 98 receiving yards and 55 rushing yards, and is Gilmer’s punter.
• WR/S Kaden Canady, Fr.: has 175 all-purpose yards, including 64 on punt returns, 56 receiving and 49 on kickoff returns.
• DB Austin Blakeley: leads Gilmer with 16 combined tackles and returned an interception 62 yards for a touchdown at Chapel Hill.
• LB Ryan Blume: second on the team with 14 combined tackles, including two tackles for loss, and has three quarterback hits.
• DL Aaden Borelly-Brown: has three tackles for loss, a nine-yard sack, one quarterback hit and a forced fumble.

KILGORE SEASON NOTES

• Kilgore is 0-1 after opening Aug. 28 with a 42-7 loss at Texarkana Pleasant Grove. The Bulldogs had an open date Sept. 4.
• Pleasant Grove followed the Kilgore win by defeating Sulphur Springs 34-27 and enters Week 3 at 2-0.
• Head coach Clint Fuller is in his sixth season at Kilgore. The Zone listed him at 63-11 entering 2026; the Pleasant Grove loss makes his current Kilgore record 63-12.
• Dave Campbell’s Texas Football lists Kilgore No. 7 in Class 4A Division I entering this week.
• Kilgore returns four offensive and four defensive starters from its 2025 state finalist, according to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.
• The Zone lists Kilgore’s offense as Spread and its defense as a 3-4. Smoaky.com describes the offense as Multiple and also lists the defense as a 3-4.
• Smoaky.com’s preseason strengths for Kilgore were team speed, physicality and toughness; the primary concern was inexperience.

GILMER SEASON NOTES

• Gilmer is 1-1 after a 52-40 loss at Pine Tree and a 54-31 victory at Chapel Hill. The Buckeyes have scored 94 points and allowed 83.
• Gilmer is averaging 47.0 points and 417.0 total yards per game, including 329.0 rushing yards per game and 7.31 yards per rushing attempt.
• Gilmer has scored 14 touchdowns: 10 rushing touchdowns and four return touchdowns. The Buckeyes have not yet scored a passing touchdown.
• Gilmer has not lost a fumble. All four turnovers were interceptions at Pine Tree; the Buckeyes then played turnover-free at Chapel Hill while forcing four turnovers.
• Gilmer is 10-of-16 on third down (62.5%) and 8-of-10 in the red zone, including 6-of-6 in goal-to-go situations.
• Gilmer has produced 23 offensive explosive plays under the current definition of a run of 10+ yards or a completed pass of 20+ yards. Opponents have 24.
• Gilmer has held the ball for 51:26 through two games, compared with 44:34 for its opponents.
• Opponents have averaged 434.0 total yards per game, including 243.0 passing. Gilmer has been outgained 868-834 despite outscoring opponents 94-83.
• The Buckeyes’ team-selected 2026 motto is “All In.”

PREVIOUS MEETING / SERIES HISTORY / ALL-TIME SCORES

• Last meeting: Sept. 12, 2025 at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium — Kilgore 66, Gilmer 6.
• Kilgore led 17-0 after the first quarter and 38-0 at halftime. Rayshaun Williams rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns and returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Gilmer’s only score was Tayveon Horne’s 75-yard touchdown run.
• Kilgore leads the all-time series 7-4. Gilmer has won two of the last four meetings: 40-26 in 2022 and 24-22 in 2024.
• Five of the first seven meetings were district games; Friday’s game is non-district.

Year	Result
1969	Kilgore 12, Gilmer 0
1996	Kilgore 28, Gilmer 7
1997	Kilgore 45, Gilmer 22
2008	Kilgore 28, Gilmer 14
2009	Gilmer 70, Kilgore 27
2012	Gilmer 20, Kilgore 14
2013	Kilgore 34, Gilmer 29
2022	Gilmer 40, Kilgore 26
2023	Kilgore 24, Gilmer 23
2024	Gilmer 24, Kilgore 22
2025	Kilgore 66, Gilmer 6

THE 66-6 LOSS IN GILMER HISTORY

• Kilgore’s 60-point victory last season was the fifth-largest margin of defeat in Gilmer history and Gilmer’s largest loss since 1977.

Rank	Opponent / Year	Score	Margin
1	Mount Pleasant, 1977	72-0	72
2	Marshall College, 1919	69-0	69
3	Longview, 1916	66-0	66
4	Marshall, 1927	64-0	64
5	Kilgore, 2025	66-6	60

KILGORE HISTORICAL NOTES

• Kilgore has won one state championship, appeared in four state championship games and made 37 playoff appearances.
• Kilgore won the 2004 state championship, defeating Dallas Lincoln 33-27.
• The Bulldogs were Class 4A Division I state finalists in both 2024 and 2025.
• Kilgore has not missed the playoffs since 2010 and has recorded six consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins (2020-25).
• Kilgore reached at least the fourth round of the playoffs in five of those six seasons.
• Recent records: 2025 14-2; 2024 13-3; 2023 12-2; 2022 8-4; 2021 11-2; 2020 10-4.
• Kilgore’s only two losses in 2025 were to eventual Class 4A Division II champion Carthage in the opener and Class 4A Division I champion Stephenville in the state championship game.

GILMER HISTORICAL NOTES

• Gilmer began playing football in 1914 and has never had a winless season.
• Gilmer is 760-409-39 all-time entering the Kilgore game.
• The Kilgore game will be the 1,209th game in Gilmer football history.
• Gilmer’s 39 district championships are tied for the 10th most in Texas high school football history, according to PigskinPrep.com.
• Gilmer’s 28 seasons with 10 or more wins are tied for the 11th most in Texas high school football history, according to PigskinPrep.com.
• Gilmer has recorded 16 undefeated regular seasons, tied for the seventh most in Texas high school football history, according to PigskinPrep.com.
• The Buckeyes have won four state championships — 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2023 — and have appeared in nine state championship games.
• Gilmer’s nine state championship-game appearances are the second most in Class 4A and tied for the 17th most among all classifications in Texas high school football history, according to the UIL.
• Gilmer is 102-35-1 in playoff games and 363-189-18 in district games through 2025.
• Gilmer’s 17 straight seasons reaching at least the third round of the playoffs ran from 2007 through 2023.
• Gilmer has reached the playoffs in 25 consecutive seasons entering 2026.
• Since 2000, Gilmer is 292-64 overall and 219-43 in regular-season games.
• Gilmer enters the Kilgore game with a 104-game scoring streak. The last shutout loss was 14-0 to Pleasant Grove in 2018.
• Since 2000, Gilmer is 250-16 when scoring at least 30 points.
• From 2003 through 2023, Gilmer either won the state championship or lost in the playoffs to the eventual state champion 14 times.

QUICK MEDIA NOTES

• Friday is Gilmer’s 2026 home opener.
• Gilmer had three 100-yard rushers against Chapel Hill: Tayveon Horne 139, Carlos Brooks 119 and Zade Taylor 101.
• Gilmer went from a minus-three turnover margin at Pine Tree to a plus-four turnover margin at Chapel Hill.
• Gilmer has 313 kickoff-return yards through two games and two kickoff-return touchdowns.
• Four of Gilmer’s 14 touchdowns have come on returns — two on defense and two on special teams.
• Friday’s matchup pairs programs that have combined for five state championships and 13 state championship-game appearances.

NEXT GAME

• Gilmer — at Sulphur Springs, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026.
• Kilgore — vs. Bullard at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026.