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JOE DODD: 2026 GILMER BUCKEYES FOOTBALL • GAME INFORMATION & NOTES

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Gilmer Buckeyes (4-1) vs. Texarkana Pleasant Grove Hawks (5-0)

Friday, Oct. 9, 2026 • Jeff Traylor Stadium • Gilmer, Texas • 7:00 p.m.

TEAM INFORMATION

GILMER BUCKEYES TEXARKANA PLEASANT GROVE HAWKS
Class 4A Division II • District 8-4A DII Class 4A Division II • District 8-4A DII
Enrollment: 879 Enrollment: 823
2026: Season Record 4-1 2026: Season Record 5-0
2025: 4-7 overall • Lost in Bi-District 2025: 11-2 overall • Regional Semifinalist
Head Coach: Alan Metzel • 7th season Head Coach: Jonathan Darby • 1st season
At School & Career: 68-20 At School & Career: 5-0
Offensive Formation: Spread Offensive Formation: Spread / Wing-T
Defensive Formation: 3-4 Defensive Formation: 4-2-5

2026 RESULTS TO DATE

Gilmer: 4-1

Date Opponent Result
Aug. 27 at Longview Pine Tree L, 40-52
Sept. 4 at Tyler Chapel Hill W, 54-31
Sept. 11 Kilgore W, 64-50
Sept. 18 at Sulphur Springs W, 48-38
Sept. 25 Sunnyvale W, 49-28

Pleasant Grove: 5-0

Date Opponent Result
Aug. 28 Kilgore W, 42-7
Sept. 4 at Sulphur Springs W, 34-27
Sept. 11 Liberty-Eylau W, 29-15
Sept. 18 Paris W, 41-14
Sept. 25 at C.E. Byrd (La.) W, 47-7

MAIN STORYLINES

  • District 8-4A Division II play opens with two state-ranked teams. Pleasant Grove is No. 3 and Gilmer No. 10 in the latest Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Class 4A Division II rankings.
  • The matchup features one of Class 4A Division II’s highest-scoring offenses against one of its stingiest defenses. Gilmer ranks No. 2 in 4A Division II in scoring at 51.0 points per game, while Pleasant Grove ranks No. 9 in scoring defense, allowing 14.0 points per game, according to PigskinPrep.com.
  • Both teams arrive at the district opener after navigating two of the more difficult schedules in 4A Division II. PigskinPrep ranks Gilmer’s strength of schedule No. 5 among the division’s 96 teams and Pleasant Grove’s No. 8.
  • The teams have two common opponents. Gilmer defeated Kilgore 64-50 and Sulphur Springs 48-38; Pleasant Grove defeated Kilgore 42-7 and Sulphur Springs 34-27.
  • Gilmer is the last district opponent to defeat Pleasant Grove, winning 35-14 at Hawk Stadium on Oct. 7, 2022. The Hawks have won 18 consecutive district games since that loss.

PLEASANT GROVE PLAYERS TO WATCH

  • #16 Colt Yancey — Sr., QB, 6-3, 215. The 2025 District Offensive MVP threw for 2,733 yards and 39 TD with five interceptions last season while completing 60.8 percent of his passes.
  • #5 Kedrid Smith — Jr., DL, 6-4, 225. A disruptive front-seven defender who recorded 61 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and 14 quarterback pressures in 2025. Pleasant Grove can use him on the edge or move him around the front.
  • #17 Kai Ringwood — Sr., DL, 6-4, 225. A Western Kentucky commit and one of the anchors of Pleasant Grove’s experienced defensive front.
  • #1 Jaivion Butler — Sr., WR/DB, 5-8, 155. A two-way playmaker and the 2025 District Defensive Newcomer of the Year. He scored on a 46-yard run against Gilmer last season.
  • #14 Landon Fincher — Sr., WR, 6-2, 190. A returning target for Yancey who averaged 16.9 yards per reception in 2025.
  • #8 Tyler Price — So., LB/ATH, 6-2, 205. A sophomore starter at middle linebacker on Pleasant Grove’s 4-2-5 defense and one of the Hawks’ top young two-way athletes.

GILMER PLAYERS TO WATCH

  • #2 Zade Taylor — Sr., QB/WR, 5-6, 170. Through five games: 40-of-60 passing for 597 yards and five TD; 55 carries for a team-high 626 yards and 10 rushing TD. Against Sunnyvale he was 13-of-14 for 155 yards and two TD and rushed for 132 yards and two TD.
  • #6 Tayveon Horne — Jr., RB/MLB, 6-0, 185. Through five games: 91 carries for 604 yards and 12 rushing TD. He ran 15 times for 106 yards and three TD against Sunnyvale and has 13 total TD this season.
  • #5 Kipton Neighbors — Jr., WR/OLB, 6-2. Through five games: 20 carries for 181 yards and two TD; 15 receptions for 255 yards and two TD. He had four receptions for 72 yards and a TD against Sunnyvale.
  • #10 Kaden Canady — Fr., WR/S. Through five games he leads Gilmer with 16 receptions for 261 yards and three TD. He has also contributed 99 kickoff-return yards and 84 punt-return yards.
  • #9 Austin Blakeley — Jr., MLB/FB, 5-10, 180. Gilmer’s leading tackler through five games with 42 combined tackles, three tackles for loss and an interception returned 62 yards for a touchdown.
  • #34 Ryan Blume — Jr., MLB, 6-0, 225. Through five games: 23 combined tackles, four tackles for loss and four quarterback hits.
  • #80 Aaden Borelly-Brown — Jr., DL. Through five games: 26 combined tackles, six tackles for loss, a nine-yard sack, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble. He is also used in Gilmer’s heavy offensive packages.

PLEASANT GROVE SEASON NOTES

  • Pleasant Grove has scored 193 points through five games, an average of 38.6 per game.
  • Jonathan Darby is 5-0 in his first season as Pleasant Grove head coach after serving on the Hawks’ staff for seven seasons, including the previous five as defensive coordinator.
  • Pleasant Grove returned seven offensive starters, including Yancey and an experienced offensive line.
  • Pleasant Grove presents multiple offensive looks, moving between spread/empty formations and T/short-wing sets while using shifts and jet motion. The Hawks’ run concepts include power, counter, buck sweep and toss, with senior QB Colt Yancey providing a proven downfield passing threat.

GILMER SEASON NOTES

  • Gilmer has scored at least 40 points in all five games this season.
  • Gilmer finished its five-game nondistrict schedule 4-1. Pine Tree, Chapel Hill, Kilgore and Sulphur Springs are Class 4A Division I programs, and Sunnyvale entered the Gilmer game 4-0.
  • Gilmer has 2,245 total yards through five games, an average of 449.0 per game. The Buckeyes have rushed for 1,648 yards (329.6 per game) and are averaging 8.1 yards per rushing attempt.
  • Gilmer’s rushing totals by game are 282 against Pine Tree, 376 against Chapel Hill, 411 against Kilgore, 317 against Sulphur Springs and 262 against Sunnyvale.
  • Zade Taylor and Tayveon Horne have each rushed for at least 100 yards in all five games this season. They have combined for 1,230 rushing yards and 22 rushing TD through five games.
  • Gilmer has committed only two turnovers while forcing seven during its four-game winning streak, giving the Buckeyes a plus-5 turnover margin during the streak. That represents an eight-turnover swing from the season opener at Pine Tree, when Gilmer committed four turnovers, forced one and finished minus-3. For the season, Gilmer has committed six turnovers and forced eight for a plus-2 margin.
  • Gilmer is 23-of-36 on third down (63.9 percent). The Buckeyes have scored 37 touchdowns through five games, including 27 rushing TD and five passing TD.
  • Gilmer allowed Sunnyvale 313 total yards, including only 50 rushing yards, in the 49-28 win. The Buckeyes enter district play allowing 406.2 total yards and 39.8 points per game.
  • Gilmer’s five nondistrict opponents included three teams that entered their game against the Buckeyes undefeated: Chapel Hill, Sulphur Springs and Sunnyvale.

 

PREVIOUS MEETING / SERIES HISTORY / ALL-TIME SCORES

  • Gilmer leads the all-time series 12-9 through 21 meetings, including a 41-7 Pleasant Grove victory at Jeff Traylor Stadium in 2025.
  • In the 2025 meeting, Gilmer trailed 14-7 before turning the ball over on three consecutive possessions spanning the end of the first half and beginning of the second. Pleasant Grove converted the first two into touchdowns to take a 28-7 halftime lead. Gilmer stopped the Hawks on downs after the third turnover.
  • First meeting: Pleasant Grove 10, Gilmer 0 in the 2001 Class 3A Division I bi-district playoffs at Lobo Stadium in Longview. The teams met again in every season from 2002-05 before the series resumed in 2014.
  • Gilmer won 10 of the first 12 meetings. Pleasant Grove has won seven of the last nine since 2017; Gilmer’s wins in that span came 31-28 in 2020 and 35-14 in 2022.
  • The teams have met five times in the playoffs: 2001, 2004, 2018, 2019 and 2021. Gilmer is 3-2 in those postseason meetings.

All 21 previous meetings

Year Result Year Result
2001 P Pleasant Grove 10-0 2002 Gilmer 25-9
2003 Gilmer 25-22 2004 Gilmer 20-7
2004 P Gilmer 43-6 2005 Gilmer 42-14
2014 Gilmer 50-7 2015 Gilmer 40-36
2016 Gilmer 31-10 2017 Pleasant Grove 41-38
2018 Pleasant Grove 14-0 2018 P Pleasant Grove 56-28
2019 Pleasant Grove 37-24 2019 P Pleasant Grove 55-21
2020 Gilmer 31-28 2021 Gilmer 55-14
2021 P Gilmer 36-15 2022 Gilmer 35-14
2023 Pleasant Grove 63-28 2024 Pleasant Grove 27-10
2025 Pleasant Grove 41-7

PLEASANT GROVE HISTORICAL NOTES

  • Pleasant Grove played its first varsity football season in 1984.
  • The Hawks have won two Class 4A Division II state championships, finishing 16-0 in 2017 and 15-1 in 2019.
  • Pleasant Grove also reached the 2018 state championship game, giving the program three state-title-game appearances in a three-year span from 2017-19.
  • Pleasant Grove has reached the playoffs in 10 consecutive seasons (2016-25), advancing at least to the third round in each of those seasons.

GILMER HISTORICAL NOTES

  • Gilmer began playing football in 1914 and has never had a winless season.
  • Gilmer is 764-410-39 all-time entering the Pleasant Grove game.
  • The Pleasant Grove game will be the 1,214th game in Gilmer football history.
  • Gilmer’s 764 all-time victories are tied for 11th most in Texas high school football history, according to PigskinPrep.com.
  • Gilmer’s 1,213 games played are tied for 12th most in Texas high school football history, according to PigskinPrep.com.
  • 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 15 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.
  • From 2003 through 2023, Gilmer either won the state championship or lost in the playoffs to the eventual state champion 14 times.
  • Gilmer has reached the playoffs in 25 consecutive seasons entering 2026.
  • Since 2000, Gilmer is 295-64 overall and 222-43 in regular-season games.
  • Since 2000, Gilmer is 253-16 when scoring at least 30 points.
  • Gilmer has lost only 19 games since 1980 when scoring at least 30 points, with the Pine Tree opener becoming the latest such loss.

GAME NOTES

  • Both teams had an open date Oct. 2 and enter Friday after two weeks between games.
  • Gilmer head coach Alan Metzel is 4-3 against Pleasant Grove, with wins in 2020, twice in 2021 and in 2022.
  • PigskinPrep ranks Pleasant Grove No. 5 and Gilmer No. 9 in its current Class 4A Division II ratings. Jerry’s Score Prediction favors Pleasant Grove, 20-18.

 

CURRENT STREAKS

  • Gilmer has won four consecutive games, defeating Chapel Hill, Kilgore, Sulphur Springs and Sunnyvale after its season-opening loss at Pine Tree.
  • Pleasant Grove has won five consecutive games to open the season.
  • Pleasant Grove has won 18 consecutive district games since Gilmer’s 35-14 victory at Hawk Stadium on Oct. 7, 2022.
  • Pleasant Grove has won three consecutive meetings with Gilmer, defeating the Buckeyes in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
  • Gilmer has scored in 107 consecutive games.
  • Gilmer has rushed for at least 262 yards in every game this season.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Pleasant Grove quarterbacks coach Darian “Stump” Godfrey is one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in Gilmer history. From 2006-09 he set school career records with 11,720 yards of total offense, 9,392 passing yards and 116 touchdown passes; he also rushed for 2,328 yards and 55 TD.
  • Godfrey quarterbacked Gilmer to the 2009 Class 3A Division I state championship and later returned to Gilmer as an assistant coach before joining the Pleasant Grove staff in 2026.
  • Pleasant Grove is the only team to shut out Gilmer in the 381 games since Henderson’s 48-0 win in 1997. The Hawks did it twice — 10-0 in 2001 and 14-0 in 2018.
  • Pleasant Grove head coach Jonathan Darby succeeded Josh Gibson after the 2025 season, ending Gibson’s 12-season tenure with 124 victories.

NEXT GAME

  • Gilmer — vs. Pittsburg, Friday, Oct. 16 at Jeff Traylor Stadium in District 8-4A Division II play.
  • Pleasant Grove — vs. Center, Friday, Oct. 16 at Hawk Stadium in District 8-4A Division II play.
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