gilmermirror
For the first time in 15 years, Carthage and Gilmer will meet in a district game when the Bulldogs visit Jeff Traylor Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. in Class 4A Division II District 8-4A action.
Carthage (7-0, 3-0) carries a 38-game winning streak into the matchup, having last lost to Kilgore, 20-15, on Aug. 30, 2024. The Bulldogs have won two consecutive state championships and are 38-1 since falling to Gilmer in the 2023 quarterfinals.
Gilmer (6-2, 2-1) enters off a 67-29 victory at Center on Oct. 22, a season-high point total. The Buckeyes have scored at least 33 points in every game and average 51.4 points per contest.
The all-time series favors Carthage, 13-7, with the Bulldogs outscoring Gilmer 669-427. The teams have split four district meetings, with Gilmer winning 3-1, and Carthage holds a 9-3 edge in non-district play. Gilmer is 2-5 at home against Carthage and has not beaten the Bulldogs in Gilmer since 2011.
Carthage won eight straight in the series from 2016 through 2022, including a 70-14 victory in the 2020 state championship game at AT&T Stadium. Gilmer snapped that run with a 47-44 win in the 2023 quarterfinals, a game that featured 91 combined points—the second-highest total in series history behind Carthage's 55-37 win in 2016.
Key Analysis
The matchup pits two of Texas' most successful small-school programs against each other. Carthage has won 11 state titles, second-most in state history behind Aledo's 12, and has made 12 championship-game appearances. Gilmer owns four state championships and nine title-game appearances. Combined, the programs have 15 state titles and 21 championship-game appearances.
Carthage coach Scott Surratt is in his 20th season with a 257-31 record and an 11-0 mark in state championship games. Gilmer coach Alan Metzel is 70-21 in his seventh season, with four of those losses coming against Carthage—the most against any opponent.
Offensively, Carthage averages 48.9 points and 473.9 yards per game, splitting nearly evenly between rushing (230.1) and passing (243.7). First-year starting quarterback Jacob Dixon has thrown for 1,702 yards and 22 touchdowns with five interceptions. Bryston Price leads the receiving corps with 10 touchdown catches, while JD Edwards has team highs in receptions (36) and receiving yards (567).
Gilmer counters with a rushing attack that averages 336.9 yards per game, on pace for the second-highest season average in school history. Quarterback Zade Taylor has rushed for 974 yards and 14 touchdowns while throwing for 914 yards and nine scores. Running back Tayveon Horne has added 926 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
Defense represents the biggest disparity: Carthage allows 18.3 points per game, while Gilmer surrenders 39.1. The Bulldogs have recorded 19 sacks and forced 14 turnovers, while the Buckeyes have forced 11 turnovers in their six wins but just one in their two losses.
Carthage is ranked No. 1 and Gilmer No. 9 in the MaxPreps Small Town Top 25. The Bulldogs are also No. 16 in Texas across all classifications.
Gilmer has an extra day of preparation after playing Thursday, while Carthage played Friday against Texarkana Pleasant Grove following a Thursday game against Longview Spring Hill the previous week.
Following Friday's game, Gilmer travels to Longview Spring Hill on Nov. 6, while Carthage hosts Center the same night.
Originally reported by gilmermirror.