2024 Gilmer Bobcats: Contender or Pretender?

Photo From Gilmer County Touchdown Club

More than a few of our North Georgia area teams benefited from the GHSA’s offseason alignment. Gilmer will head into 2024 looking at a much easier Region 7-AAA schedule than they faced in their 2023 season.

 

Coming off of a 7-5 campaign and facing a much softer Region schedule, can Gilmer secure back-to-back playoff berths for the first time since the 2013-2014 seasons?

 

Key Returners- Isaac Rellinger, Peyton Chancey, Bubba Callihan, Wyatt Stokes, Bo Cronic, Hunter Britain

 

2024 Expectations- High

This Bobcat team returns five different 300+ yard rushers, including Senior Wyatt Stokes who ran for 722 yards in just 8 games. Starting quarterback Isaac Rellinger also returns for his senior season, coming off of a 1200+ yard, 14 TD junior campaign. 

Defensively, they will miss last years leading tackler Aspen Hattaway, but my guess is Peyton Chancey will be the dude who fills those shoes as defensive leader in 2024. Bobcat fans high expectations are warranted as things are starting to come together for Purp Nation. 

 

Over/Under wins- 5.5

 

Best case scenario- I’ve got the Over/Under wins for Gilmer set at 5.5 due to the chaos that is their first 4 games. They could go 3-1 to start the year or they could go 1-3. A lot rides on the Bobcats coming out of the gates hot and staying at least .500 before heading into Region play. A 7-3 regular season and a T-2 Region finish is Best case scenario in my opinion if the Cats can catch a break or two. 

 

Contender or Pretender?- Playoff Contender

While I don’t think Gilmer can threaten Calhoun for a Region Title, there is no world in which the Cats don’t make it back to the playoffs in 2024. Region 7AAA is filled with cupcakes at the bottom. In some order, it’s going to be: Calhoun, NW Whitfield, Adairsville, and Gilmer.