Bobcat Turf Talk – Standard Gets First Win

GHS Football, Team FYN Sports

“How bout ya Bobcats!!” yelled Coach Paul Standard to his team as they gathered around him following their 34-21 victory on the road at Murray County.

It was new Head Coach Paul Standard’s 175th career victory, and his first at Gilmer High School. Although it was just the second game under Standard’s leadership, the imprints of a coach used to winning is already emerging. As the Head Coach at St. Pius for 20 seasons, he has twice led teams that played 15 games, had two undefeated regular seasons, while winning eight region titles. More importantly for Gilmer, Standard’s teams were able to compete at a level where they had to do more with less. Most people tend to think it’s easy to win at a private school, often times that isn’t actually the case when you’re playing with some of the biggest public schools in the state.

Week one saw the cancellation of the annual rivalry with Pickens. In retrospect, that would have been a better benchmark for the progress of the team rather than the Thursday match up with Ringgold. The Cats were clearly outmatched in their opener and couldn’t get much going.

Which brings us to their matchup at Murray County Friday night. A team the Bobcats defeated a year ago in Ellijay with a thrilling goal line stand.

The Bobcats came out strong in the first half. An early Brock Titus touchdown made it 7-0 within the first three minutes. Murray looked to throw the ball around but didn’t have much luck on their first two drives and were forced to punt. Gilmer got the ball back and embarked on a drive six minute drive from inside their own 20. The drive was capped by a play action pass to Kobe Stonecipher for the touchdown to make it 14-0.

Murray put together a drive that stalled out around midfield. The ensuing punt was blocked by Dom Tarantino. It seemed like a play that would allow Gilmer to put away the Indians early. It wasn’t to be, as the Gilmer offense took a shot downfield that was intercepted. A lengthy return was called back due to a penalty.

Senior DB Dom Tarantino blocks the Murray punt.

The young Cats defense once again bent, but did not break. They got the ball back with a little over two minutes remaining in the half. What seemed like a chance to run out the clock and escape the first half with a shut out in tact seemed to be the obvious move. Instead the Bobcats ratcheted up their tempo and went right down the field. Senior QB Seth Darling connected with Senior Dom Tarantino for a touchdown with just 14 seconds remaining until the break.

Sophomore LB Blake Reece sacks the Murray QB.

Gilmer’s offense again got to work on their first possession of the second half, already up 21-0. The Darling led triple option attack worked exactly the way it was drawn up. Murray seemed off balance, as the Cats playbook gradually opened up throughout the third quarter. The drive was capped off by a Seth Darling keeper to the left side to make it 27-0. Freshman Talyn Curtis added his fourth extra point to make it 28-0.

Senior QB Seth Darling pitches the ball.

The Murray Indians were finally able to break through on their ensuing possession. They hit a big play to score a touchdown from midfield. The extra point made it 28-7 with 4:32 left in the third. It would stay that way going into the fourth, as the Bobcats offense got back to work.

Yet again, the Gilmer offense was able to rip off huge chunks of yards from scrimmage. With 10:02 left Stonecipher ran it in for his second score of the game. The extra point failed, making it 34-7.

It seemed as if the Stonecipher touchdown would be the final nail. Credit to the Murray offense though. They were able to score again another long touchdown and convert a two point play to make it 34-15.

The onside kick failed, but they were able to force Gilmer’s first and only punt of the game. Murray was able to move it down the field again. Kobe Stonecipher appeared to make an incredible game ending interception that was ruled incomplete. The Indians took advantage of the call by scoring a few plays later. The two point conversion failed to make it 34-21.

Stonecipher interception ruled incomplete.

After another failed onside kick the Gilmer offense took control and didn’t look back. They were able to stifle the comeback with three consecutive first downs. Seth Darling took a knee and the Cats were in the win column to improve to 1-1 on the season.

Afterward, an exuberant Paul Standard had much to say about the effort…

“I thought we played great defense in the first half, our offensive line was all underclassmen due to some illness on the team, they really grew up tonight.”

On QB Seth Darling: “Seth Darling at Quarterback is a leader, there’s a lot of pressure on Seth learning a whole new offense.”

On the Gilmer football program: “Obviously we’ve got a million miles to go… but here’s what I’d like the public to know. These guys have been down for a while, for a lot of reasons. I’m proud that the 53 we got who made a commitment to be part of this program are giving it all they got. I’m happy to see the fruits of their labor.”

The Bobcats return home this week for a match up with East Jackson High School. Kickoff is at 7:30pm.

 

Dawson Too Much for Gilmer

GHS Football, Team FYN Sports

Dawsonville, GA — “Sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug, and we were the bug tonight,” surmised Gilmer Head Coach Kevin Saunders following their 35-0 loss to the Dawson County Tigers on Friday night.

That was an appropriate way to put it. The Bobcats didn’t have any answers on either side of the ball throughout the night.

Coming off a big Homecoming win over Lumpkin the previous week, Gilmer travelled to Dawson County looking to improve their region record to 2-1. The Tigers of Dawson had a different idea. Coming off a bye week, the Tigers were able to start fast and did not let up until the game was well in hand.

The story of this one was the Dawson defense and the inability of the Gilmer offense to get anything going. Other than a couple penalties, the Cats offense was unable to manage a first down until late in the second quarter. This led to successive three and out possessions. The lone highlight for Gilmer was the stellar punting of Junior Seth Darling.

Seth Darling punts.

Anyone who has read my coverage of the Gilmer team over the last two years knows full well the type of game Gilmer plays on the offensive side of the ball. They’re reliant on long, clock eating drives to keep their defense fresh and unpredictable. It’s also a way to mask a lack of depth for a rebuilding program, which Gilmer still is. As Saunders put it “they’re stronger than we are right now as a program, it was a learning experience.”

Spenser Smith saves a touchdown.

Dawson’s spread attack looked to establish their ability to get outside to the numbers with quick screens and sweeps. It wasn’t a surprise to Saunders, “they did and they were faster than us and they can throw the ball pretty good, we knew that going in and we tried to deal with it, we did what we could.”

Dawson RB Isaiah Grindle lands just short of the goal line.

The ability to get the ball outside effectively allowed Dawson to run the ball inside at will. It also opened up the deep ball, which they took advantage of toward the end of the first half. Quarterback Zach Holtzclaw opened the second half with a long touchdown pass to extend their lead to 35-0. From there it was apparent the game was in hand.

Coach Saunders put it best in his aforementioned comments about program depth. The “eye test” alone suggested the Bobcats would be in trouble. However, we’ve seen them play up to their competition on several occasions the last two years. Every time they’ve done so though, it’s because they’ve been able to sustain drives.

This performance was out of character. The reason might actually be pretty simple. Dawson had two weeks to prepare for the Wing-T offense, which isn’t run by many teams in 2020. Any coach will tell you, especially at the high school level, games are usually won during preparation. When a team runs an offense that teams aren’t used to seeing, it creates trouble when they only have a few days prepare. Thus, my belief in this Gilmer team isn’t shaken. They still have the ability to play their game and get into the playoffs, where nobody has the benefit of a bye week.

Saunders perhaps said it best, “we just have to get back we have plenty of football games left and we just have to keep playing.”

The Bobcats will get back to playing this Friday night when they host North Hall in a big region game.

 

Bobcat Parents Meet New Football Coach

Team FYN Sports

With the hiring of new football coach Kevin Saunders, the Touchdown Club set aside a night for questions and answer from parents.

The parents in attendance ranged from current, future and a few from the past players.  Coach Saunders took the floor with his philosophy on what he expected from the athletes that will be wearing the Bobcat uniform.  Saunders stated that was there not only to build a program that has fallen on difficult times over the past few years but also to help these athletes to become responsible young men.  Each player will have his personal phone number and if there is going to be an absence from practice, the player should call and not the parent.  In doing this it teaches the athlete to more responsible.  A comment that had the parents shaking their heads in agreement, Saunders stated that he was all about competition.  Coach Saunders said, ” I don’t care who the player’s parents are or what grade they’re in, the best players will be on the field playing.”  “If a freshman beats out a senior for a position, that freshman will play that position.”  Saunders also stated that the players are expected to perform well in school and keep up their grades.

In discussing the changes that will be made along with the season schedule, Saunders spoke on the changing of the equipment to Addidas from the current provider.  Helmets and shoulder pads will be the first change as an update to the equipment are needed now.   The 2019 regular season schedule has been set by the GHSA and has the Bobcats with only four home games and six road games.  It was also announced that Dade County and St. Francis High Schools will be home scrimmages for the team this year.  The Junior varsity team was also discussed as Saunders confirmed 8-10 sub-varsity games to be played on Thursdays. The Varsity coaching staff will be on the sideline for every JV game and both freshman and sophomores will be a part of the team.  The complete list of coaches for the 2019 and beyond Bobcats has not been released and will be updated as soon as information is available.

 

Saunders Named Head Coach For Gilmer Football

Team FYN Sports

In a special called meeting on Monday afternoon, the Gilmer County Board of Education unanimously voted to approve the hiring of Kevin Saunders as the new head coach of the Gilmer Bobcats.

Saunders coached previously at Pebblebrook High School in Cobb County, where he was at the helm for 4 years. During his stint with the Falcons Saunders had 20 wins and 3 straight playoff appearances in the 7-A classification. With over 30 years of being on the sidelines, Coach Saunders has compiled a 158-84-2 record with schools from Georgia, Kentucky, and Virginia including a Virginia State Championship in 2011.  Kevin Saunders is dedicated to off-season conditioning to keep his players ready to compete in the fall.  On the offensive side of the ball, he has run both the Spread and the Wing-T with the defense maintaining a 3-5 scheme.

In the interview below, Saunders said he will play the best players in each position and looks forward to meeting the Bobcat players on Tuesday the 18th of December.  Congratulations Coach on becoming the new Head Coach of the 2019 Gilmer Bobcats!

Bobcats Fall Big To Panthers

Team FYN Sports

The Gilmer Bobcats traveled to the home of the Ridgeland Panthers for a 6-AAAA region game on Friday night.  With a tough season so far in 2018 the struggles continued in the 63-13 loss for the Bobcats.

The Panthers were coming off a loss at the hands of the Pickens Dragons that determined the region championship putting Ridgeland as the second seed heading into the playoffs in 2 weeks.  Knowing ahead of time that this was going to be a challenge against strong team with many skilled players the Bobcats weren’t ready for the extra attitude the Panthers would bring in the game.  Gilmer came in missing a few key players that were out with injury and others who played through the pain to do their best to the Bobcats heading in the right direction.  The defensive side of the ball for Gilmer gave all they had but fell short to the speed and agility of their opponents backfield.  The Panthers offense struck big and often putting up 63 points.  Rushing yards on the night for Ridgeland sat at 284 on 20 carries and and average of 16.8 per touch.

Offensively for the Bobcats, Senior David Smith is nursing a strained Medial Collateral ligament in his knee and took no snaps.  Freshman Seth Darling took the offense down and scored twice in the fourth quarter to put 13 points on the board.  The remainder of the offensive and defensive stats were not available.

The Bobcats will host the LaFayette Ramblers next Friday for senior night.  The game will be at Huff-Mosely Stadium starting at 7:30 PM.  Come out and support your Bobcats in the last game of the year.

Bobcats Come Up Short At Home.

Team FYN Sports

The Bobcats of Gilmer welcomed in the Northwest Whitfield Bruins to Huff-Mosley Stadium on Friday for game eight of the 2018 season. The Bruins sitting at 5 and 3 overall and 2-2 in region play were looking to get back on the winning ways after suffering a big loss to Pickens just one week earlier.

With the Gilmer defensive secondary looking at injuries in key positions the Bruins targeted the area that would help them the most.  In the 40-17 victory over the Bobcats, the Bruins moved the ball through the air at will.  The Northwest quarterback was 12-14 for 209 yards and 4 touchdowns on the night.  The Bobcat’s battered defense allowed 334 yards total on the game.  On the offensive side of the ball Gilmer had 184 rushing yards.  Receiving stats were not available at the time of the article.  Leading the Bobcats was #35 James Dover. Dover had 8 carries for 117 yards including a 80 yard scamper for 1 of 2 touchdowns on the night.  Other Cats rushing stats in the game were David Smith with 2 carries for 21 yards, Donnie Ledford 2 for 6 yards, Kobe Stonecipher 4 for 15 yards, Andrew Gooch 1 for 5 yards and Taylor Brogdon with 8 carries for 20 yards. Bautista(kicker) was 2 for 2 on extra points and 1 for 1 on field goals.

With just 2 games left in the season, Gilmer will take their last road trip of the year next Friday night as they travel to the home of the Panthers at Ridgeland High School.

 

Winning Streak Reaches Three For Bobcats JV

Team FYN Sports

Thursday afternoon had the Junior varsity Bobcats traveling to the home of the Rebels in Fannin County.  With a 2 game win streak in their pockets Gilmer was looking to continue the excitement and add another notch in the win column.

In this game Freshman Seth Darling led his team up and down the field to put up 26 points on the board to take a victory over the Rebels. The  Defense for the Bobcats played very good allowing one touchdown to an offense with a skilled quarterback and receivers with after catch speed.

With the winning streak now at 3 games the JV Bobcats have a very good opportunity to close out the season on a super high note with just 2 games left in 2018.

Generals Take Win Over Bobcats

Team FYN Sports

The Gilmer Bobcats loaded the bus and headed to Ringgold Ga to face the Heritage Generals.  With the Cats falling last week to Southeast Whitfield and the Generals taking a loss from Pickens both teams are dealing with a season full of disappointment.

Gilmer came out of the locker room high spirited and ready to face the challenge put them before them.  Heritage won the toss and elected to receive the ball in the second half allowing the Bobcats the first opportunity to take the ball.  Freshman Seth Darling stepped under center to start the game with senior  quarterback David Smith lining up as a slot receiver/running back.  The Cats went 3 and out on their first drive of the night. With a 36 yard punt by Jonas Griggs the Generals started 1st and 10 on their side of the 50 yardline.  Heritage also had to punt the ball on fourth down.

Defensively the Bobcats gave all they had in trying to stop the running attack of the Generals.  Heritage put up over 350 yards mostly on the legs of Logan Lowe and Nick Hanson.  Carver Richards, Luke Morgan, Kyle Allison, and Mack Towery played a very good game.  These four were around the ball all night and really stood out in the defensive effort by the Bobcats.  In the 51-14 loss the Bobcats offense moved the ball against a very tough Generals defensive front.  Brogdon, Bertolini, Dover and Smith carried the ball for the Bobcats with Smith pushing the ball across the goal line for the 2 scores on the night. Late in the fourth quarter the Bobcats scored from 4 yards out to close out the scoring on the night.

With this loss the woes for the Bobcats continue with yet another very tough opponent coming up next week in the Northwest Whitfield Bruins at Huff-Mosley Stadium. The Bruins are coming off a big loss to the Dragons of Pickens by a score of 55-13.

Team FYN Sports Player of the Week-Gilmer

Player Of The Week, Team FYN Sports

The Team FYN Sports Player of the Week for October 5, 2018 is Jonas Griggs.  In the home game against the Southeast Whitfield Raiders Griggs played all sides of the ball.  On defense he was in on multiple tackles and as the punter he had 4 punts with his long being 38 yards.  His average on the night was close to 32 yards.  Griggs also was back deep for the return team.

Griggs is a multi sport athlete who dedicates all year to training hard to be his best at both football and baseball.

Congratulations to Jonas Griggs!  Keep after it and working hard.  Your future is in your own hands.

Bobcats Fall To Raiders

Team FYN Sports

As October has arrived so has the High Schools from around the country honoring and remembering those who have lost the battle and those who are survivors of Breast Cancer.  Friday was no different for the fans, staff and students of Gilmer High School.  Before the game the Bobcats Cheerleaders took their place on the sidelines to show their love and respect for those affected both directly and indirectly. (See Photos Below)

After a bye week for the Bobcats and the Raiders coming off a loss to the Dragons, these teams came in high spirited and ready to take the field.  The Captains went to the center of the field for the coin toss in which Gilmer won.  Choosing to go on offense to start the game, Coach Casey Wingard sent his offense out with Senior David Smith at the helm.  On the opening drive for Gilmer. They went a 74 yards on 5 plays to score the first touchdown of the game.  Smith carried the ball 24 yards to cap off the drive at 9 minutes and 46 seconds on the clock.  The 7-0 lead for Gilmer would be short-lived as the Raiders offense took the field.  Junior quarterback #12 Adam Sowder led his team up and down the field for 42 points on 6 touchdowns in the game.  The Gilmer defense gave everything they had both physically and emotionally all game but the Raiders were better than the Cats on this night.

In the 42-14 loss for the Bobcats Smith, Brogdon and Dover were once again the workhorses in the running game. Smith and his offense had over 100 yards in the game.  Freshman Seth Darling came in at QB with the move of Smith to the backfield.  Darling threw one interception on a pass attempt in the end zone.  The freshman quarterback is the future of Bobcat football and is maturing in the offense ran by the coaching staff.

This loss to the Raiders has the Bobcats sitting at 0-6 overall and 0-2 in the region with a tough region road ahead.  Friday, October 12th will have Gilmer travel to the home of the Heritage Generals.  The Generals are coming off a blowout loss at the hands of the Pickens Dragons last week.

Team FYN Sports Sports Writer Player of the Week: Hunter Bowyer

Player Of The Week, Team FYN Sports

The Team FYN Sports Sports Writer Player of the Week  for the Gilmer Bobcats is a young man who never made it to the field in the 2018 regular season.  Hunter Bowyer suffered a season ending injury in the preseason game against Murray Co.  Bowyer was ready for first year as a running back for the Bobcats in his first year playing football for the high school.

On the first play from scrimmage in that game Bowyer’s leg was rolled up by a  Murray Co. Indian defensive lineman.  Hunter Bowyer suffered a lower leg break.  Both the Tibia and Fibula were broke and needed surgery to repair the bones.

Bowyer could’ve easily took the selfish route and gave up on his team but he didn’t.  Number 14 was at every practice and at every game whether on the road or at Huff-Mosley Stadium.  Right there on the sidelines cheering on his team and giving high fives when either the defense or offense had a good play.  Choosing to be a part of the Bobcats shows his desire to be a team guy.

Congratulations on being chosen as the Team FYN Sports Sports Writer Player of the Week.

Week 8 Team FYN Sports Player of the Week

Player Of The Week, Team FYN Sports

This week’s Team FYN Sports Player of the Week for Gilmer is Kobe Stonecipher. Kobe is listed on the roster as a defensive secondary position player that isn’t afraid to take the ball from the quarterback and hit the line full force.  In the home game versus the Bruins of Northwest Whitfield, Stonecipher carried the ball 4 times for 15 yards and an average of 3.8 yards per carry.

As a freshman, Kobe is the future of the Gilmer backfield and he is getting bigger, stronger and faster with every touch of the ball.

2018 Season Ends With Loss To Ramblers

Team FYN Sports

The Bobcats Friday night game was moved to Thursday as a result of an Officials Shortage as reported by the GHSA,  Late in the season as games have playoff implications the GHSA requires a crew of 7 with an additional 4 to operate the chain crews and a electronic clock operator across the state.

In the Thursday competition for Gilmer,  the Lafayette Ramblers came in to Huff-Mosley Stadium for Senior Night and the final game of the regular season for 2018.  Coach Wingard and his Bobcats were looking to bring a high point to the football program with a victory to close out the the high school careers of 17 young men who have gave their hearts and souls to Gilmer football.  It wasn’t meant to be on this night with the Ramblers taking a 34-14 victory at games end.  The score doesn’t show how well the seniors and their teammates played the game.  Senior David Smith rushed for the 2 touchdowns for Gilmer.  The offense for the Bobcats moved the ball up and down the field with few issues but when those happened it seemed as the Ramblers capitalized and put points on the board. Lafayette had one interception off the arm of Freshman Seth Darling.  Darling’s pass was on target to his receiver when the Rambler defensive back cut in front for the reception that led to a score.

Defensively the Bobcats dealt with the speed of LaFayette receivers disrupting several passes and were very close to intercepting 2 long attempts.  In the end the Ramblers put up a 34-14 win to end the Cats season.  The game was closer than what the scoreboard showed at the end of the night.  Though the record is a repeat of the previous campaign, the 2018 Bobcats as a team improved.   From a school record 99 yard touchdown run, multiple 200 plus yard games to a new assistant coaching staff that really brought this team together to get better and stronger these Bobcats can look forward to the 2019 season.  The future is bright for the seniors as well.  Some will move on to play at the collegiate level and others may start careers.  Either way these guys can graduate with pride from Gilmer High School.  GO BOBCATS!!

Team FYN Sports Player of the Week

Player Of The Week, Team FYN Sports

The Team FYN Sports Player of the Week for October 26th is Andrew Gooch.

Stepping in at 5’10” and 168 lbs. this Junior can play anywhere on the field.  Gooch is listed on Max Preps as a running Back and a linebacker and plays bigger that his actual size.  In Fridays game at Ridgeland, #26 pounded the middle of the line all night.  He kept his legs moving to get every yard he could.  Defensively as a linebacker Gooch finds the ball carrier and isn’t afraid to lay a hit on him.  Look for Gooch to become a go to guy next season for the Bobcats.

Team FYN Sports Player of the Week

Player Of The Week, Team FYN Sports

The Team FYN Sports Sportswriter Player of the Week for September 7, 2018 is Taylor Brogdon. In the 23-13 loss to Lumpkin County, Brogdon was the work horse in short yardage situations for the Bobcats.

Taylor Brogdon wearing #49 is a strong athlete that plays on both sides of the ball.  Offensively on Friday he had 14 carries for 65 yards and also blocked very well on plays that opened up the lanes for his teammates.  On the Defensive side, Brogdon was apart of 6 tackles on the night.  Great job Taylor!

Warriors Take Down Bobcats

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The Bobcats of Gilmer hosted the Warriors of Gordon Central on Friday with the hopes of getting the first victory of 2018 and putting an end to the unfortunate results of the past two seasons.  After last week’s game saw a few ejections and the uncertainty of those players being ruled eligible to play, Coach Wingard was prepared for any scenario.

With the GHSA home office allowing David Smith and Mack Towery to suit up for Friday’s game the Bobcats were back to a full team.  Coach Casey Wingard commented earlier in the week that the team had practiced with both Smith and freshman quarterback Seth Darling just in case the GHSA decision went the other way.

Darling took the field as the starter on the opening drive for the Bobcats with Smith coming in a few plays later.  It was a tough night for the freshman as he threw three interception which resulted in Warrior scores.  There were several positives for Darling who has seen field time in the last two games.  He will definitely be a force as he matures in a Bobcat uniform.  Smith had over 100 yards in the air including a 30 yard hook up with Corbin Singleton for a a Bobcat touchdown.  On defense, Smith led all tacklers with seven tackles, one interception and a fumble recovery for another Bobcat score.

The highlight of the night was the Team FYN Sports sportswriter Player of the Week Austin Daman stepping on the field.  Daman, coming off of Tommy John surgery in the spring was seeing his first action of the 2018 season.  His injury occurred while pitching for the Bobcats baseball team.  Wearing #42, Daman lined up at wide receiver and the Gilmer offensive coordinator called his number.  On a deep route quarterback David Smith dropped back and let the football fly in Daman’s direction.  The result of that throw was his first reception of many for the 2018 Bobcat offense.  The catch was good for 36 yards and a Gilmer 1st down.  Daman had two receptions on the night for a total of 69 yards in the game versus Gordon Central.

As the clock hit zero in the fourth quarter, the score(44-15) favored the Warriors giving the Bobcats their third loss of the young season.  The Bobcats are fighting hard and playing with the heart of an elephant.  Great coaches and players are out there working hard every day to reach the goals set for the 2018 team.  As a veteran high school coach once said ” Football is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.  Keep working hard”

Next week the Bobcats will be at Huff Mosely Stadium and Pettit Field as the Indians of Lumpkin County come in for Homecoming night.  Spread the word and help pack out the stands.

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