2024 Gilmer Bobcats: Contender or Pretender?
TeamFYNSports July 25, 2024
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.
Bobcats Dominate Again, Win Big over Ringgold
GHS Football, Sports, Team FYN Sports September 12, 2023
Gilmer wraps up their non-region schedule with a big win over Ringgold, 31-7. The Bobcats dominant run game continues as they tally 392 yards on the ground against the Tigers. Gilmer wasted no time in asserting their dominance in this one as they opened the game with 14 points. Ringgold would score to open the second half, but their hopes of a comeback were completely crushed when Isaac Rellinger and Peyton Chancey added scores of their own to give the Bobcats a 24-point lead. Gilmer now sits at 3-1 on the year while Ringgold falls to 2-1.
Team Notes
Rellinger had himself a night as the QB finished with 60 passing yards and another 87 yards and a touchdown on the ground. However, the Bobcats offense was led by Jr. Wyatt Stokes as the RB finished with 153 yards on 30 carries. So. Hunter Britain tallied 75 yards and a touchdown on nine carries, while Chancey and Kyle Cowart also crossed the goal line for rushing touchdowns of their own. Ryder Wofford would record 60 yards receiving as he was the recipient of Rellinger’s only completion.
Photo from Gilmer Touchdown Club (Facebook)
As for Ringgold, Neither Maxpreps nor Hudl had individual stats posted for the Tigers at the time of this article.
Looking Ahead
The Tigers will play host to the 1-2 LaFayette Ramblers this Friday night while the Bobcats head into a Bye week before they open region play with a trip to Norcross to take on Wesleyan on 09/22.
Bobcats Win Big In Game 1
GHS Football, Gilmer High School, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports August 23, 2023
The Gilmer Bobcats came flying out of the gates in their season opener, scoring 21 in the 1st quarter, and they did not hold back as they toppled the Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe Warriors 42-14. The Gilmer ground game was unstoppable with five different Bobcats finding the end zone and totaling 380 yards. After losing some big names in the ground game, this is a statement performance that the “next in line” guys are ready to make a name for themselves this season.
Photo from Gilmer Touchdown Club (Facebook)
Team Notes
For the Bobcats, Isaac Rellinger had a solid performance to start his junior year as he threw for 51 yards and added another 79 yards on only five carries and a rushing touchdown. Sophomore Hunter Britain led the way for the Gilmer ground game as he finished with 98 yards on six carries, averaging an incredible 16.3 YPC, and he found the endzone. Wyatt Stokes led the team in carries, finishing with 83 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown. Kyle Cowart finished with 82 all purpose yards and a rushing touchdown, while freshman Peyton Chancey tallied a big touchdown in his first high school game. Gilmer finished with 431 yards of offense.
For the Warriors it was not the way they wanted to start the season, leaving Ellijay in a 35-point blowout. Sophomore QB Darian Keefe might have been the only bright spot for the Warriors, though rather dim, Keefe finished with 269 yards in the air, connecting with senior WR Grayden Johnson for a touchdown, while also adding another touchdown on the ground. Johnson finished five catches, 131 yards, and a touchdown. In an abysmal defensive showing, LB Payton Simpson led the team with seven tackles, while OLB Josh Cain got in the backfield for the teams only TFL.
Next up
The Warriors will hope for a better performance in Week 2 as they take on the 0-1 Heritage Generals, in their home opener. As for the Bobcats, they will look to go 1-0 again next week as they travel to Fannin County to take on the 0-1 Rebels.