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 Ground Game Gets the Job Done vs Murray County
GHS Football, Sports, Team FYN Sports September 5, 2023
The Gilmer Bobcats only needed the first 30 minutes in this one to stomp the Murray County Indians on Friday night. After a big 21-point opening quarter, Gilmer tacked on another 14 in the second to hold a commanding 35-0 lead at Halftime. The defense pitched a shutout all the way till the fourth where the Indians were able to crawl into the endzone for their only points in the game. After the 35-7 victory, the Bobcats now move to 2-1 on the season. The Indians fall to 0-3 and have an abysmal -65-point differential so far this season.
Photo from Gilmer Touchdown Club (Facebook)
Team Notes
The run game stole the show as it always does for the Bobcats. The team finished with 271 yards on 37 carries. Jr. Kyle Cowart led the attack as he finished with 57 yards and two touchdowns on three carries while Jr. Wyatt Stokes proved complimentary with another 55 yards on nine carries. QB Isaac Rellinger was 2/2 for 71 yards in the air while also adding another 14 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Jr. Grant Bellow and Fr. Douglas Callihan would each find the endzone in this one as well. Neither Maxpreps nor Hudl had individual defensive stats posted for the Bobcats, but all we need to look at is the scoreboard to understand just how much that unit dominated the Indians in this one.
Murray County has had a rough go of it thus far. They have yet to play a competitive game thanks in large part to their non-existent defense that has allowed 33 points or more in every game this season. Neither Maxpreps nor Hudl had stats posted for the Indians at the time of this article.
Look Ahead
The 0-3 Indians will travel to Summerville to take on the 0-2 Chattooga Indians. Gilmer will play host to the 2-0 Ringgold Tigers.
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.
Gilmer Runs Through Oakwood, Picks Up Big Region Win
GHS Football, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports October 2, 2022
Gilmer traveled to Oakwood and blew out the Spartans, 45-3, to pick up their second region win. Gilmer once again showed off how dominant their run game is in this one rushing for over 350 yards as a team. According to Maxpreps and Hudl, the Bobcats did not attempt a pass in this one. Dawson County and Gilmer remain as the only unbeatens in the region.
Photo from Gilmer Touchdown Club Facebook Page
Team Notes
Gilmer ran the ball 36 times and passed it 0. There was no reason for them too as Gilmer averaged 10.6 YPC as a team. The Bobcats utilized 8 different players in the run game, and they were all led by the senior, Hunter Watkins who ran the ball 7 times for 177 yards and 3 TDs. Will Kiker racked up 50 yards on 3 carries and a TD and Brock Titus was rather quiet as he only got two chances. Senior Mason Smith was a big factor and he racked up 82 yards on 4 carries and got a TD. Sophomore Wyatt Stokes was also involved and was able to notch a touchdown on one of his six attempts of the game. On defense, Hunter Watkins led the team in tackles while Aspen Hataway and Kyle Cowart were able to rack up the only two TFL for Gilmer. The defense did their job forcing two turnovers and holding West Hall to only 206 yards.
West Hall once again failed to get anything going and have now lost their last four games. In those four games they have been absolutely humiliated being outscored 175-17. Neither Maxpreps nor Hudl had individual stats posted for West Hall.
Look Ahead
West Hall will now head into a much-needed Bye Week as they now sit at 1-5 on the year. Gilmer moves to 5-0 on the year and will host the Lumpkin County Indians next week.