GILMER, Texas — Gilmer, it’s time to celebrate. For the first time since 2014, the Buckeyes are state champions after topping Bellville in the title game this past weekend.
"It felt good to be honest, ya know all the teachers telling me good job and stuff like that. And it's just a big thing to bring it back to Gilmer after four years of not winning. So it just felt good to bring it back for the teachers and the coaches and everything," said Will Henderson, Gilmer running back.
"Feels good walking the halls knowing you’re a state champion. Brought it back to East Texas, not many people believed in us, but we did it anyway," said Brendan Webb, Gilmer safety.
Henderson and Webb were named the offensive and defensive MVPs from Gilmer’s 28-26 state championship win over Bellville this weekend. It’s the fourth state title in school history and the first since 2014. It’s especially sweet considering that the Buckeyes fell just short in the championship games in 2020 and 2021, so they’re glad to come out on the winning side this time around.
"The difference between number one and number two is drastic, drastic. Emotion, and perception, and everything else. Either way, you work just as hard, but the feeling at the end is very different, I can say that. I’m very grateful," said Alan Metzel, Gilmer's head coach.
Winning a state championship is never easy, but it becomes even more impressive for the Buckeyes when you think about some of the things that they had to overcome this year.
"A coach who has battled kidney failure. One of our filmers who’s got tumors that have come back in his brain. The death of some parents of one of our players. All those things, not to mention we started the season 0-2," Metzel said.
Now that the season’s done, all that’s left to do is celebrate. Gilmer won’t hold a championship parade through the town due to construction near the courthouse, but according to Metzel, there will be a city-wide pep rally at 5:15 Wednesday night at Jeff Traylor Stadium.
"Thank y’all for believing in us when no one else did, because that’s very important, and we took that to heart and had to do it for y’all," Henderson said.
"Very thankful for them. They were big behind the whole season. We started bad, and they were big behind the win against Carthage, and they believed in us to beat Glen Rose and then win the state championship," Webb said.