The Gilmer Buckeyes celebrate their third state title in school history.
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
Two
Blake Lynch touchdown runs in the fourth quarter capped a remarkable comeback, sending
Gilmer to an emotional 35-25 victory over
West Orange-Stark (Orange) in the Class 4A Division II (enrollment 465-685) state championship game Thursday afternoon before 14,953 at AT&T Stadium.
Lynch, a Baylor pledge, scored on a 4-yard run from the Wildcat set to give the Buckeyes their first lead a minute into the fourth quarter and went in from the 7 on a similar straight-ahead charge for an insurance touchdown with five minutes to go.
Nick Smith, Gilmer
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
Gilmer (16-0) dedicated its season to the memory of Desmond Pollard, a promising wide receiver who died in March while playing a pickup basketball game.
"When you dedicate your season to someone, you have to get the job done,'' said Gilmer running back
Kris Boyd, who rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown. "He [Pollard] is smiling.''
West Orange-Stark (13-3) dominated the first half, scoring the game's first 19 points on the way to a 25-7 halftime lead. The deficit would have been even larger, but for an illegal block penalty that nullified Texas A&M pledge
Deionte Thompson's 100-yard touchdown return of a missed field goal as time expired in the first half.
Sophomore quarterback
Jack Dallas ran for the Mustangs' opening score and threw touchdown passes to Thompson and
Jeron Preston in the second period.
Jackson Sikes' interception was the start of Gilmer's second-half comeback. It led to
Mclane Carter's 13-yard touchdown pass to
Nick Smith.
Gilmer needed only 11 seconds to score again.
Demarco Boyd, voted the game's defensive MVP, caused a fumble that teammate
Devin Smith recovered in the end zone, cutting the West Orange-Stark lead to 25-21.
Gilmer received a break when Dallas' fourth-down pass was dropped inside the Buckeyes' 10 and responded with the drive of the game -- 70 yards in 14 plays -- burning almost five minutes of the clock to take its first lead, 28-25.
After West Orange-Stark was forced to punt on its next possession, Gilmer put the game away with an 83-yard, eight-play march.
The state championship is Gilmer's third. The other titles came in 2004 and 2009.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, a Gilmer player took the No. 8 game jersey and lifted it to the sky. It was Desmond Pollard's jersey.
"I wish I could have seen Des play today,'' said teary Gilmer coach Jeff Traylor. "He was my best player.''
