DAVID BARBER

davidb@vanzandtnews.com

Two teams that won their District 7-4A, Division 2, openers Oct. 10 will be squaring off in an important district matchup at Van’s Memorial Stadium in a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday, Oct. 17 as the Van Vandals will host the Gilmer Buckeyes.

Coach Jared Moffatt’s Vandals enter the contest with a 4-2 overall record and a 1-0 mark in district play after outlasting the Spring Hill Panthers on the road, 49-26, while the Buckeye (2-4, 1-0) eased past the Pittsburg Pirates, 36-25, in Gilmer.

“Gilmer has been a really good football team for the past 25-30 years and this year is no exception,” pointed out Moffatt. “They have been one of the best Class 4A programs in the State of Texas with four state championships. They have done an unbelievable job at Gilmer over the years. This year’s Gilmer team has lost four games this season but, look at who they have played. They lost to an undefeated Class 5A team, Brenham. They lost to Kilgore, Carthage, and Lindale, all really good football teams. They have a bunch of good football players. Their defensive line is really good. They are big up front defensively. They are going to be a problem. They have some really good athletes that competed at the state track meet. They have guys that can run. This is going to be a tough football game.”

Moffatt discussed his 0-6 career coaching record against Gilmer. “We have never beat those guys since I have been at Van,” said Moffatt. “Looking back, three of those games, we could have won. Gilmer is a really good program with great coaches and talented players. They will be tough to beat. This will be a physical game Friday night. It is going to be a war. We have to play four solid quarters for us to win the game. Gilmer will come over here ready to play.”

The Buckeyes will operate offensively out of the ‘spread’ and shotgun formation, according to Moffatt.

“They are not throwing and catching the ball as much this season as they have in the past,” pointed out Moffatt. “They are still real dangerous. They will make you defend the entire field. Their quarterback is a good runner.

“Defensively, they have been more multiple this season than they have been in the past,” continued Moffatt. “They have moved some people around trying to find the right spots for them. They play a lot of players defensively. They will probably play six or seven defensive linemen, five different linebackers, four different safeties, and four different corners throughout the game. They have shown more ‘even front’ looks in the last couple of weeks. Their kicking game is always good. They have a guy that can kickoff deep. We will have to play a complete game to beat Gilmer Friday night.”

While the matchup at home against Gilmer is a big game so far as district standings and potential playoff positioning are concerned, Moffatt addressed what a victory over Gilmer Friday night could mean for his program long-term.

“This program over the years has beaten people like this,” emphasized Moffatt. “We have beaten Henderson, Kilgore, and Chapel Hill in the past. Nobody in our building doubts our ability to play against those types of teams. Our kids expect to win these games now. When I first came here, I am not sure we really felt that way. When we played Gilmer for the very first time, I don’t know that we really believed we could go out and beat them. The next time we played against them, I felt like our players really believed then they could beat Gilmer. 

“If we can find a way to beat Gilmer Friday night, there will probably be only one group of people that won’t be surprised that we won, and that would be our football team,” continued Moffatt. “Our kids believe that they are going to find a win the game every time they step on that field. If we beat Gilmer Friday night, I would not be ready to say that this is some type of program-defining win. We haven’t beat Gilmer and we haven’t beat Carthage. We have beaten some of the best football programs in East Texas. When I first got here, Van was not routinely beating Lindale. Now, we are expected to beat Lindale every year. 

“When you talk about Gilmer, you are talking about not only one of the best Class 4A programs in East Texas, they are one of the best in Texas,” said Moffatt. “Beating Gilmer Friday night by itself will not change the projectory of our program long-term. Short-term, we are looking at these next four games to determine where we are going to be at the end of the season. Our kids expect to win Friday night against Gilmer.”

Moffatt is anticipating a playoff-like atmosphere when the Buckeyes come to Van’s Memorial Stadium Friday night.

“We like playing here,” emphasized Moffatt. “I don’t know how much home field advantage really means in a game like this. We have won some big games here and we have won some big games on the road. I appreciate playing here. We have great support here. It will be a great atmosphere here Friday night. These are the types of games that are fun to coach and play in.”

In the other District 7-4A, Division 2, opener Oct. 10, the defending district champion Texarkana Pleasant Grove Hawks demolished the Paris North Lamar Panthers, 77-7.

In addition to the Van/Gilmer matchup, other district games being played Friday, Oct. 17 include Spring Hill traveling to Texarkana Pleasant Grove while Paris North Lamar will host Pittsburg.

Van’s sub-varsity teams will be facing Gilmer Thursday, Oct. 16, as the junior high teams will be hosting Gilmer at Van’s Memorial Stadium starting at 4 p.m. while the freshmen and junior varsity squads meet in Gilmer with the freshmen game kicking off around 5 p.m. followed by the J.V. contest around 6:30 p.m.

For results of the Van/Gilmer varsity game as well as a preview of Van’s visit to Pittsburg Friday, Oct. 24, check out www.vanzandtnews.com.