Gilmer upsets Carthage in Texas high school football playoff OT thriller

Carthage rallies back to force OT, Gilmer forces fumble to snap state's longest win streak

Andy Buhler, SBLive Sports | Dec 1, 2023

Carthage's chase for a 10th state title and the longest active win streak in Texas high school football have both been put to a halt.

Gilmer upset Carthage 47-44 in overtime of the UIL Class 4A Division II regional finals after the top-ranked Bulldogs rallied back eight points in regulation.

Carthage carried a 29-game win streak into Friday night's showdown.

Gilmer's eight-point lead late appeared to have the game wrapped up in regulation, but Jett Surratt hit Mikel Fields for a three-point touchdown and Cade Ross for the ensuing two-point conversion to tie the game at 44-44 with 23 seconds left.

Gilmer advances to the state semifinals, where it will face Glen Rose.

-- Andy Buhler | andy@scorebooklive.com | @sblivetx

Lead photo by Tommy Hays.

Published Dec 1, 2023

ANDY BUHLER, SBLIVE SPORTS

Andy Buhler is a Regional Editor of Texas and the national breaking news desk. He brings more than five years of experience covering high school sports across the state of Washington and beyond, where he covered the likes of Paolo Banchero and Tari Eason served on state tournament seeding committees. He works on the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national boys basketball rankings. He has covered everything from the Final Four, MLS in Atlanta to local velodrome before diving into the world of preps. His bylines can be found in The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington), The Associated Press, The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington), The Oregonian and more. He holds a degree from Gonzaga and is based out of Portland, Oregon.