2024 East Texas high school football schedules released: Gilmer begins title defense at home

Games begin Aug. 29; Dive into 2024 UIL high school football schedules on SBLive

Gilmer players hold the trophy after winning the 2023 UIL 4A Division II title at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. / Tommy Hays

It’s high school football time in East Texas.

Practices are now under way, and the countdown to kickoff is just mere weeks away. In fact, several teams will start its respective Week 1 games on Thursday, Aug. 29, with others to start the following night.

That weekend will commence the UIL fall season, a 17-week march that culminates with the state title games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in late December.

How deep into the postseason will East Texas teams be playing?

Three East Texas teams won state titles last season: Gilmer, which captured the 4A Division II championship; as well as Timpson, which capped off a perfect 16-0 ledger by winning it all in 2A DI, and Malakoff, which claimed the 3A DI crown. The Bears finished No. 12 in the final SBLive Top 25 statewide rankings, while the Buckeyes came in at No. 24.

Gilmer will kick off its title defense on Aug. 30 with a home game against Pine Tree. The Buckeyes then have one of the more intriguing non-district games in the area the following week, Sept. 6, when they travel to face Chapel Hill, last season’s 4A DI runner-up.

District 7-4A DII play for the Buckeyes starts on Oct. 11, as Gilmer travels up Hwy. 271 to nearby Pittsburg. Another key district road game takes place two weeks later, when the Buckeyes travel to Texarkana Pleasant Grove in a game which may decide the district title.

Timpson, which is adjusting to life without all-everything talent Terry Bussey (now at Texas A&M), begins its title defense on Aug. 30 with a trip down to Pineland - population 888 - for the second straight season, facing West Sabine. The Bears then return home for the next two weeks, facing Lovelady on Sept. 6 and Palestine Westwood on Sept. 13.

District 11-2A DI play for the Bears starts on Oct. 11 at home with Hemphill. Another district game to watch is on Nov. 1, as Timpson is at home to take on its arch-rival, Garrison.

Malakoff will start its season on Aug. 30 at home against West Rusk. The Tigers are also at home for their District 3A-7 DI opener against Commerce, on Oct. 4.

Another team that finished in the final Top 25 for the 2023 season was Longview, which came in at No. 20. The Lobos kick off their 2024 campaign on Aug. 30 with a trip to Lufkin, followed by a trip to Marshall on Sept. 6.

Longview then returns home for two high-caliber games. The Lobos host defending 5A DII runner-up South Oak Cliff on Sept. 13; then on Sept. 20, welcome in Louisiana power Ruston, which won the Division I non-select championship last season.

Of course, one can’t have a conversation about East Texas football without bringing up perennial power Carthage. The Bulldogs were defeated by Gilmer in the fourth round of the 4A DII playoffs, but Carthage is favored by some to make it back to Arlington and play for another title trophy.

Carthage begins its 2024 season at home on Aug. 30 against Kilgore, a team in the mix to play for the 4A DI championship.

Speaking of Kilgore, it may have the most challenging schedule in the region. After Carthage, the Bulldogs host a solid Whitehouse team on Sept. 6 and then heads to Gilmer on Sept. 13 before playing at home on Sept. 20 against Texarkana Pleasant Grove. Kilgore then goes to Chapel Hill on Oct. 11 in a huge game that may decide the 9-4A DI championship.

Another contender with a challenging schedule is Texarkana Texas High in 5A DII. The Tigers open their season at home on Aug. 29 against Tyler Legacy; then on Sept. 6, travel to face Argyle Liberty Christian, which won the TAPPS Division II title last season to finish off an undefeated season. On Sept. 20, Texas High goes into Arkansas to face one of the state’s premier programs, Fayetteville.

Daingerfield fell a game shy of reaching the 3A DII title game. The Tigers seek to make it to Arlington this go-round, and their quest starts on Aug. 30 with a game at Gladewater, followed by their home opener on Sept. 5 against Tatum.

KEY 2024 UIL FOOTBALL DATES

• August 5: First day of conditioning (no contact)
• August 10: First full day of contact
• August 15: First scrimmages
• August 22: Second scrimmages
• August 29: First games/third scrimmages (for teams not playing Week 1
• August 30: First Friday Night
• November 14-16: Playoffs Week 1
• November 21-23: Playoffs Week 2
• November 28-30: Playoffs Week 3
• December 5-7: Playoffs Week 4
• December 11-14: Playoffs Week 5
• December 18-21: 2024 UIL State Championships

TEAM SCHEDULES | WEEK-BY-WEEK SCHEDULES 

- Buck Ringgold | buck@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveTX