Gilbert’s football team is coming off a solid first year of 4A football under first-time head coach Ozzie Exume.

The Indians shook off a 1-3 start to the year and went 5-1 down the stretch to secure second place in the region and qualify for the postseason. In the playoffs, Gilbert advanced to the third round before facing and losing to region rival North Augusta for a second time that season.

Now heading into 2025, the Indians are looking to improve on their first 4A season and make another deep playoff run, while competing for a region title.

 ”Our goal always is to compete for a state championship,” Exume said. “ We want to be a fixture in the state championship conversation.”

To achieve that goal, the Indians will rely on a mix of new and returning players. Exume said he is excited for the depth this season’s team has.

There is more continuity on the defensive side of the ball, with about nine players who have legitimate varsity football experience. The offense will swing a bit younger with a new quarterback, tight end and other guys floating around.

Heading into the 2025 season, Exume is excited to have a full year of head coaching experience under his belt. It wasn’t just the players learning a new system last season; Exume also had to learn a few things about what it takes to be a head football coach.

“You come in there and your eyes are wide open, and you want to do this and that, and you’ve got all these great ideas; sometimes I think you do a bad job of being true to yourself,” he said. “You try to be other people, and that’s something that I battled with last year.”

A full offseason to meet with players and coaches has allowed the Gilbert team to make positive changes, which will hopefully end in better results on the field.

The Indians revamped their weight and nutrition programs. They revamped their social media presence, and they took part in more seven-on-seven summer events.

“It’s just a lot more organized,” Exume said. “We’ve really been pushing our guys. … We’re just ahead of it.”

Offense

Gilbert has the biggest mix of new and returning players on the offensive side of the ball.

The team will have a new quarterback this season, and Exume is hoping the talent around him can help elevate the team to another level.

Gilbert’s protection will be led by former All-Region selection Kennedy Harmon. He is described as a great pass protector and can lock down one side of the field.

“You’ve got a guy like him who can lock down a side of the field or lock down a position. He does that. He’s a great puller. He’s great at pass pro,” Exume said. “He is really strong and really explosive.”

 Chandler Guthrie is another player on offense Exume said will be critical to the team’s success.

The rising junior is expected to be Gilbert’s top pass catcher in 2025 after leading the team in receiving last year. He had over 700 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore and made explosive plays when the team needed them most.

“ He really started to come into his own. He’s a flat-out competitor. He gets after it and has elite ball skills,” Exume said. “He’s a huge piece of what we want to do on offense.”

Defense

All-State defensive back Wynn Meetze is the star of the defense. He is entering his third year as a varsity starter and already has over 290 career tackles.

“He’s as dynamic a defensive player as there is in the state at his position,” Exume said. “His stats speak for themselves.”

Gavin Elliott will play in the secondary alongside Meetze. The rising junior is poised to have a big year and has star potential, Exume said.

R.J. Kearse and Demarion Brown join Elliott and Meetze in the secondary, creating a deep room of experienced football players.

At linebacker, Grayson Gunter is the guy to watch. He is also going into his third year as a starter and is described as the team’s “hammer.” His goal is to always lay someone out and give Gilbert a chance to experiment more on defense.

On the defensive line, Kmari Brown will look to build off an impressive sophomore season where he had 40 QB hurries, five sacks and two defensive touchdowns.

“ He’s a high-level pass rusher, a high-effort player and shows up all over the place on film,” Exume said.

2025 Gilbert Schedule 

Week 0 - vs. Lexington - Aug. 22

Week 1 - vs. Wilson - Aug. 29

Week 2 - BYE

Week 3 - at River Bluff - Sept. 12

Week 4 - at North Augusta* - Sept. 19

Week 5 - vs. Aiken* - Sept. 26

Week 6 - at South Aiken* - Oct. 3

Week 7 - at Midland Valley* - Oct. 10

Week 8 - vs. Brookland-Cayce* - Oct. 17

Week 9 - vs. Airport* - Oct. 24

Week 10 - at Gray Collegiate* - Oct. 31

Note: (*) indicates a game against a region opponent