The weight of four straight losses to open the season finally lifted last Friday night as Gatewood picked up its first win this year in front of a Gold-Out home crowd.
The Gators beat Mount de Sales Academy 13-10 with a late score by junior Landon Moreno.
“Like I said the last couple of weeks, I thought we were playing better and better each week,” Gatewood head coach Jeff Ratliff said.
“We just kept almost finding ways not to win, if that makes sense,” he added. “But we got it done on Friday night, and that’s what counts.”
The visiting Cavaliers struck first with a touchdown and extra point in the opening quarter, but Gatewood responded with the same in the second quarter, grinding out a long drive on the ground to enter halftime tied at 7-7.
It was a simple formula: run the ball, control the clock, and limit big plays on defense, Ratliff explained.
“We were consistently able to run the football,” he said. “Even if we didn’t score on a drive, we flipped the field, chewed up the clock, and got some confidence.”
At the core of that ground attack was Moreno, who scored both Gatewood touchdowns, including the game-winning come-from-behind score late in the final quarter, capping off an 81-yard drive. Ratliff said Moreno thrived behind an offensive line that he credited for controlling the line of scrimmage.
“When you run the football, somebody’s doing something good up front,” he said. “Big kudos to our offensive line. Landon had a really good game running the football, but it was those guys up front, making and taking the hits that made the difference.”
The Gators also had to navigate a sudden change at quarterback. With starter Blake Brannen sidelined by an injury that required surgery, fellow sophomore Brady Haley
stepped up. Ratliff said he was thoroughly impressed by how Haley handled the challenge with purpose and poise.
“Brady stepped in and embraced it during the week,” Ratliff said. “He managed the offense well, made some big throws, and gave us a little more on the ground. He’s going to have some growing pains, I’m sure, but he’s now our quarterback moving forward.”
Defensively, the Gators also showed improvement on the stats sheet, which greatly encouraged their veteran coach. After giving up several explosive, costly plays in earlier games, the Gatewood defense tightened the gaps, forcing the Cavs to work hard for every yard gained, he said.
“The biggest difference in this game and the previous four is that we didn’t give up the big play,” Ratliff observed. “Our defense was stingy Friday night. I liked that.”
Defensive standouts included Mason Sinclair, who “seemed to be everywhere,” Ratliff said.
Senior Colt Jenkins had a strong performance at linebacker, while fellow senior Sawyer Adkinson anchored the defensive line at nose tackle. The secondary also held strong, keeping Mount de Sales from hitting over the top.
Though it wasn’t a high-scoring contest, Ratliff said he was pleased with how the Gators controlled the game’s pace. He said both squads were clearly committed to the ground game, which kept possessions limited and the clock moving, but that only underscored the importance of capitalizing when opportunities came.
“Football’s not hard,” Ratliff said. “If you can run the ball, control the clock, and play sound defense, you’ve got a chance to win. And that’s exactly what we did on Friday.”
With the season’s first win finally secured, the Gators (1-4) head into a much-needed bye week before opening region play against August Prep at home on Sept. 26.
Ratliff said he believes the timing is ideal.
“It comes at a good time,” he said. “It gives Brady another week to get the offense under his belt. Hopefully, we can build off that victory and start putting together a win streak here.”