Unfortunately, it was three up, three down for the Gatewood Gators last week, with losses to Rock Springs Christian, Briarwood, and Brentwood, dropping their record to 2-18 overall and 0-7 in region play.
The Gators visited Rock Springs in Milner on Jan. 27 and left after a 73-61 loss. Though down 47-30 at halftime, Gatewood put together a 21-15 third-quarter surge, but just couldn’t sustain the pressure through the final quarter.
Junior Landon Moreno was the team’s top scorer that night with 13 points, followed by brothers Brady and Bennett Haley with 12 apiece and senior Lake Ferman the last to reach double digits with 10 points.
Last Thursday’s home game against Briarwood was shaping up well with the Gators leading 29-27 at the half and holding on with a 43-42 advantage after three quarters, but a 13-9 rally by the Buccaneers in the final period sent them home to Warrenton with a 55-52 win.
Moreno and Ferman led scoring for Gatewood with 15 apiece against Briarwood, with Bennett Haley adding 12 and freshman Cooper Craine contributing a pair of three-pointers.
“This shows that we’re getting better, coming so close,” Gatewood head coach Don Keiser said after the game. “I just wanted this one so bad for my boys, especially my two seniors (Ferman and Drew Clevenger).
“When we went up by three, I thought we had it, I was getting excited, I was praying, but it just slipped away,” the coach continued. “Just a few mistakes, just a few turnovers that if they went our way we could’ve held on, but just a few hustle plays didn’t go our way.”
Keiser said his team was obviously disappointed, but he took some of the blame, too. He said he needs to spend more time on last-second plays and on how to hold on to a tight lead late in the game.
Still, he credited assistant coaches Cody Wood and Scott Dennard for their contributions this season, saying they both provided “great, positive influences” on the team throughout the season.
The week ended Friday night in Sandersville, where top-ranked Brentwood (19-2, 6-1) delivered a 71-35 final to the visiting Gators. Just one regular-season game remains for Gatewood, this Tuesday night (past press time) against Central Fellowship Christian Academy in Macon.