Following a scheduled bye week, the Gatewood Gators return to action this Friday at 7 p.m. when they visit Augusta Prep Day for their sixth of 10 regular-season games.
Gatewood head coach Jeff Ratliff told parents and team supporters in his weekly collective email that he took the week off to concentrate on game fundamentals with his players.
“Clean up a few things in the passing game” and work on “very specific parts” of the Gators’ game scheme, he said.
Ratliff stressed that Gatewood (3-2) is entering region play this season at Augusta Prep (2-3) and cannot afford to take any team lightly in any of its remaining games.
He also pointed out that although the Gators crushed Augusta Prep Day 62-6 in the second game of the schedule last year, the Cavaliers were a very young team and a non-region opponent then. This time, he expects to play a more mature, more motivated opponent.
“Offensively, they are quarterback-oriented with good running backs,” said Ratliff. He also cautioned against underestimating Augusta Prep’s “huge” 6-foot-3, 245-pound tight end Conar Harris, who will have help from 6-foot-2, 213-pound fellow senior receiver Parker Chavous.
“Defensively, they are athletic and aggressive,” Ratliff added. “I expect to see a much-improved version of what we saw last year.”