At Gatewood, playing on both sides of the football isn’t unusual. It’s a necessity.
With a smaller roster than many of the schools they compete against, the Gators rely heavily on a core group of players to contribute on offense and defense. That makes versatility, conditioning and leadership especially important heading into the 2026 season.
“We’re forced into that just by the nature of the beast,” Gatewood head football coach Jeff Ratliff said. “Numbers are going to dictate that players have to play on both sides of the ball. The goal is always to put the best 11 out there.”
Junior Brady Haley is one of the best examples.
Haley was Gatewood’s leading rusher last season with 576 yards and seven touchdowns, but his role extended well beyond running back. He also filled in at quarterback when the Gators needed him and played linebacker on defense, finishing fourth on the team with 75 tackles.
Senior Landon Moreno was another major contributor on both sides in 2025. Moreno rushed for 422 yards and five touchdowns, good for third on the team, while recording the team’s third-best 101 tackles at safety. He also had an interception and two fumble recoveries.
Drew Love provided a spark at receiver while also making his biggest impact defensively, leading the Gators with six interceptions as a junior.
The same two-way demands extend into the trenches, where senior Drew Burke, junior Ford Rocker, and senior Will Rainey, among others, are expected to play on both the offensive and defensive lines.
“In a perfect world, you’ve got 11 on defense, 11 on offense,” Ratliff said. “But right now, and it has not been that way, we don’t have a perfect world. We’re going to have to play five or six on both sides of the ball.”
That makes conditioning critical.
Whether a player is taking nearly every snap or rotating between positions, Ratliff said the ability to stay fresh and execute late in games can make all the difference.
“You’ve got to be in shape. That’s where it starts,” Ratliff said. “When you get tired, that’s when it’s easy to let your guard down and stop doing the little things.”
The Gators also need their younger players to be ready when someone needs a break.
“We need the next man up to be able not to miss a beat when players aren’t in,” Ratliff said.
While Gatewood’s roster size presents a challenge, Ratliff said the team made significant progress during the summer. He credited the senior class for establishing the tone and setting an example for the rest of the roster.
“It all starts with our seniors and their leadership, their example, how they carry themselves and how they’re going to take care of the locker room, the on-and-off-the-field stuff,” Ratliff said. “And they’ve been tremendous so far.”
Gatewood’s strong junior class has also helped provide leadership, while the younger players continue to follow their example.
Ratliff said the summer was valuable not only for physical development but also for building chemistry and learning how each player fits into the bigger picture.
“We’re trying to manage as a unit,” he said. “We’re trying to understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses and put it all together and make it into a team.”
For a program without the luxury of abundant numbers, that unity could be one of Gatewood’s biggest strengths.
The Gators will have to ask a lot from their top players this season. But if Haley, Moreno, Love, and the rest of Gatewood’s two-way contributors can stay healthy, conditioned, and disciplined, Ratliff believes the team will continue improving as the season progresses.
“Hopefully, when August 14 rolls around, we’re going to be playing our best football to that point,” Ratliff said. “But I would also tell you when November 21 rolls around, which is the day of the state championship game, we’re going to be playing a lot better.”