It took less than two-and-a-half minutes for Gatewood (2-4, 1-0) to score its first touchdown Friday night against Augusta Prep (1-5, 0-1), and from that point on, the game was never in jeopardy.
The Gators went on to deliver a convincing 48-16 Homecoming victory over the visiting Cavaliers, giving it a valuable first region win in the process.
“I was really proud of our efforts. We continue to get better, but we still have a long way to go,” Gatewood head coach Jeff Ratliff said in his weekly, post-game email to team parents and supporters.“It is up to us to keep pushing forward and be the best team we can be. If we continue to get effort like we had on Friday, the sky is the limit as to how far this team can go.”
Delivering a strong game for the home team was sophomore Brady Haley, filling in at quarterback while starter Blake Brannen dealt with early-season injury issues. In addition to orchestrating the Gators’ attack, Haley contributed a rushing touchdown to the score.
Additionally, the home team's strong offensive performance featured Ben Brannen with two rushing scores, including one from more than 50 yards out to start the second quarter. Mason Sinclair, Landon Moreno, and Sean Bennett also contributed touchdowns. Junior kicker Drew Love was on his game, too, hitting 6 of 7 extra points.
The Gators started their season with four non-region losses. Still, they turned the corner mid-September with a 13-10 victory over Mount de Sales, followed up by this dominating performance against Augusta Prep. Now, Ratliff recognizes the importance of keeping his team on track for a strong push to the playoffs.
“I’m just happy for the way the guys have continued to practice. Even through the early losses, we practiced hard; we’ve been ready to play; we’ve shown up and we played hard, even in those losses,” the coach said Friday night immediately after the win. “I said at the beginning of the year that keeping a good attitude is key, and this is a product of that.
Obviously, we’re better than we were back in week one, so it’s all about improvement, continued good attitude, and good, hard work,” Ratliff continued. “And that starts with my seniors. I give them credit for keeping the team together, keeping us working hard, and for them to continue to improve, because again, we were making a lot of mistakes at the beginning of the year — and we’ve still got some things to clean up; we’re far from where we need to be — but man, we’re getting closer.”