Gatewood head coach Jeff Ratliff is looking forward to seeing his new-look Gators take to the field this Friday night for a home exhibition game against Athens Christian.
The same two teams held a preseason scrimmage last year, too, when the Eagles fielded a lot of young, first-year players. Ratliff said he expects Athens Christian will be a familiar, though different opponent this time around.
“There will be a lot of the same guys on the field, just a year older,” the longtime Gators coach said. “I’m sure that they’ll have gotten better, too, that they’ve made some improvements.
“And I know coach (Mike) Morris over there, he does a good job, has a good staff. Last year was his first year, and I think he had to come in there kind of and start from the ground up with the program,” Ratliff said. “So, I’m sure he’ll have his guys ready to go Friday night.”
Last Friday, after a rainy practice on Gatewood’s Sammons Field, Ratliff said he remained unsure of what format the scrimmage would follow. Typically, he explained, each team runs a certain number of offensive or defensive plays, regardless of the outcome. As the host coach, though he retains the option to set the schedule, and said he’s currently leaning toward playing a complete first quarter before going into specific scrimmage scenarios.
“It’s really just good to have a chance to go against someone else out there, for both teams,” he said. “We get a chance to go against 11 different bodies over there, so that’ll be good for us.
“I just remember I thought their team last year was young but athletic, and I know coach Morris has been doing a good job with them, so if he’s got those same guy’s back, they’ve all got a year’s experience now, so I know they’re going to be tougher to play against — which is good.”
Though they lost several key players to graduation this spring, the Gators return with nine seniors on the 2025 roster: Sawyer Atkinson, Ben Brannen, newcomer Drew Clevinger, Lake Ferman, Colt Jenkins, Jake Karns, Jackson Lundy, Mikey Padula, and Mason Sinclair.
Five juniors, eight sophomores, and three freshmen round out this year’s roster, leaving Gatewood with a relatively tight 26-man team.
Ratliff said he expects Clevinger, a 6-foot-7, 274-lb transfer in January from Cherokee County, to make an immediate impact on Gatewood’s offensive and defensive lines.
Also expected to continue with strong plays on both sides of the ball this season are Sinclair, Padula, Ferman, Adkinson, and Jenkins.
Sophomore Blake Brannen will be Gatewood’s new starting quarterback, Ratliff confirmed, with his brother, senior Ben Brannen, no doubt being a favored target this year as the team’s fastest receiver, according to the coach.
Ratliff also mentioned that his entire coaching staff, including Tyler Van Dusen, Josh Ringer, Connor Richards, Scott Denar, Clyde Harper, and Mike Kelly, are critical to the team’s success.
“I love every one of those guys,” Ratliff said.
He then expressed appreciation for the loyal fan base Gatewood has developed in Eatonton and Putnam County over the years. Ratliff said it’s not only encouraging for the players and coaches but also demonstrates a great sense of community that not every team enjoys.
“Obviously, we’re a private school, so our families here have to support our schools, support our programs, and they do a fantastic job doing it,” he said. “But the local community on Friday night comes out and sees us play, too, which is just great. We have a pretty good following, and I just want to thank them for that.”
Kickoff for the scrimmage against Athens Christian is set for 7:30 p.m. The season officially begins for the Gators one week later, Aug. 15, at home at 7:30 p.m. versus Flint River Academy.