For three quarters Friday night in Woodbury, Gatewood appeared to have everything under control. Then, with just 40 seconds left in Q4, the Gators trailed Flint River Academy by seven points. What happened next may say more about how far Gatewood has come this season than anything that happened in the first 47 minutes of one game.
The Gators rallied to tie things up with just four seconds left on the clock. They next stopped Flint River on fourth down in overtime before senior Landon Moreno broke loose for an 18-yard touchdown, giving Gatewood a dramatic 27-21 victory.
It marked Gatewood’s fourth straight win, improved the Gators to 4-3 overall, and most importantly, made them 2-0 in district play. It also snapped a five-game road losing streak that dated back to last season.
For Gatewood’s Jeff Ratliff, though, the most important part of the victory was not the final score.
It was the refusal to accept anything else. “Before, we didn’t find ways to win those games, and last night we found a way to win,” Ratliff said. “That’s very rewarding as a head coach, just in watching your football team grow.”
After being tied at halftime, Gatewood led 14-7 deep into the final quarter; however, penalties, dropped passes, and turnovers took their toll and stopped the Gators from putting the game away.
Flint River kept coming with a physical running attack, first tying things up, and then taking advantage of a late Gatewood turnover. After a controversial series of penalties, Flint River scored with 40 seconds remaining and added a two-point conversion to take a 21-14 lead.
Gatewood could have folded. Instead, the Gators took possession near midfield with 38 seconds left and two timeouts.
They scored with four seconds remaining.
Ratliff considered going for two and the win but decided to send freshman kicker Ruben Sanchez out for the tying extra point.
“I went with my gut feeling,” Ratliff said. “A lot of kids in the huddle wanted to go for two, but I didn’t feel good about the plays that Josh [Ringer] and I were discussing. So, I sent out Ruben to kick, and he stepped right up there.
He nailed it.”
Ratliff credited the entire kicking unit.
“Cayden [Burner] had a great snap, Harrison [Harper] had a great hold, and the O-line, they were all just great,” he said. “And then Ruben nailed it, and we went to overtime.”
Gatewood’s defense then delivered once more, stopping the Wildcats on fourth down. On the second play of Gatewood’s overtime possession, Moreno finished the comeback with the winning touchdown.
The victory was particularly meaningful given a difficult start to the season. After losing their first three games, the Gators are now on a fourgame winning streak.
Ratliff said he could see the beginnings of Friday night’s resolve earlier in the season, even in defeat. In a 49-27 loss to Brentwood, he recalled his team attempting two onside kicks while desperately trying to extend the game.
“You could sense this team’s desire to win,” Ratliff said.
Friday night, it was gratifying to see that desire finally translate into success.
“We had several big plays get called back, but we just didn’t let that be the way it was going to be written,” Ratliff said.
“And that’s what I’m most proud of these guys for.”
Gatewood’s next challenge comes Friday at home against Windsor Academy (5-1, 1-0).
According to Ratliff, a win probably would set up a district championship showdown with Piedmont.
But before looking ahead, he was still savoring what his team had accomplished against a tough Flint River opponent.
“What leads to success is finding a way and not quitting,” Ratliff said.
“And as long as there’s still time on the clock, you’ve gotta’ believe you still have a chance to win.”
Kickoff this Friday against Windsor is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Gatewood School in Eatonton.