Gatewood (2-3) picked up its secondstraight victory Friday night at home in Eatonton with a dominating 30-6 win over Riverside Military Academy (2-4). Though obviously pleased with the win, Gators head coach Jeff Ratliff said he was most encouraged by the way his team played.
“They (Riverside) were physical, and we matched it, and that’s what I’m excited about,” Ratliff said. “Our guys took on that challenge defensively and played really well all night long.”
After winning the coin toss and opting for offense, the Gators got on the scoreboard exactly two minutes into the game when senior Sean Bennett caught a 15-yard pass from freshman Bennett Haley, who has looked stronger and more poised with each outing this season.
The Eagles brought a physical, run-oriented attack, and Gatewood answered in kind, controlling much of the game defensively while continuing to show progress on offense.
Gatewood scored again early in the second quarter but missed the field goal, making it 13-0. Riverside answered quickly, though also missed the extra point attempt, making it 13-6 just three minutes into the period.
The Gators waited until the final minute of the opening half to score again, this time with senior Brady Haley making the catch from his brother in the endzone before freshman kicker Ruben Sanchez put the extra point up for a 20-6 Gatewood lead at halftime.
It had been a particularly satisfying performance for a defensive unit Ratliff said had been hurt by big plays earlier in the season.
“The first defense, they played lights out,” Ratliff said. “They hit them hard and were really big tonight. I was so proud of them.”
The Eagles came out looking much stronger after the break and threatened to score early, but their pushback was short-lived. Instead, Gatewood regained its footing, and a long field goal by Sanchez, followed by a late 4th-quarter score by senior Landon Moreno, put the game away.
The game’s progression also gave Ratliff freedom to explore Gatewood’s depth a little. With several early games remaining close into the later stages, there have been limited opportunities to give younger and reserve players some meaningful snaps.
Friday’s advantage allowed more of those players onto the field, and Ratliff credited them for contributing well before game night, too. He singled out the Gators’ scout team, which spent the previous two weeks preparing Gatewood’s starters in practice.
“They have given us a great look for two straight weeks, and they have made the first string better,” Ratliff said.
Ratliff said he also was pleased to see Bennett Haley continuing to improve alongside his receivers, particularly in their ability to gain yardage after catches.
“You’re not always going to have an opportunity to score 40 and 50 points,” he said. “Putting up 30, I thought was really good. But the better end of that is limiting [Riverside] to just six. I mean, if we win 7-6, I’m happy; we win 30-6, I’m really happy.”
Now, Ratliff said the focus quickly shifts to a game carrying greater significance as Gatewood remains at home this Friday to open district play against Trinity Christian of Dublin (2-3).
The teams are familiar opponents. Trinity defeated Gatewood in each of the past two regular seasons, while two years ago the Gators beat Trinity in the playoffs.
“Trinity Christian always plays hard,” Ratliff wrote in his weekly message to parents and supporters. “They have some good skill players and are solid up front on both sides of the ball.”
More importantly, Ratliff pointed out, it marks the point when district results begin shaping the season.
“It’s real important for us to win our district,” he stressed. “And we can’t win the district if we can’t get by Trinity.”
For the Gators, Ratliff’s simple message after two straight wins is to “just keep moving.”
“We’ve got a motto around here: ‘Burn the boats,’” he said. “It basically means we’re not going back; just keep going forward, and it’s Trinity next.”