Gatewood fell 24-6 to the Trinity Christian Crusaders (1-1) last Friday to remain winless after two games.
Still, head coach Jeff Ratliff said he saw things he liked in his team despite a slow start to its 2025 season.
“It’s never easy. It’s hard, but we’re going to continue to get better as a team. I know the character of my guys, and I know they’re going to continue to work hard until we get things right. That’s hopefully the mark of who we are as a program and who we are as a team this year,” Ratliff said. “So yeah, two [losses] is not good, but there is some light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s definitely not too late to turn things around. We’ve just got to find a way to sustain drives on offense, and the defense needs to keep playing hard and step up some.”
The Crusaders took control early in Dublin and were up 14-0 by halftime. Gatewood made it onto the scoreboard with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter and was threatening to score again before a fumble gave the ball back to Trinity.
The Crusaders promptly tacked on a field goal followed by another touchdown, plus the extra point, with about three minutes left to reach the final score.
“We couldn’t really sustain any offense, and our defense was on the field too much,” Ratliff acknowledged. “That was our real problem. We just couldn’t hold on to the ball long enough to really get anything going. And a lot of our guys play both sides of the ball, so it was getting pretty tiring for them by the end of the game, too.
“So, I’m proud of them for working hard and not giving up, but we really, really need to hold on to the ball more and make plays when we have it,” Ratliff added. “If we can do that, we’ll be okay.”
Ratliff said he’s already seen improvement in sophomore quarterback Blake Brannen, as he’s showing patience and getting better reads on the field. He added that the return of senior running back Mason Sinclair from injury was a big boost for the offense against Trinity.
The veteran coach also expressed praise for his defense, saying they work as hard as anyone on the field. He credited them for keeping things within reach throughout most of the game at Trinity.
“But we still have to be better, and I know we can be,” Ratliff said. “I know the character of my guys, and I know they’re going to continue to work until we get things right.
“That’s hopefully the mark of who we are as a program and who we are as a team this year,” he continued. “Right now, two losses are not very good, but there is some light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve just got to find a way to sustain drives on offense, and the defense needs to keep playing hard. It’s not easy, I know, but I know it’s there and I think these guys can do it, too.”
The Gators get their next chance this Friday at 7:30 p.m., facing Loganville Christian Academy (1-1) in Loganville, followed by a third straight road game Sept. 5 in Americus against the Southland Academy Raiders (0-2).
Gatewood will finally return home Sept. 12 to take on Mount de Sales (0-2) and close out the first half of the regular season before entering region play exclusively for the second half of its 2025 schedule.