Gatewood didn’t need just a win last Friday night; the team needed to find out what it felt like to earn one.
After opening with three straight losses, the Gators put together their best all-around performance so far this season, holding off Southland Academy 35-21 in Eatonton for their first victory in 2026.
“We needed that; we needed to win a game,” Gatewood head coach Jeff Ratliff confirmed afterward. “But we didn’t need a blowout. We needed a good football game.”
That’s precisely what the Gators managed, beginning with an early score by junior Brady Haley, just over two minutes into the game. Haley’s run was set up by the previous play when senior wide receiver Drew Love secured a spectacular diving catch for a 30-yard gain.
Gatewood improved to 1-3 with the victory while Southland fell to 2-2. More importantly to Ratliff, however, his team showed it could handle adversity when Southland refused to go quietly.
Gatewood had opportunities to pull away in the first half but sometimes failed to capitalize. The Raiders regrouped at halftime, made adjustments, and began finding success with their wing-T attack. But instead of allowing the momentum swing to snowball, Gatewood answered.
“They made some adjustments, and that put us in a dogfight a little bit,” Ratliff said. “But again, I’m really proud of our guys for just sticking with what we do and with the game plan on both sides of the ball … we found the right answers, we made the stops when we needed to, and we put points on the board.”
That ability to respond may have been as significant as the final score for a team still developing its identity. In his post-game message, Ratliff said Gatewood “needed to learn how to win,” to trust its system and execute when the outcome remained uncertain. Friday provided that test, he said.
Offensively, the Gators remained committed to the running game while mixing in some passing. Ratliff singled out his offensive line for creating room up front and credited the backs for taking advantage.
“If you run the ball like we did tonight, somebody’s doing something good up there,” he said. “I think they played well tonight. So kudos to them. And I mean everyone, not just the backs.”
Freshman Bennett Haley has established himself as the Gators’ starting quarterback and continued to make progress Friday. Blake Brannen, who previously played quarterback, has moved to receiver and contributed several big catches.
“Blake is a valuable part of what we do now,” Ratliff said.
He also singled out senior running back Landon Moreno and the Gators’ fullbacks, while Sean Bennett delivered one of the night’s bigger offensive plays with a catch-and-run touchdown.
Defensively, Gatewood had to remain disciplined against Southland’s misdirection- heavy offense. The Raiders broke several plays, particularly in the second half, but the Gators held on.
Ratliff called it the “bend but don’t break mentality” that his defense emphasizes. That approach was evident when Southland threatened to score early in the third quarter.
“When we needed the turnover, we got it,” Ratliff said. “That just killed all their momentum.”
Special teams also contributed to what Ratliff described as “a complete team victory.” Gatewood converted all five extra points, limited Southland’s return opportunities, and received a key early punt from freshman Ruben Sanchez.
The victory also carried postseason implications. As a GIAA Class AA opponent, Ratliff said he expects the Raiders to be in the playoff picture later this season, making Friday’s result potentially important for Gatewood’s end-ofyear seeding.
Regardless, for a team that had spent its first three weeks searching for measurable evidence of improvement, the biggest accomplishment may have been much simpler. The Gators finally know they can finish.
“We don’t ever want to get into the frontrunner mentality,” Ratliff said. “You never know when a play is going to make the difference. So, you’ve got to play every play like it’s the last one. You’ve got to play hard.”
Gatewood will try to double its wins this Friday at 7:30 p.m., when it hosts Riverside Military Academy (2-3) in Eatonton.