PUTNAM COUNTY
Central Fellowship Christian ended Gatewood’s season last week in the GIAA Class AA semifinals. The Lancers upended the Gators 83-55 last Thursday at Mercer University’s Hawkins Arena.
“It was a great season,” Gatewood boys basketball head coach Don Keiser said. “We won 20-plus games for a second straight season, which is a pretty great accomplishment in my second year.”
CFCA jumped out to a 25-0 lead in the first quarter before the Gators could even get on the board. They did outscore the Lancers in the second quarter but trailed 45-27 at the half.
Despite CFCA’s huge lead, Gatewood never gave up and battled until the final whistle; however, its inability to shoot well from beyond the arc led to its demise in the Final Four matchup.
“We live and die by the three (pointer),” Keiser said. “We didn’t shoot it well to start the game, and that’s what caused our lack of scoring in the first quarter. When we’re off, we’re off.”
CFCA entered the game as the top-ranked team in Class AA and on a 10-game winning streak. The Lancers were led by Karez Demory, Jaylun Goodrum and Jeb Walls in the win.
Gatewood’s season came to an end, but it was still successful as it went 22-5 overall in 2022-23. The Gators also captured a region and district title on their way to the Class AA state playoffs. They also won 20-plus games for the third straight year and second under Keiser.
“I am beyond proud of these guys. I can’t say enough about this group,” Keiser said. “It was a great season, and we reached a lot of our goals, but just didn’t make the state title game.”
Trinity Christian of Dublin, which had lost three times already to CFCA this season, upset the Lancers 57-49 in the championship game on Saturday at Hawkins Arena in Mercer.
Gatewood played the state champion Crusaders twice in 2022-23, splitting the regular season series. So, now the Gators can feel a little bit better heading into the offseason.
“We don’t want to celebrate beating the eventual state champions, but it’s great to see Trinity win it,” Keiser said. “We competed hard all season, and I think it showed on the court.”
Gatewood returns a majority of its roster next season, including leading scorer Matt Allen. The Gators only lose seniors Jackson Morris and Harrison Kelly to graduation in May.
Morris ended his career at Gatewood with over 1,000 points. He was also the only Gator selected to the GIAA Class AA All-State Team following the conclusion of the 2022-23 season.
“Jackson was a joy to coach,” Keiser said. “He’s been a great leader for us the past few years.”
Kelly was a role player for Gatewood over the past couple of seasons. His ability to control the floor with his ball-handling skills matched up well as Morris was the shooter of the two.
“Harrison (Kelly) played well in our backcourt,” Keiser said. “He was also a leader off the court. Harrison bought in when I became head coach and led by example the past two years.”
The Gators return Allen, Walker Roberts, Blake Callaway and Kaden Keiser, among others. All four earned GIAA Class AA honorable mention credit after the end of the season.
“I love Gatewood. I am very excited for next year, too,” Keiser said. “We are going to get back at it soon.”