Members of this year’s senior class at Gatewood High School have already been a part of two championship-winning football campaigns. The Gators return nine of these players this season, and they all hope to end their high-school careers on top.
Justin Jameson, Demarian Maddox and Aidan Rainey are three of Gatewood’s senior leaders, and veteran head coach Jeff Ratliff said he will look for these three to lead the program this season, along with fellow seniors Dylan Sinclair, Dakota Davis, Noah Bennett, Jeff Reaves, Jack Harvey and Rhys Smith.
Jameson said he expects the Gators to have another big year, despite replacing several former starters.
“We’re going to be replacing a lot of kids, but that means a lot of (younger) people have to step up and play their role,” Jameson said. “It’s a great problem to have, though.”
Maddox plays defensive end and fullback for the Gators. He and Jameson will be leaders in the backfield and on the defensive line for Gatewood entering the 2022 season. He echoed what Jameson had to say.
“A lot of the lowerclassmen have to step up [and] I think they’re not afraid to step up,” Maddox said. “We have had a really good summer, and I’ve seen some great strides.”
Rainey is the team’s starting left guard with a lot of game experience. He is tasked this year with helping the offensive line grow as a unit, while also doing his best to protect sophomore quarterback Ames Johnson. He knows what it takes to win.
“I just want to win every game that we can, but more importantly, I want to play our hearts out,” he said. “Play the hardest we can possibly play on the field.”
Ratliff said he expects a lot of his seniors each season and this year will be no different.
“We’re going to be as good as our seniors,” he said in a recent interview. “We are going to need them to be example setters. They need to lead on the field, and we’re going to need them to play well.”
Jameson described this senior class as a “family.”
“I mean, we work hard together and we push each other to be better,” he said. “We do that every day.”
These nine seniors have a combined record of 29-10. They also have won a pair of region championships, as well as two state titles. This group is hungry for a third of each heading into 2022.
Maddox said he intends to leave no stone unturned.
“These guys won two state titles before I got here, so I want one,” he stated. “I also want to grow and bond with these guys more, especially because next year we’ll go our separate ways.”
Rainey doesn’t get to pad the stats as much as Jameson and Maddox do since he plays on the offensive line; however, he is proud of his teammates, who have worked tirelessly throughout the summer heading into their final season at Gatewood.
“These guys are two of the hardest-working guys I know. As is the rest of our senior class,” Rainey said. “We just work as hard as we can and try to lead by example.”
Each of Gatewood’s players and coaches wants to get back to championship form, but the seniors truly want to leave their mark on the program. That’s the most important thing this year for Rainey.
“It would everything to me if we make it back to Mercer, but I want more importantly to play our hearts out every single snap,” he said. “Know that we left everything on the field.”
Jameson feels much the same. “I want to leave this place better off than I when I started,” he said. “I’m not sure what I am going to do after, but I am going to bust my butt while I am here. I am going to put the work in to make my team better.”
Gatewood opens its 2022 season on Aug. 26, at home in Eatonton against Trinity Christian.