Win seals perfect season for Gators
Tigers hold tight at first but fall short, allowing 4 consecutive touchdowns
It was almost like Courtney Jackson expected a touchdown throughout a second-down run in the first quarter of Gateway’s WPIAL Class 5A Big East Conference title bout Friday night against McKeesport.
The Gators’ versatile senior shook off two would-be tacklers and outran a fleet of McKeesport defenders en route to a 42yard score — Gateway’s first of the game, the type of play that makes you wonder how the improbable can appear effortless.
“Nobody was making plays, really — we just needed something,” Jackson said after the 34-6 win. “I broke the first [tackle], made a move on the second one and when I cut and turned right — I just knew I was going to the house.”
In reality, it wasn’t all too surprising. Whatsoever.
After all, this Gateway team is a PIAA championship contender that has developed a habit of making plays typically unseen at the high school level. Nine wins in nine games, earned by outscoring opponents by a whopping, 411-37 margin, brought the Gators into the matchup Friday night with an opportunity to win the Big East, garner home-field advantage in postseason, and — most importantly — put themselves in prime position to not only defend their 2017 WPIAL championship, but to finish the season with a state title, too.
And that they did.
As frigid rain fell to the Antimarino Stadium turf, Gateway (10-0, 6-0) prevailed over rival McKeesport (8-2, 5-2) in its regular-season closer, finishing the year with an unbeaten record for the first time since 1986 — when quarterback Brendan Majocha’s mom was a senior in high school.
“Kind of a coincidence, right?” he said laughing. “It just feels great. We have a rivalry with McKeesport. Everyone knew that. This is one of the biggest games we played all year, and we came out and did our jobs and came out on top.”
On roll the Gators … again. Playoff season is here, and it’s sure to be a wild ride.
“A night like tonight, it’s rare,” coach Don Holl said. “10-0’s are rare. You can do this for a long, long time as a player and coach and not have the chance to experience an undefeated season. I’m really proud of them.”
Gateway’s swarming defense swallowed up the Tigers while Majocha built on his stellar senior campaign, finishing with 279 yards from scrimmage — 144 through the air and 135 on the ground — with a trio of total touchdowns. He completed 14 of his 21 passes and led all rushers with 30 carries as the Gators option attack finished with 384 yards of total offense and 22 first downs.
In the first half, however, Gateway looked nothing like the team that had eclipsed 45 points in seven of its previous nine games. The Gators entered halftime leading, 7-0, but coaching adjustments, coupled with takeaways — two forced fumbles and an interception — paved the way for a 27-point surge in the final two quarters.
“McKeesport was doing some interesting things defensively that some people had done against us last year but we hadn’t really seen this year,” Holl said. “They were playing their defensive ends outside our tackles and putting their linebackers inside.”
McKeesport nearly tied the score to begin the third quarter after a 90-yard kick return by Quaran Sayles led to an eventual 8-yard touchdown rush for Devin Sims. The extra point was missed, though, which made the score 7-6.
The 1-point deficit presumably opened some eyes on the home sideline.
The Gators answered with a 13-play, 80yard drive that was capped by a 6-yard touchdown rush from Derrick Davis — quelling any notions that McKeesport possessed the kryptonite to one of the WPIAL’s most potent offenses.
“I think that’s when the game really changed,” Holl said. “We just marched, and we finished that drive and said, ‘OK, now we’re in pretty good shape.’”
As the playoffs near, Gateway’s approach remains unchanged.
Visions of another trip back to the PIAA championship — and winning this time — are likely lingering in the back of the players’ minds. But they know there’s still work to be done to make those hopes come to fruition.
“The process remains intact,” Holl said. “If we want to do the things we want to do, we have to keep getting better at getting better — and they know that. That’s the mantra around here. Our guys want a lot.”
But, at least for Friday night, they can rest on the laurels of an unrivaled regular season, an accomplishment that doesn’t come around too often.