Mount de Sales struggles to build momentum despite second half scoring in 46-20 loss to Gatewood

Gatewood got off to a rare rough start this season, losing a pair of games the Gators were favored in.

There was something missing. Rather, someone missing.

Mount de Sales wouldn’t have minded the Gators being without quarterback Ames Johnson as they were in earlier games.

The senior read the option offense to near perfection with the help of tailback Hunter Johnson to lead Gatewood to a 46-20 win over Mount de Sales Friday night in non-district GIAA action at Mike Garvin Stadium in Macon.

“I think our quarterback’s ability to read the option tonight was really good,” said Gatewood head coach Jeff Ratliff, a former longtime assistant coach under Barney Hester at Tattnall and owner of three state titles with the Gators. “Hunter Johnson, our tailback, had a great, great night. And our O-line did what they needed to do.”

On the other side of the ball, the Gators found similar success.

“I think, just for us, it’s not answering the call of being on the field with people that have done it before on a high level,” Mount de Sales head coach Gray Yates said of his primary disappointment. “2A, 4A, in the GIAA, it doesn’t really matter. It’s people who execute. Those are the teams that continue to have success. We’re not there yet.”

The Gator starters got a little more than two quarters of action, leading 25-0 at halftime. Gatewood (3-2) racked up a whopping 280 yards on 33 snaps in the first 24 minutes while holding Mount de Sales (2-3) to 63 yards on 18 snaps.

“Our best two quarters of the season,” Ratliff said. 

An explosive first half

The Gators needed only six plays to cover 80 yards on their first possession, with Hunter Johnson taking a pitch to the right side and diving into the end zone while taking out a pylon.

Mount de Sales had a rough night with penalties, the first one coming on third and 1 at its own 49-yardline, leading to a punt.

Hunter Johnson spent much of the night winding through some subpar tackling efforts on the second and third level as he did on a 30-yarder to open the next drive.

Gatewood reached the Mount de Sales 11-yardline and had an Ames Johnson touchdown run nullified by a hold before the Gators faced fourth and 16 after a delay of game.

On a night of precision offense, Ames Johnson found Ben Brannen on a fade in the right corner for the 16-yard score at the 3:35 mark of the first quarter.

The Gators then embarked on a solid drive of 60 yards on eight plays in their I-formation spread option attack, facing only one third down.

They converted it, but lost yards on a TD-nullifying hold, which they repeated a play later. Finally, Hunter Johnson watched a bouncing pitchout hit him in the hands, and he finished off the 6-yard score for a 19-0 Gatewood lead.

Mount de Sales couldn’t get the timing down on the passing game, hitting hands but not in stride. Another three-and-out set Gatewood up on its own 45. Five plays, 55 yards, and no third downs later, Ames Johnson kept it for a 2-yard score to make the lead 25-0 with a full 5:50 left in the half.

The Cavs were stuffed on a fourth and 1 at their 44, but they finally got the Gators to the sideline with a three and out, keyed by a sack for a loss of six yards by Marcus Wilson. They survived a blocked punt and again came up with the defensive stop on fourth and 5.

Finally, a notable positive showed up when sophomore quarterback Zavion Deshazier, after the Cavs had consecutive procedural penalties from the 1, busted through traffic for a 45-yard run and Mount de Sales’ first first down of the game in the final seconds of the half.

“I said, it’s time we look ourselves in the mirror,” Yates said of the chat at intermission. “And stop acting like we’re a good football team.”

So much for momentum, though, with Mount de Sales losing 23 yards on a bad punt snap and setting up a two-play, 12-yard scoring drive for Gatewood less than a minute into the second half.

The slump didn’t last long, however, as Deshazier found a wide open Eli Fisher on a wheel route, and he motored through the Gatewood secondary for a 52-yard touchdown barely three minutes into the third quarter.

The seesaw swung back the other way immediately. Hunter Johnson took a pitchout to the right, and sped 80 yards for a touchdown on Gatewood’s first snap after the Cavs’ score for a 39-6 lead.

After a 35-yard pass play to Fisher and a horsecollar flag, DeShazier went in from the 2-yardline three minutes into the fourth.

Mount de Sales converted a rare Gators fumble into a 25-yard touchdown pass from Deshazier to Wilson, who outjumped and outbattled a Gator defender in the end zone.

Hunter Johnson finished with a whopping 323 yards on 20 carries, Ames Johnson adding 80 on 12. Deshazier managed 193 yards on a 13-of-28 night.

“There’s got to be a a focus on getting better, on a higher level of execution,” Yates said. “It can be a (wakeup call) if we can stay together and keep a positive attitude.”