The Gateway football team edged Latrobe, 27-24, in its Big East Conference finale Oct. 17.
The Gators finished in a three-way tie for third place with Armstrong and Kiski Area at 3-3.
A 42-35 loss to Class 6A Hempfield in what ended up being the team’s final game of the season set Gateway at 3-7 overall.
Tiebreakers kept the Gators from grabbing one of the three automatic playoff berths from the conference, and the WPIAL selection committee looked elsewhere for the wild cards.
“Obviously, it is always disappointing when you don’t make the playoffs and don’t get a shot to participate in the postseason tournament,” Gateway coach Don Holl said. “The bar is set pretty high here in terms of expectations, which I might add we would not want any other way. That said, I know our guys competed very hard week in and week out. But we weren’t able to produce enough wins to be a playoff team.”
Gateway delivered a strong first-half performance against Latrobe and led 27-14 at halftime.
Freshman Mayson Mitchell threw a pair of touchdown passes to junior Jayden Stammer and another to senior Tyree Gowder. Junior Julian Dancear added a 3-yard TD run.
Neither team scored in the third before the Wildcats rallied for 10 points in the fourth.
“I appreciated that we found a way to secure the win,” Holl said. “We did some really good things, especially early in the game, but had to overcome some late mistakes and self-inflicted adversity to hang on. Dealing with and learning to overcome adversity is an invaluable lesson and goes a long way not just on the football field but in life.”
Gateway held a 31-21 lead in the third quarter of the nonconference finale against Hempfield and also led 38-35 in the waning minutes of the fourth before Hempfield scored the game-winning touchdown with 48 seconds on the clock.
Mitchell threw for 381 yards and three touchdowns. He also was intercepted three times.
Senior Shawn Morefield Jr. had a monster game with nine receptions for 188 yards and two scores. He added 78 rush yards and a touchdown.
Gateway started the season with the unenviable task of taking on Class 6A powers North Allegheny and State College.
The Gators then lost at home to Plum in Week 2, dropping them to 0-3.
But team members rallied around each other and the coaches and bounced back with a competitive 34-31 win over Kiski Area before taking down Franklin Regional, 33-28.
“I thought we showed signs of promise and growth in the first three weeks, but some of that growth was stunted by some significant injuries,” Holl said. “I thought we showed resilience in regrouping and continuing to improve, which ultimately contributed greatly to our wins over Franklin Regional and Kiski Area.”
Gateway hoped to make it three wins in a row the next week against Armstrong, but the River Hawks spoiled those plans and rallied for a 29-28 Big East victory.
“It was frustrating then and also now in looking back,” Holl said. “Credit Armstrong for making the plays that ultimately won them the game, but we were positioned with a two-score lead in the fourth quarter. I and we needed to do a better job there closing out the game and securing the victory.”
Armstrong went on to secure a spot in the WPIAL playoffs. The Riverhawks faced Moon in the WPIAL first round and were not able to slow down the Tigers in a 48-21 loss.
Elvis “Dino” Koutsakis began the season as the starting quarterback after dealing with injuries that robbed him of a promising freshman season. But he went down to injury again in the second game against North Allegheny and was lost for the season.
“Dino is another guy who is an elite competitor,” Holl said. “He poured his heart and soul into this team and his teammates while working his tail off to be the best version of himself and to prepare for this season only to suffer an unfortunate season-ending injury. How can you not feel for the young man?
“That said, Dino handled the injury the way he does everything: the right way. He kept a positive attitude, supported the team and his teammates and focused on his recovery and rehab. I am certain he is beyond excited to get back on the field.”
Koutsakis’ injury led to the Gateway coaches ultimately resting the offense in the hands of Mitchell, and he delivered with 2,036 yards passing and 20 touchdowns against 12 interceptions in eight full games and part of a ninth.
“The thing I love best about Mayson … is Mayson,” Holl said. “It’s Mayson the person. Mayson the competitor. Mayson the dialed-in, laser-focused “invisible preparation” guy. The combination of Mayson’s skill set and work ethic is going to be a component of his success in anything and everything he does. I am excited about his future in our program and beyond.”
Holl said the senior class will leave a strong legacy with the program.
“I appreciate the contributions of our seniors not just for this season but for their careers in the program,” he said. “Many of them have been Gators all the way up from (Gateway midget football) to (middle school) to the high school program. They gave an awful lot to Gateway football.”
Holl said a group of players from the senior class are ready to take their talents to the next level.
“As I have said many times, one of the very best days in high school sports is signing day,” he said. “I compare it to the euphoria after a big team win. It’s the joy and excitement of earning the opportunity to compete at the next level. We have some guys who have already committed and a few more still deciding.”
Holl said the future of Gateway football is bright.
“I am excited to see what the next Gateway football team can accomplish,” he said. “We will take some time to recharge and then get back in the weight room sometime in December.”