By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Gateway controls its playoff destiny, and Harmony still can squeeze into the playoff picture, setting the stage for an important 7A District 6 showdown Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Gateway’s Ridenour Athletic Complex.

The Panthers, 5-3, are assured of their first non-losing season since 2004 and also have an opportunity to play for the district championship by beating Harmony. The Panthers are 2-1 in the district after a 37-0 win at Celebration, 0-8, last week, and will travel to district leader Osceola Nov. 4.

Harmony, 2-6 and 1-2 in the district, lost to OHS, 42-6, last week, but the Longhorns can wedge themselves into contention for the district runner-up spot by beating Gateway and then St. Cloud Nov. 4.

Gateway Coach Marlin Roberts said his team understands the importance of the upcoming games.

“This is the first time we’ve been in a playoff hunt this late in a long time. We were there in 2004, and now we have a great opportunity,” Roberts said.

Gateway got two touchdowns from Zack Smith on runs of 9 and 15 yards, a 25-yard TD run from Efem Mitchell, a 13-yard score from Ian Stevens and Wes Escobar’s 5-yard TD run.

Roberts said he sympathizes with the plight of the winless Storm and simply wanted to pick up an important district win.

“When I started here, we had five kids back, and two of them had actually set foot on the field,” Roberts said. “I know what they’re going through. They’re just young.”

Roberts said that Harmony will be a more dangerous opponent than what its record indicates.

“Those kids don’t expect to lose to Gateway. They’re going to come in here expecting to win,” he said.

Harmony Coach Jerrad Butler said his team played well for three quarters against Osceola, trailing by only 14-6 in the third quarter and successfully recovering an onside kick with an opportunity to tie the score.

But, the Kowboys held and struck for a long TD to take a 21-6 lead and rolled on from there.

Butler said that he applauds his team’s effort, but it shouldn’t be satisfied with playing well for a portion of the game.

“The bottom line is, we lost 42-6,” he said. “We have to learn to finish out the game. I understand that it was Osceola, and they have a great program and a great coaching staff, but I feel like we have a pretty good program and coaching staff in place here, too. We are supposed to win those games.”

Butler said his team, which has been hampered by injuries most of the season, can seize the opportunity to turn around the season Friday.

“We have had our share of injuries, but we’ve got good kids who have stepped in, and we still can achieve our goal, which is the playoffs,” Butler said. “Our kids understand that, and I expect them to come out Friday and put on another good effort.”

Roberts said his Panthers have a chance to break out of the playoff pack.

“Our kids feel overlooked because you hear about other teams’ playoff possibilities, and they are saying to themselves, ‘What about us?’ Nobody ever talks about the Gateway Panthers, so now they have a chance to prove themselves,” Roberts said.