By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer

Gateway goes for its first 2-0 start in three head coaching tenures when the Panthers play host to first-year school Lake Minneola 7 p.m. Friday in its home opener at the Rideour Athletic Complex.

Coach Marlin Roberts said the mistakes that nearly cost the Panthers last week in a 20-12 win at Poinciana, namely a pair of fumbles, will have to be fixed in order to match the 2002 Panthers’ 2-0 (later 3-0) start.

“We’ve got to work on securing the ball when we run,” Roberts said. “We didn’t make it easy for ourselves with mistakes and penalties. But after (a Kickoff Classic loss to Atlantic), the kids could have hung their heads. But, a couple of them came up big, and our coaches called a great game.”

Senior linebacker Jordan Spence, who likely made the play of the game for Gateway, dragging down a sprinting PHS quarterback Mike Cirino  for a 5-yard loss at the Panthers 30 on fourth down while clinging to a 2-point lead, said the players know they have to improve, too.

“I thought that play ended the game, I thought we’d close it out from there,” Spence said. “But that was too close. We’ve got to get better because we almost beat ourselves.”

Roberts said that his team did do a number of things well.

“They played physical, the most that us coaches have seen in a while. And guys like Woodly (Deseme) are bringing the offensive line together,” he said.  “And I’m sure conditioning came into play with Coach (Dwayne) Webb’s regimen, we looked ready out there. You just hope that it keeps coming together.”

Gateway scored on a six play, 70-yard drive that took just over two minutes to start the game. Ian Stevens, part of a Wildcat package, scored on a 4-yard run for the lead.

After Poinciana tied it later in the quarter, the Panthers regained the lead on the first drive of the second quarter when Efrem Mitchell took a handoff on fourth and 2 from the PHS 25, went left off-tackle and sprinted to the end zone. Anthony Rodriguez found David Jerome for the two-point conversion to make it 14-12.

Still leading 14-12 in the fourth quarter, Gateway’s Jaiquan Owens short-circuited a Poinciana drive by recovering a fumble with 6:15 left, although the Eagles got it right back when Allyn Sanchez recovered his second fumble of the night three plays later.

But Spence ended that threat, and the Panthers took to the ground again.

Mitchell (22 carries, 86 yards), Stevens (7-66) and Smith (7-64) chewing up the clock until Rodriguez went over the goal line on a 1-yard sneak with 48 seconds left.

Lake Minneola lost its first  game last week, 21-13, to Eustis. Trailing just 14-13 late in the fourth quarter, the Hawks attempted a 35-yard field goal that was blocked and nearly returned for a touchdown.

Roberts said that the first-year label of the opponent does not make them a push-over.

“­They look young on film. They’ve got some scary athleticism,” he said. “I thought Cirino was scary enough but then this team’s quarterback (Ricardo Housen) looks unbelievable.”

Roberts reported no injuries from Friday’s game. Gateway  hosts Orange City University next week.