By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer

So who’s the toughest opponent thus far for the 2-0 Gateway Panthers?

Probably the Gateway Panthers.

Like in their season-opening win at Poinciana, the Panthers overcame the fumble bug and a furious Lake Minneola program thirsting for its first win, to take a 29-28 nail-biter Friday in their home opener.

GHS will host Orange City University (1-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The Panthers rallied from 12-0 and 22-14 deficits, but they needed a stop on a two-point conversion with less than a minute left in the game to seal a win that took GHS Coach Marlin Roberts through the entire spectrum of emotions.

“We tried to give it away – again,” he said. “We fumbled twice in the first quarter in our territory to give them a short field and we got behind, but there was no, ‘Here we go again,’ attitude like there might have been in the past. The kids chose to fight instead of quit and started playing like they knew they could play. I couldn’t have been prouder.”

Gateway took a 14-12 lead on drives sandwiched around halftime. Quarterback Anthony Rodriguez hit David Jerome, who caught four of Rodriguez’s five completions for 96 yards, on a 26-yard scoring strike. Three minutes after the break, Ian Stevens scored on a 22-yard run.

Gateway trailed again, 22-14, but Rodriguez ended a long drive by diving over from the 1, then hitting Zack Smith for the two-point conversion to tie.

The Panthers’ defense held and Rodriguez ran 2-yards for the go-ahead touchdown.

Roberts thought the win was salted away when his defense forced another punt with three minutes left, but a Hawks’ fumble recovery  turned into a Waltese Collier score, his third TD of the night, with 1:09 left.

Lake Minneola went for the win, but Chase Smith and Jordan Spence dragged down quarterback Ricardo Houzen short of the goal line on an option play to preserve the win.

Gateway rushed for 170 yards, led by Efrem Mitchell’s 102 yards on 21 carries, and passed for 105 more. Roberts said said the offense looked crisper than in a 20-12 win over Poinciana to start the season.

“You take the fumbles away and I thought our execution improved over the first game,” he said.

Orange City University lost, 31-2, to Spruce Creek on Sept. 8.

“What I see is a very sound team. They’ll go with the double tights and the double wings, then go spread you out,” Roberts said.

Gateway can get to 3-0 for the first time since 2002 with a win Friday.