Nydrell Thigpen's 207 rushing yards leads the way
Gateway running back Nydrell Thigpen pounded the ground for 207 yards on 33 carries and a score Friday at Harmony. (Photo/Katie Williams)
Nydrell Thigpen carried 33 times for 207 yards, including a six-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter that broke open a one-score game, as Gateway downed Harmony, 34-7 Friday at The Ranch.
It was District 6A-5 win for the Panthers (3-0) in their first time in district play since 2021, and their first 3-0 start since …
“It’s been a long time, I know we’ve done it,” GHS Coach Marlin Roberts said. "A good solid district win that we’ll have to build on.”
Thigpen had 135 of his ground-churning, chains-moving yards in the second half, when Roberts and the Panthers switched from a spread formation to a power-I set.
“We had a heart to heart at the half, and the kids responded,” Roberts said.
Thigpen, with his dad Tommy who played for the Panthers in the 2000s coaching on the sidelines , said he felt fine after his workload Friday.
“If they wanted me to carry the load then that’s what I was going to do to get the win,” he said. “We started slow but the O-line really picked it up in the second half when we needed to.”
In addition to the ground attack, the Panthers defense held the Longhorns (1-3) without an offensive score, giving up just a Kane Dow 79-yard kickoff return touchdown.
Gateway led 13-7 after an action-packed first quarter that included interception returns of 46 and 79 yards by Johnny Reyes and Jadriel Cedano, Dow’s TD return that briefly tied the game, and a Panthers fourth-down stop at their own 9-yard line.
But the Longhorns stayed in the game as Gateway failed to finish drives themselves before scoring three times in the fourth quarter. After Thigpen’s scoring run, the Panthers stopped Harmony running back Scott Hilliard (15 carries, 75 yards) just short of a first down on fourth-and-4 near midfield with 8:23 left in the game.
The Panthers scored to make it 28-7 two minutes later when Reyes, who set up Thigpen's score with a 27-yard run on third-and-6 the drive before, caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Aristotle Span, Jr. Gateway scored despite have three touchdowns or big plays on the drive erased by penalties.
Gateway made the lead stand late; the Panthers gave up just 36 yards in the second half and 118 yards the whole game.
Honor Kim rounded out the scoring with a six-yard run with three minutes left.
Gateway will try to extend the undefeated streak next week at Poinciana (3-1), a 21-6 winner over Ridge in District 6A-9 play Friday. The Longhorns will try to snap a three-gamer skid at home against Titusville for Homecoming.
