Tohopekaliga came up with a novel way to try to stop Gateway running back Nydrell Thigpen, who still tallied 117 rushing yards Friday: rip his helmet off while Markell Solomon (51) throws a block. (Photo/Taylor McFee)
On a wet, muddy field for Gateway High School’s homecoming game the hosts put on a defensive clinic in topping Tohopekaliga, 33-0, in a key Class 6A-5 battle.
The win keeps the Panthers (6-1, 2-1) playoff hopes alive, while the Lions (4-3, 1-1) backs are against the wall with district games against St. Cloud and Lake Nona left.
Tohopekaliga coach Anthony Paradiso said his team’s game plan was to stop Gateway’s star running back Nydrell Thigpen. While Thigpen was keyed on all night, the Panther’s two-way defensive back/running back Johnny Ramos (5 carries for 69 yards, 2 touchdowns) stepped up and scored touchdowns on both offense and defense.
“Everybody thinks that we're one dimensional, we're not one dimensional,” Gateway coach Marlin Roberts said. “These guys have been playing together for a long time, and they did work tonight. Johnny’s a heck of a defensive back. Just a special player.”
Early in the second quarter, the Panthers defense pinned the Lions on their own 11-yard line. Tohopekaliga quarterback Gabriel Velez’s (11-for-22 passing for 75 yards, 2 interceptions) pass was intercepted by Ramos who returned it 20 yards for a touchdown and 6-0 Gateway lead.
“I love playing defense,” Ramos said when asked which position he likes the best. “I've practiced a lot of reps and I saw the ball in the air, got it, and got some yards after the catch.”
After a poor Tohopekaliga punt, Gateway quarterback Aristotle Span (5-for-6, 97 yards, 2 touchdown passes) audibled and connected with Tavian Martinez for an 8-yard touchdown pass. Martinez caught the short pass at the 5-year line and evaded several Lions tackle to reach the endzone for a 14-0 lead after Thigpen scored on the two-point conversion.
Gateway scored early in the second half on their first drive when Span faked a handoff to Thigpen, turned and gave it to Ramos who sprinted down the left side of the field for a 53-yard touchdown.
Ramos said when he cut down the left sideline “all he saw was open field.”
“I mean, teams think if they can stop Thigpen, they think they don't gotta worry about nothing else,” Ramos added. “But then when they come and play us, they gotta stop me too.”
The Panther defense snuffed out the Tigers’ next possession deep in Toho territory, and Thigpen finally joined the scoring barrage late in the third quarter with a run up the middle from three yards out to put Gateway up 27-0.
Even with the Tigers defense keying on Thigpen, he was a dominant force on the ground, rushing 27 times for 117 yards. Gateway started the fourth quarter with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Span to Jesan Hernandez to put Gateway up 33-0. Hernandez completed the Panther’s defensive effort with a 45-yard interception return.
“It feels great,” Span said of the team’s success this season. “Everything we work for is just coming together. Every summer, working together, coming to practice every day at 100 percent.”
Next week, while Tohopekaliga is hosting St. Cloud, Gateway goes to Lake Nona, undefeated in 6A-5 play after a 63-0 win Friday over Harmony, with a chance to win the district title.
“Gateway is a good football team,” Paradiso said. “They are the second-best team in the district.”
