Gateway overcomes injuries to defeat Kiski Area

By: Bob Orkwis
Friday, September 13, 2024 | 10:34 PM

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Gateway came into the start of Big East Conference play a bit banged up. That trend continued as the Gators lost their returning starting quarterback late in the first quarter Friday.

Undaunted, Gateway scored touchdowns on its first three drives on the way to a 28-7 win at Richard A. Dilts Field in Vandergrift.

Senior running back Amari Gans led the early onslaught, rushing for scores of 16 and 3 yards, then catching a 12-yard pass from Sid Bryant on the first play of the second quarter.

The second Gans touchdown run was set up by the first of three interceptions by sophomore Jayden Stammer.

Bryant, who threw for 256 yards and two scores last week in a win over Plum, came in to relieve freshman Elvis Koutsakis, who suffered a leg injury with about three minutes left in the opening quarter.

One play after Stammer’s second pick, Bryant hit Dyson Harper on a fly pattern from 45 yards to give Gateway a 28-0 halftime lead.

The Gators stifled the Cavaliers rushing attack in the first half, holding Kiski Area to 1 yard on the ground.

“I thought we controlled the line of scrimmage in the first half,” Gateway coach Don Holl said. “We made some plays and finished some drives in the first half.”

The Cavaliers got a big pass play to start the second half from Carson Heinle to Aven Shirley, but Stammer intercepted his third pass of the night in the end zone to thwart the goal-line situation for Kiski Area.

Gateway made the lead stand up until the Cavaliers broke the shutout with about eight minutes remaining.

Landon Kucic, who ended up with 91 yards rushing, scored from 9 yards out to make the score 28-7. Kucic has seven touchdowns on the season and has scored in each of the Cavaliers’ games.

Holl was not pleased with the second-half performance for the Gators.

“Less than thrilled with our performance in the second half,” he said. “We had many opportunities, and our guys didn’t rise to the challenge and that’s on me.”

Heinle completed 12 of 21 passes for 151 yards. The Cavaliers lost two fumbles among their five turnovers.

Gateway (2-2, 1-0) has won two straight contests and returns home to face Franklin Regional next week.

“I’m not concerned with next week right now. I worried about getting better after looking at this film,” Holl said.

For Kiski Area, the loss is the third straight and drops it to 1-3, 0-1.

Penn-Trafford visits Kiski Area for another Big East clash next Friday, the end of a four-game homestand for the Cavaliers.

Tags: Gateway, Kiski Area