Walker, Jackson shine as Gateway advances to PIAA semifinals

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, November 25, 2017 | 7:30 PM

ALTOONA — Two days after Thanksgiving, Gateway football coach Don Holl still was giving thanks.

Mostly for Brady Walker and Courtney Jackson. In the spirit of the holiday, the pair of them carved up Hollidaysburg on Saturday afternoon.

Walker accounted for 462 yards of total offense, while Jackson caught 11 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns and also scored on a 78-yard run in the opening minute as the Gators overcame three first-half turnovers to advance to the PIAA Class 5A semifinals with a 49-30 victory over the District 6-8-10 champion Golden Tigers at Mansion Park Stadium.

“It's a great feeling. It's the first state playoff game that Gateway's ever won. I'm excited,” said Walker, who connected on 23 of 30 passes for 367 yards and three touchdowns in addition to scoring himself on a 14-yard run.

After having two deflected passes picked off and losing a fumble in its first five times with the ball, the Gators (13-1) scored on four of their next five possessions to turn a 14-14 tie into a 42-17 advantage by the end of the third quarter.

“I think every individual believed we were the better team,” Jackson said. “It was just a matter of time before we started to play our football.”

It started with a 53-yard bomb from Walker after he eluded the Hollidaysburg pass rush with 5:08 to play in the second quarter. In the final two minutes of the third, the duo hooked up again, this time on a 33-yard scoring strike after a beautiful play-fake by Walker.

“All of the guys on our team are athletes, but Courtney, he's my go-to guy,” Walker said. “He can do it all. He's my man. He's my man.”

Jackson showed that in the first minute of the game on an end-around from the Gateway 22 that he took to the sideline and then cut back and dashed to the end zone.

“I think it takes the life out of the team when you score early like that. That's what we like to do. I think it makes a difference,” Jackson said.

Hollidaysburg, though, managed to stay in the game, and, despite Gateway finding its offensive groove from the middle of the second quarter, only was down 11 after a fake punt picked up 30 yards and set up Vlad Hilling's 41-yard field goal on the last play of the second quarter.

The Tigers also received the second-half kickoff, but Tui Faumuine-Brown stepped into the path of Brady Walters' throw on the second play from scrimmage and returned it 37 yards to the Hollidaysburg 1. Derrick Davis ran it in on the very next play.

“We turned it over a bunch and then had penalties at critical times, and you can't do that,” Holl said. “Thankfully, we got away from that.”

And, also thankful for his standout pass-catch combination.

“Did those guys play?” Holl said with a grin when asked about Walker and Jackson. “I've been an offensive guy my whole career, and it's a neat thing when you have a quarterback with all the tools and savvy that (Walker) has. And Courtney's just a big play waiting to happen.”

Walters threw for 162 yards and three touchdowns for Hollidaysburg (8-4) while also running for 118 yards. Tigers running back Patrick Young added 103 yards and a score on the ground. Gateway, though, amassed 596 yards.

“It's hard to lock onto those guys because they've very athletic and they have very good team speed,” Hollidaysburg coach Homer DeLattre said.

Gateway will play Manheim Central (13-0) in the PIAA semifinals next week at a time, site and date to be determined.

Philip Cmor is a freelance writer.

Tags: Gateway