The Spartans defeat Gateway to win 14-6.
Thomas Jefferson showed grit as they won their sixth consecutive game of the year, defeating the Gateway Olympiads 14-6 on Saturday afternoon. However, this was not a walk in the park for the heavily favored Spartans, as they trailed Gateway all the way until the fourth quarter.
Gateway scored on an eight-yard rushing touchdown, but did miss the extra point; that miss would be big later on. The Gateway defense pitched a shutout on the Spartans all the way until the fourth quarter, until Senior Running Back Matt Averyhart pounded the ball in for a Spartan score. The Spartans would be able to convert the extra point, giving them a 7-6 lead. The Spartans defense would not allow another Gateway point, and eventually the offense was able to score once more on a 20-yard Jamie Redd touchdown run. The Spartans would go on to win by a final score of 14-6. “This was a gritty performance by both our defense and our offense. Gateway came out ready to fight, but so did we. Just a good win for us,” commented Junior Linebacker Robert McMacken.
The Spartans next game will be their most important game of the year as they take on the rival East Angels. What makes this match up particularly intriguing is that the winner will be crowned the division champ, and that will affect the playoff seeding of both teams. The Spartans will be looking for a bit of revenge after losing to the Angels last year in dramatic fashion. The game will be on Friday, October 30 at 7:00 pm at All City Stadium.
