Gans bows to Keota, preps for unbeaten Dewar

GANS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

KEOTA – The Gans Grizzlies traveled to Keota earlier this week, where they lost 66-18 in a rare Monday game after adverse weather caused the originally scheduled game on Friday to be rescheduled.

It’s been a busy week for Gans head coach Brian Morton, with his charges playing their final regularseason game to start the week before changing the Grizzlies’ focus to District B-6’s No. 1-ranked and unbeaten Dewar to end the week.

“Our quarterback, Hunter [Walters], was having success moving the football, passing it and even getting into the endzone, but he rolled his ankle in the second quarter and we pulled him out,” Morton recalled from Monday night. “With the playoffs coming up, we wanted him to stay off it, even though he wanted to get back in the game.”

At the Monday game, the Grizzlies’ defense showed some signs of life, but it wasn’t enough to make a difference against the Keota offense.

Walters completed touchdown passes to Nakota White in the first quarter, and Caleb Martin and Jacob Watson in the second stanza before having to come out of the game with the ankle injury.

“Playing on a Monday, it just didn’t feel right, and our rhythm was off from the git-go, and the defense had trouble stopping ‘em. They’re a big team and physical, but we could’ve done better if Hunter had been healthy.

“The Dewar kids are a big physical group. They’ve got a lot of history, and they’re going to be super tough. If we keep it to short passes, though, I think we can move the ball, even though we’ll have trouble stopping them. Hopefully we can make it interesting,” Morton said.

Dewar is home to one of the toughest District B teams in the state. Dragons head coach Josh Been has consistently made it deep into the OSSAA playoffs, winning it all in 2020 and getting to the state semifinals last year.

“We haven’t made it to the playoffs at Gans in five or six years, it seems, so that’s something to be happy about. As a coach, I’d like for it to happen for our kids, but it’s a process and it’s gonna take some time,” Morton said.

“We are building on our successes, which are coming more frequently the further along we get in the season. We wanted to be playing our best football when it mattered most, and we’re there. It doesn’t get much bigger than the playoffs for us.”

Gans will have an uphill battle if the Grizzlies are to stop the Dragons’ ground game, led by veteran Nevin Corbin, who will be taking handoffs from talented quarterback Zack Mullen. Mullen likes to air it out as well, by reliably hitting his favorite receivers Triton Mack and Nick Hudson for big gains, while protected by his offensive line.

“This is what we’ve worked for, and we kept Hunter out of the rest of the Keota game so he’d be at his best for Friday’s game, because we pass the ball and need him getting the ball into Nakota and Caleb’s hands for us to have a chance.”

Gans travels to Dewar to open the postseason with a 7 p.m. Friday kickoff.