LOUISVILLE — Clinton Gatewood was so confident about his team’s chances in a rematch with Louisville.
He swore his team was better than the 34-18 showing it had in a September loss to the Wildcats. He was right.
The eighth-year Greenwood head coach saw his Bulldogs come up just short, though, falling 21-13 here Friday night in the third round of the 4A playoffs.
Since the first day I met him, some nine years ago, confidence is the one thing Gatewood has never lacked. He believes in his ability as a coach and as a motivator.
He is a sports writer’s dream because he doesn’t hold to the old company line with a lot of “coach speak.” He tells you exactly what he’s thinking. He isn’t afraid to say things that other coaches would never share with the media.
Gatewood is simply fun to cover because he’s usually exuberant and always has colorful quotes. It also helps that his teams win with great consistency.
It’s much more fun to cover winning teams, and that’s what he has had in his eight years at GHS. The Bulldogs have won six Region 3 crowns and are the five-time reigning champs right now.
He has won 10 or more games in a season five times, including a 10-3 mark this year.
I know Gatewood and the rest of the Bulldog nation aren’t yet over Friday’s loss, but when they get there, they will look back at just how much better the 2017 squad got as the season progressed.
I will admit after the first three games, I wasn’t that impressed with the Bulldogs. I figured their dominating reign in Region 3 was about to end.
But I should have known not to bet against Gatewood, the ultimate competitor and ever the optimist. His confidence is contagious and always seems to trickle down to his players.
Once Jaylen Stanley settled in at quarterback and the Bulldogs found the right defensive backfield combination, Greenwood began to show promise. Offensive coordinator Carey Weaver turned to his mammoth line and told them to win games. They did just that as GHS finished the year averaging more than 270 rushing yards per game.
When Greenwood lost 34-14 to Cleveland Central in Week 3, Gatewood’s confidence never wavered. He kept his players and coaches grinding to get better. And they obviously did that, considering where the season ended Friday.
It’s funny to think that only a couple of years ago some associated with the school wanted to run Gatewood off. Well, some of those folks are no longer affiliated with GHS. Gatewood is still winning games and taking care of his players.
He pushes academics like he does Xs and Os. The GHS coach stresses education and works hard to bring his kids the exposure they need to make it to the next level. He has seen about 55 players go on to sign football scholarships. He has 24 former players on college rosters today.
That number will increase in February. He should have somewhere between six and 10 seniors sign scholarships.
Gatewood has improved every aspect of the GHS program since arriving at the school for his first head coaching gig. He is 63-29 with the Bulldogs — meaning he has won 69 percent of the games he has coached.
That’s pretty darn special. It’s a good thing he didn’t listen to all those folks many years ago who told him he couldn’t build a winning program here.
He did it. And maybe some folks have gotten spoiled with the consistent success Gatewood has had. They forget he took over a program that had suffered through seven straight losing seasons before his arrival.
His impact was immediately felt as the Bulldogs went from 3-8 in 2009 to 10-2 in his first season. Kevin Haymore, a senior on that team, said Gatewood brought instant new life to the program.
“He came in with such great energy and confidence. We couldn’t help but follow him and do what he was asking of us,” Haymore said.
Haymore is one of Gatewood’s former players who went to college on a free ride, thanks to football. He played defensive back at nearby Mississippi Valley State after graduating from GHS in 2011. He now works for the man he calls his mentor.
Haymore said, “Coach Gatewood is like a father figure. He is someone I can always go to.”
Regardless of wins and losses, a coach is always a winner in my book when his former players feel that way about him. That means he did his job.
Until another GHS team reaches the state title game or wins one, they will always be held up against the 1987 and 1988 teams that went to back-to-back 5A state championship games, losing 27-7 to Pascagoula and 23-19 to Warren Central.
Those two David Bradberry squads are considered the gold standard for the last three decades of Bulldog football, and rightfully so. GHS hasn’t been back to a state title game since.
Although Gatewood has not replicated Bradberry’s near-title runs, you can’t argue with Gatewood’s overall body of work.
He has sustained consistent success like no other coach in the last four decades, with a stretch of eight straight years in the playoffs. Dating back to 1980, the longest stretch before Gatewood’s eight was four (1987-1990 and 1993-1996).
I can’t say for sure the Bulldogs will ever get over the hump with Gatewood at the helm, but I will bet you his teams will always be in the mix.
nContact Bill Burrus at 581-7237 or bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com.
