Gators ready to sink teeth into region title

The Post and Courier

Donta Brown and the Goose Creek Gators face Stratford tonight.

Goose Creek plays Stratford tonight in what just might be the main event of the 38th annual Muhler Sertoma Classic. But it wasn't too long ago that the Gators weren't worth mentioning on the undercard of the event.

Chuck Reedy was named the school's new coach in 2002 and inherited a program that had won just 11 games in six years. Things weren't much better in Reedy's first couple of years at the helm as the Gators posted a 5-17 record. Since then, the Gators have become winners and a force in Region 7-AAAA, posting a 33-17 record overall while claiming second place in the region the past two seasons.

Now, the Gators eye the title, something almost unheard of when Reedy arrived.

"That's the next step," said Reedy, whose team battles Stratford at The Citadel's Johnson Hagood Stadium. "We've finished second the past two years with 4-1 records, and our only losses were to the champions. That's the next mountain we must climb and conquer. Last year, we beat Stratford for the first time and that was a big victory because it meant we had beaten every team down here."

The Gators were 8-4 last fall, using a punishing running game and improving defense as the recipe for success. They return only four starters on offense and three on defense, but the nucleus is good. Offensive linemen Daniel Berg, Garrett Welch and Caleb McCutheon are three-year starters who should open up running lanes and provide protection for quarterback Donta Brown, back for his third year as a starter. He's a threat to run or gun. He rushed for 538 yards and 18 touchdowns and passed for 1,500 yards.

"I think he is as good as anybody in the Lowcountry when it comes to running and throwing the football," Reedy said. "Having three three-year starters on the offensive line is a good place to start, and we're probably a little more athletic on defense than we were last year. Our goal is for each player to get better every day. If you multiply that by 70 or 80, you've made great progress."

Stratford has something to prove. After posting a 118-18 record in 10 seasons leading up to the 2007 season, the Knights slipped to 6-6 last year and had their region winning streak end at 58 games. Coach Ray Stackley is back for his 24th season and has nine starters back, including six on offense.

Quarterback Tyler McDonald is a dual threat, too. He passed for 1,273 yards and nine TDs, and rushed for 348 yards and five scores.

--Fans can sit on either side of Johnson Hagood Stadium, but all fans must enter the stadium from the West side. Fans who choose to sit on the East side will cross in front of the Altman Center once inside the stadium.

Reach Philip M. Bowman at pbowman@postandcourier.com.or at 937-5592.