Last Friday night, Nov. 8 Gainesville High School Red Elephants broke their winning streak losing to Lanier High School Longhorns.
The varsity football team lost 41-38 leaving their record 3 to 2. This football game also left the team with their national rankings being moved to -33 and their state rank to +2.
In the beginning of the football game, the Red Elephants kicked things off with running back, Dez Brown, scoring an 85-yard touchdown. As the game continued, the Red Elephants were on a roll with quarterback, Gionni Williams, making a 12-yard pass to running back, JD Brooks.
By halftime, the Red Elephants were up by five points making the score 32-27. The Red Elephants kept the winning consistency going with Brooks making an 11-yard run and Williams making a 29-yard pass to wide receiver, Walter Dixon.
However, both teams seem to have hit a breaking point during the 3rd quarter which lead to a slight altercation between two players. While finishing the 3rd quarter, the Red Elephants seem to be losing their funk as the Longhorns start to take the lead. Parents and supporters in the stands begin to yell out to the players to pick up the score again instead of getting frustrated. The student section for Gainesville High School were also encouraging the players from the stands to continue to fight through the game although they began to lose.
Grady Vardeman, a senior at Gainesville High School said, “I think the student section is like a 12th man and all these guys out here are like my best friends and brothers so I’m always cheering them on the best way I can.”
By the 4th quarter of the game, both teams were neck and neck with one another. Although the Red Elephants continued their fight against the Longhorns, they did not gain a victory last Friday night. This interrupted their winning streak, but this does not mean they cannot gain it back.
Lenny Chatman also known as Boogie, a football player for Gainesville High School said, “The game tonight was a good one and I think my boys and I worked hard. Even though we lost, we’re going to come harder next game.”