Past, present and future converge for Gainesville (GA) football

It can be said that Friday night’s game against North Forsyth represented a fascinating timeline for Gainesville High School football.

The Red Elephants past, present and maybe the future were all on display as they rallied in the second half for a 34-21 victory before a large and raucous crowd at City Park Stadium in Gainesville.

The past was represented by a celebration and reunion of members of the 2012 Class 5A state championship team, the program’s only state title to date.

The present, of course, is the current Red Elephants (9-0, 5-0) who overcame a myriad of penalties and turnovers, as well as a feisty North Forsyth (6-3, 4-1) team, with their second-half surge to claim the Region 8-6A championship, the program’s first region title since 2013.

“It means a lot to me,” said Gainesville senior receiver Darius Cannon, who was a key contributor to Friday’s win with 232 all-purpose yards, including a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to ignite a run of 27 unanswered points after the Red Elephants fell behind by 14 points midway through the third quarter. He also had a 69-yard catch and run from quarterback Baxter Wright for a TD with 4:18 remaining that proved to be the game-winning score. “Especially to all my brothers on the team. It means everything to them.”

The timing of clinching the region title coinciding with the celebration of the 2012 state title team seems somewhat serendipitous, and it certainly wasn’t lost on several of the players, especially those who remember watching the championship teams as kids.

“That’s the biggest thing for us because we know we’re building on their legacy,” said Wright, who finished the night 19-of-26 with an interception for 287 yards and two touchdowns. “We’re carrying on their legacy, so it is a big deal for us. They did it before us. Somebody did it before them. It’s a constant legacy here that we just have to continue.”

Earlier this year during a reunion for the 1961 Gainesville team that won a region title and advanced to the Class AA state semifinals, first-year head coach Josh Niblett invited some members of the squad to speak to his current team. He did the same this week, having a few members of the 2012 team to address the Red Elephants during practice in the lead up to Friday’s game.

“(A few 2012 players) came in early before the game,” said Niblett, who took over at Gainesville this season after winning six Alabama state titles at Hoover and another at Oneonta in his 23-year career as a head coach. “Our kids dapped them up and they showed some love to each other. They know some of our (current) players and our players knew who they were, which is awesome. That’s what it’s all about. We’re a family around here. Really, we’re a kingdom.

“We love it when alumni come back. We want them to be involved (in the program) as much as they can, and it just means a lot because of the legacy they left behind."

Based on the results this season, the current Gainesville team has channeled at least one quality from the 2012 team, which is the ability to deal with adversity when it isn’t playing its best.

The championship team from a decade ago was the first team in 45 years to win a Georgia High School Association state title after losing the final two games of the regular season, and then roaring back from a 14-point halftime deficit in the second round to defeat Kell, 61-42, behind now NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson.

In a similar fashion, this year’s Red Elephants have had to battle through some struggles, particularly with ill-timed penalties and turnovers, in nearly every game before pulling away for comfortable victories.

However, what they faced in Friday’s game was nothing like anything they had experienced before.

Two touchdown passes from North Forsyth’s West Roberts had Gainesville trailing at halftime for just the second time all season at 14-7.

Roberts’ third touchdown pass of the game, a screen pass over a heavy rush to Karson McBrayer for a 39-yard touchdown with 5:29 left in the third quarter. It gave the Raiders a 21-7 lead, which was also the largest deficit the Red Elephants have faced all season.

But Cannon’s electrifying return of the ensuing kickoff ignited a spark that grew into a flame after Naim Cheeks’ 1-yard TD run with 6:48 remaining. It became a blazing inferno after Cannon’s touchdown reception just over two minutes later and Wright’s game-clinching 22-yard scoring strike to Travien Watson in the game’s final minute.

“Anytime you play games like this, you just have more character, it makes you grow up and mature a little bit more,” Niblett said of his team’s ability to deal with adversity. “I think we found out something about our team (Friday night) sticking together and playing together. Guys fed off each other, and as a head coach, that was fun to watch.

“Our guys have trust in each other and they don’t ever get down. We’ve got tough kids. … That’s the way they’ve been raised, too. They don’t care about (adverse) conditions.”

As much as the past and present history that was on display Friday night, Niblett says his Red Elephants will quickly transition on what still lies ahead of them.

A win in next week’s regular season finale at home against Jackson County would give them the program’s first perfect regular season since 2009.

And, of course, matching the 2012 team’s feat is the big prize that lies on the other side of the state playoff rainbow.

“It means a lot, but we’re not done yet,” Niblett said of the region title. “Everybody acts like we’re done, but we’re not done yet. This ain’t the trophy we want. It’s just one of them. Our (season) goals were just to win the opener, win the region and win the last game, so we’ve still got that to go.

“Our guys have got to show up and be professional next week, and they will, and give these seniors an unbelievable week, an unbelievable night and finish 10-0 in the regular season and get ready for the playoffs.”