Last Friday, Gordon Central played a great second half in their 28-6 win over LFO.

Two weeks ago, the Warriors came out firing on all cylinders in the first half, but had to hold on after halftime for a 27-26 victory in their region opener.

Despite being 5-0, Gordon Central coach Chad Fisher said his team has still not put together a complete four-quarter effort this season.

That will be something the Warriors look to do on Friday when they host Coahulla Creek for Homecoming at Ratner Stadium.

The Warriors come into the game as one of only two 2-0 teams in the region after the win at LFO. (Cartersville is the other 2-0 team in 5-AAA.) Gordon Central led only 7-6 at the half on Friday before dominating the second half.

Fisher said he found out a lot about his team from the road win over a much improved LFO team.

“The biggest thing is I learned that our kids are mentally tough, and they want to be successful no matter what it takes,” said Fisher. “We started sluggish, but our kids were resilient. We made some adjustments at halftime, and we came out and played very well in the second half.

“We knew the importance of this game going in, and we were able to get a big win.”

Senior quarterback MJ Reynolds continued his great season in the win, throwing for 224 yards and four TDs, two of which went to tight end DJ Prather.

The Warriors defense also played well, holding LFO to two field goals in the first half, before shutting them out after the break.

Gordon Central now turns their attention to Coahulla Creek, a team in their first year of varsity football. The Colts (2-3, 1-1) have defeated Sonoraville and Murray County so far this season.

Fisher said despite Coahulla Creek being a young program, his team cannot go into the game taking anything for granted.

“They are new program, and it’s probably going to take a couple years before they have consistent success, but their kids are still fighting and playing hard,” said Fisher. “They are very physical for a new team so we’ve got to be able to neutralize their running game and take them out of their comfort zone.”

Gordon Central will have next week off, so Fisher said it is important to head into that bye week on a win for several reasons.

“If we can get to the bye week with a win, we can build a little momentum for those final four games,” said Fisher. “And we can start to think about scenarios that could play out in the region for playoff spots. It can also be a time where we get some rest and get some guys that are banged up a little healthier.”

The Warriors are off to their best start in the school’s history at 5-0. Their previous best came in 1988 when they started 4-0. Fisher said his team has to take care of some key areas if they want to get that sixth win.

“The biggest things for us are executing and putting four quarters together,” said Fisher. “We’ve also got to be more disciplined in the penalty department and not turn the ball over as much. If we can do that, we should be alright.”

Prediction:

The Warriors are at 5-0 at the halfway point of the regular season and are looking like they will be Cartersville’s biggest competitor for the Region 5-AAA championship.

But before they worry about playing the Hurricanes in a few weeks, they’ve got to take care of business at home against Coahulla Creek.

The Colts are a very young and inexperienced team with it being their first year of varsity football so the Warriors should have the advantage in almost every phase of the game.

Look for a big night from Gordon Central as they celebrate Homecoming with a win.

Score:

Gordon Central 48, Coahulla Creek 14