TAMPA — Gaither jumped to an early two-touchdown lead Friday night and never looked back, cruising to victory over Chamberlain.
An interception by Gaither linebacker Mike Rovellada on the first series of the game came off an ill-advised screen pass by Reginald Wester and set the tone early for the Cowboys. Quarterback Alex McGough capitalized with a 2-yard touchdown run to open the scoring for the Cowboys.
Following a blocked punt on Chamberlain’s next possession, Jalen Cochran’s 11-yard touchdown extended the Cowboys’ lead to 14-0.
The first half featured some sloppy play by both squads, as the teams combined for 158 yards in penalties.
“We’re far from disciplined,” Gaither coach Jason Stokes said. “We’ve got to cut down on the penalties. They absolutely crush us.”
In the second half, McGough connected with Amani Oruwariye on a 29-yard touchdown strike, and Malik Huff stiff-armed his way into the end zone on a 19-yard run to cap the scoring for Gaither.