Transformed Gates Enjoys Huge Senior Season

Big 7 Football Offensive Player of the Year Brandon Gates from Rogers Heritage.

Big 7 Football Offensive Player of the Year Brandon Gates from Rogers Heritage.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

ROGERS - Rogers Heritage football coach Perry Escalante said Brandon Gates didn’t draw the attention he deserved prior to his senior season, but his performance this year sure took care of that.

Gates rushed for a school-record 1,647 yards and 13 touchdowns, including a season-high 250 yards against Fort Smith Southside and 240 yards against eventual Class 7A state champion Bentonville.

The bruising 5-foot-11, 205-pound runner was honored as the Big 7 Offensive Player of the Year by NWA Media thanks to those numbers.

Gates more than met his coaches’ expectations this season.

“He was outstanding,” Escalante said. “What a great kid. He runs so hard. A lot oftimes people tried to tackle him high and he’d just run through them.”

Gates was pleased with how he performed for the most part this season, but couldn’t help but wish he’d done more looking back on the WarEagles’ 5-6 fi nish.

“As a senior and a leader of this team, I feel like I should have stepped up somehow and could have made a diff erence in a couple of those games.

“It’s not the season that we wanted. The memorieswere good.”

Escalante acknowledged the overall team finish was a disappointment, but disagreed with Gates’ assessment.

“You talk about guys whocome back and say they wished they’d played harder. Well, Brandon Gates isn’t one of those,” Escalante said. “He laid it on the line. He was focused and had a great season. We can’t ask a kid to give us any more than we got from him.”

Escalante and Heritage off ensive coordinator Darren Hotelling watched Gates become a workout warrior in the weight room after he played receiver at 5-9, 175 pounds as a sophomore. That work paid huge dividends on the football field, Escalante said.

“My biggest concern this year was keeping him healthy because I was going to give it to him a lot,” Escalante said.

Gates had no problems, carrying the ball 247 times and averaging 6.7 yards per carry, after running for 1,240 yards on 211 carries and 13 touchdowns.

Hotelling and Escalante both said Gates’ lack of size and speed might not make him as attractive to some college football coaches, but he has plenty of intagibles going for him.

“He’s developed into a man,” Hotelling said. “We knew it was a no-brainer where he needed to play for us. He was our Mr. football. He’s got theheart, the grit, the character. All the attributes you look for, he’s got them.”

“He’s not as big and he doesn’t run a 4.4 or 4.5, but look at all the other attributes he brings to the table.”

Gates is excited about his future, but he’s still unsure where he will be playing college football next fall. But Escalante said where ever he ends up, the school will be getting a gem.

“Who ever gets him, he’ll jump in and do what ever they ask,” Escalante said. “Several schools have shown interest lately, but he’s been out here this whole time. He’ll play somewhere.”

Sports, Pages 7 on 12/29/2013