GAINESVILLE — Gainesville football already knew it had a defense. On Friday night it learned it also has a quarterback.
In his first start for the Red Elephants, junior signal caller Tre Luttrell rushed for 81 yards and threw for 172 yards and three touchdowns to help lead Gainesville to a season-opening 20-0 defeat of West Hall at City Park.
Luttrell had some learning moments along the way, but -- thanks in large part to that defense -- Gainesville more than survived them, as the Red Elephants (1-0) held the Spartans (0-1) to 150 total yards, including just 53 yards rushing.
Gainesville fans could also take comfort that a freshman impressed, as Montavious Tabor rushed for 79 yards and caught five passes for 44 yards. Meanwhile, Luttrell hooked up with three different receivers for scoring strikes, as Justice Johnson, Tre Blackwell and Tyriq Kabir each hauled in touchdown passes.
The opener to Johnson, for 10 yards, sparked Gainesville to a 7-0 lead with 3:55 to play in the first quarter and appeared to foreshadow an offensive explosion -- only for season-opening sloppiness to intervene, on both sides.
Gainesville finished the night with 15 penalties for 155 yards, while West Hall was flagged 13 times for 121 yards, as the two teams also traded turnovers throughout the second and third quarters. Yet Blackwell's effort just before halftime gave the Red Elephants a boost and a 13-0 lead at the interval, when he fought off tackles to complete a 39-yard touchdown pass as the clock expired.
Kabir made it 20-0 on a 37-yard scoring pass at the start of the third quarter.
New Spartans quarterback Michael Thompson finished with 49 total yards. The West Hall defense fought throughout but succumbed to two long pass plays that helped seal the outcome.
West Hall will look to bounce back next week against old rival Johnson at home.
Gainesville, meanwhile, travels to face Alpharetta.
