[10/1/03]Coming off a stunning, fourth-quarter comeback victory over Grenada, Vicksburg has another reason to be excited about Friday’s home game against Clinton.

Sean McGowan will return to kick for the Gators for the first time since injuring his knee Aug. 29 against Southaven.

“He’s back,” VHS coach Alonzo Stevens said of McGowan. “He’s kicking that ball up high and getting it off the tee. I’m just tickled to death.”

Sophomore Patrick Gray and freshman Cameron Curtis have filled in during McGowan’s absence, but having the senior back will be a big lift for the Gators’ special teams.

“It puts us on a short field again,” Stevens said. “We can get to a certain part and go for a 45-yard field goal and really not feel that we can’t make it. It changes the way you play defense. It just changes a lot of things because of the experience at that position.”

McGowan said his knee still isn’t 100 percent, but it is feeling good enough to play. He has been working on his fundamentals this week to get back into a routine of kicking.

“I did really good at field goals,” McGowan said of his practices. “I can’t kick off about as far as I used to, but I can work on that.”

McGowan injured the knee on a botched fake extra-point attempt in the third quarter. Receiver Ben Shelton, acting as the holder on the play, rolled out to the right. Shelton saw nothing ahead and pitched it back to McGowan. He ran toward the end zone and was crushed by several Southaven defenders.

“When I saw him Aug. 29, you couldn’t tell me first week of October that he’s back,” Stevens said. “Now, he’s just as strong as ever. He’s kicking 40- and 50-yard field goals.”

Coaches and trainers originally thought McGowan had torn his anterior cruciate ligament, which would require season-ending surgery, but it turned out to be badly bruised and stressed.

The senior said he figured he was done for his final season as a Gator when the injury occurred.

“I honestly thought I was out probably the whole year and was going to have to go to surgery,” McGowan said. “(The doctors) said I probably still could have surgery whenever I want, but my knee’s stable enough to where I can play again.”

And McGowan can’t wait to get back on the field.

“It’s really hard sitting on the sideline watching the ninth-grader Cameron play,” he said. “But he did a great job and he’ll still play a little bit.”