Lanier stays perfect in 8-AAAAA with impressive win over Falcons <b>(VIDEO)</b>

SUGAR HILL -- There may be a new sheriff in charge of Region 8-AAAAA -- at least for the time being.<br /> <br /> For a second straight week upstart Lanier knocked off a perennial region power, this time Flowery Branch in a 27-12 win Friday night at Lanier Stadium. They beat Clarke Central on the road last week, 35-20.<br /> <br /> The Longhorns (3-0, 2-0 Region 8-AAAAA) used their size advantage on both lines to wear down, and eventually, break down the Falcons. Lanier pounded out 250 yards rushing and held Flowery Branch to just 229 total yards. They scored the final 20 points of the game after falling down 12-7 late in the first quarter.<br /> <br /> "That was our game plan," Lanier coach Korey Mobbs said. "We didn't make that many adjustments (after we got behind). We have two or three guys we can run in and out and we just let our size wear them down and just kept running the ball."<br /> <br /> Senior Tario Fuller did the bulk of the heavy lifting with 25 carries for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Marcella Baity added 84 yards on eight carries for the Longhorns.<br /> <br /> But it was the passing game that proved to be the back-breaker in the second quarter. Junior quarterback Tahj Tolbert connected with Timothy Leazer on a series of catches late in the quarter to give them the lead for good.<br /> <br /> Tolbert and Leazer put on a show in just a 1:05 span connecting on a 30-yard pass to the Falcons 44, a 36-yard touchdown pass two plays later, and a two-point conversion pass for an 18-12 lead with 1:19 left. They never trailed again.<br /> <br /> Despite getting just a 31-yard field goal from Mason Harwood, the Longhorns took control of the game in the third quarter. They held the ball for nearly eight minutes and ran 23 plays to the Falcons 12. The Falcons had just two first downs, both on their second drive of the quarter, which ended with a failed fake punt on the Longhorns 40 trailing just 21-12. The Flowery Branch offense got just one first down the rest of the game.<br /> <br /> The Longhorns put the game away early in the fourth quarter needing just five runs, highlighted by a 44-yard run through several Flowery Branch tacklers by Baity, and capped by a 10-yard scoring run from Fuller for a 27-12 lead.<br /> <br /> Mobbs said despite the fast start in region play, nothing is for certain.<br /> <br /> "We're glad to be 2-0 but every week is a new week and we just try to finish every week 1-0," Mobbs said. "There is still a lot of football left to play."<br /> <br /> Both offenses came out out hot to start the game. The Falcons (1-1, 0-1 Region 8-AAAAA) took the opening kickoff and capped a quick 69-yard drive with a 45-yard touchdown run from Jeremiah Goss for a 6-0 lead after a missed two-point conversion.<br /> <br /> The Longhorns answered right back with balanced attack led by Tolbert and Ashton Barnes. Tolbert accounted for 38 yards, including a 19-yard scoring pass to Barnes, for a 7-6 lead. Barnes added 27 yards rushing on the drive as well.<br /> <br /> The defenses finally found some rhythm forcing consecutive punts but the Falcons offense would strike again late in the first quarter. Johnson scrambled for a 10-yard gain on third down to keep the drive alive and then added an 11-yard run, a 21-yard pass to Cortez Davis after eluding three Lanier rushers, and capped the drive with a 3-yard TD run to give them a 12-7 lead after another missed two-point conversion.<br /> <br /> Lanier again answered with a short drive. The Longhorns drove to the Falcons 1 but were pushed back and forced to settle for a Harwood 20-yard field goal to cut the lead to 12-10 with 3:53 left in the half.<br /> <br /> Flowery Branch would use less than two minutes on its ensuing drive giving Lanier the ball back at its own 17 with 2:24 left. The Longhorns didn't that long to retake the lead.<br /> <br /> Goss finished with 103 yards on 20 carries to pace Flowery Branch, but he had just 20 yards after halftime. Johnson and freshman Nick Lance combined to go just 10-for-26 passing for 67 yards and two interceptions.<br /> <br /> <b>SCORING SUMMARY</b><br /> <b>Fl. Branch</b>....12....0....0....0 -- 12<br /> <b>Lanier</b>...........7....11....3....6 -- 27<br /> <br /> <b>First Quarter</b><br /> FB -- Goss 45 run (pass fails) 6-0, 10:18<br /> LAN -- Barnes 19 pass from Tolbert (Harwood kick) 7-6, 7:52<br /> FB -- Johnson 3 run (pass fails) 12-7, 1:29<br /> <br /> <b>Second Quarter</b><br /> LAN -- Harwood 20 FG 12-10, 3:53<br /> LAN -- Leazer 36 pass from Tolbert (Leazer pass) 18-12, 1:19<br /> <br /> <b>Third Quarter</b><br /> LAN -- Harwood 31 FG 21-12, 3:22<br /> <br /> <b>Fourth Quarter</b><br /> LAN -- Fuller 10 run (kick fails) 27-12, 8:21