COAL MOUNTAIN, Ga. — Gainesville's Gavin Hall was tough to handle Friday night in Raider Valley.
The senior running back rushed 21 times for 308 yards and three touchdowns to lead Gainesville (9-0, 5-0 Region 8-6A) past North Forsyth 41-14 and win the program's second straight Region 8-6A championship.
Hall opened Big Red's scoring with a 38-yard run with 10:30 to go in the opening quarter. North Forsyth answered on with a 38-yard pass from Eli Seaney to Nate Gravitted three minutes later to tie the game 7-7. Seaney was 17-of-31 for 179 yards and a touchdown.
That would be the closest North Forsyth (4-5, 3-2 Region 8-6A) would get to the Red Elephants. Gainesville scored back-to-back touchdowns within two minutes of each other to grab a 21-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. After the Raiders' Jacob Shirley scampered in from three yards out with 1:22 left in the half, Gainesville would strike again.
Baxter Wright, who was 14-of-23 for 152 yards, connected with Eric Hart on a 17-yard pass with less than two seconds left to give Gainesville a 27-14 advantage.
Big Red held the Raiders 121 yards in the second. Meanwhile, Hall tacked on two more touchdowns to push the lead, to 41-14.
