Lanier boots way past GHS, to top of 8-AAAAA

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

Posted 8:19AM on Saturday, October 11, 2014

SUGAR HILL -- In a season of big wins, none may be bigger for Class AAAAA No. 8 Lanier than Friday's heart-stopper over Gainesville. Mason Harwood's 41-yard field goal with 14.7 seconds left lifted the Longhorns to a thrilling 26-23 victory in a game that many think was the de facto game for the region title. "I just tried to stay calm and kick the ball. But I wouldn't have had the chance without the offense getting down the field," Harwood said. "It's a great feeling for the whole team." Both teams came in unbeaten in region play and the Longhorns (6-0, 5-0 Region 8-AAAAA) now have what is theoretically a two-game lead over the Red Elephants ((4-2, 4-1) with four games to play. Lanier coach Korey Mobbs, however, isn't buying all the talk. "It's a great win for us and to fight back the way we did at the end says a lot about our kids," Mobbs said. "But it's just one game. We have two tough games coming up (at Heritage, Conyers, vs. Salem) and if we don't take care of business on those this one doesn't mean much." Lanier opened its first-ever season in 8-AAAAA play with a win over perennial playoff team Clarke Central and then backed that up a week later with a win over another playoff power, Flowery Branch. But neither one of those games had the implications Friday's affair did. Early on it looked like Gainesville, the defending 8-AAAAA champ, was not ready to relinquish its role as top dog jumping out to a 9-0 lead. But the Longhorns answered with a 20-point second quarter and then built a 23-9 lead late in third on Harwood's first field goal, a 34-yarder. It stayed that until Gainesville, behind senior Mikey Gonzalez, engineered two fourth quarter touchdown drives to tie the game at 23 with 3:33 left in the game. Michael Byrd scored on a 5-yard run with 10:48 left and then Gonzalez connected with Messiah Dorsey on a 24-yard touchdown pass. But Lanier took advantage of two critical mistakes by the Gainesville defense and a 22-yard pass from Tahj Tolbert to Bolaji Ojolola to get to Elephants 18 with 41 seconds left. Tolbert was sacked on the next play and the Longhorns were able to line up and get the game-winning kick off before time ran out. With two timeouts left, Gainesville had three attempts to try and get closer for a field goal or the game-winning touchdown. A flea-flicker to a wide-open receiver behind the Longhorns secondary just missed and the Lanier defense stopped the Elephants on another flea-flicker attempt to end the game. "It's a tough way to end it and we gave them 30 yards with the penalties but the guys were trying to make plays so it's no one's fault," Gainesville coach Bruce Miller said. "I was proud of how our guys never quit and we got a couple of breaks to help us tie the game. It's not over (as far as a region title) but we'll have to play a little better than we did tonight and make plays when we have too." Tario Fuller, playing his first game healthy from a broken foot, was a workhorse for Lanier with 152 yards on 30 carries. "We let him loose tonight," Mobbs said. "It was the first time all year he's been close to 100 percent and he played a great game." Gonzalez finished 17-of-31 for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Dorsey had three catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns receiving for Gainesville. Byrd had 17 carries for 49 yards against a stout Longhorns front-seven. The first quarter saw the Gainesville offense move steadily on the Longhorns defense. The Elephants moved to the Lanier 31 on their first drive but stalled on downs. On their second possession, the Elephants capped 26-yard drive with a 47-yard field goal from Patrick Schmitt for a 3-0 lead. The Gainesville defense dominated the Lanier offense early forcing three straight three-and-outs and the offense used a quick 63-yard drive in just 2:10, capped by a 38-yard touchdown pass from Gonzalez to Dorsey for a 9-0 lead. The second quarter, however, was all Longhorns and big Lanier defensive end Derrick Brown then began to take over. After forcing GHS to punt for the first time, Lanier went 69-yards in 12 plays, with Fuller scoring on a 6-yard run on 4th-and-1 to cut the lead to 9-7 with 6:39 left in the half. Brown kept the drive alive with a 5-yard run on a fake punt at the Lanier 49. Brown then forced a quick Gonzalez throw and batted down another pass to force a second consecutive Gainesville punt. The Longhorns offense responded with a 66-yard drive in just over three minutes, with Tolbert connecting with Timothy Leazer on a 28-yard pass for a 14-9 lead with 2:28 left. Lanier would force and recover a Gainesville fumble at the Elephants 12 on the ensuing kickoff but two penalties would stall the drive. But Brown got the biggest play of the half moments later snaring a deflected pass out of the air and outracing the Gainesville offense for a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown with 31 seconds left to give Lanier a 20-9 halftime lead. One key for the Longhorns was ball security. Lanier had no turnovers against a Gainesville defense that came into the game having forced 20 turnovers in its last four games. SCORING SUMMARY Gainesville.....9......0....0...14 -- 23 Lanier..........0.....20....3....3 -- 26 First Quarter GHS -- Staton 47 FG 3-0, 5:46 GHS -- Dorsey 38 pass from Gonzalez (kick failed) 9-0, 1:46 Second Quarter LAN -- Fuller 6 run (Harwood kick) 9-7, 6:39 LAN -- Leazer 28 pass from Tolbert (Harwood kick) 14-9, 2:28 LAN -- D. Brown 50 INT return (kick failed) 20-9, 0:31 Third Quarter LAN -- Harwood 34 FG 23-9, 1:13 Fourth Quarter GHS -- M. Byrd 5 run (Schmitt kick) 23-16, 10:48 GHS -- Dorsey 24 pass from Gonzalez (Schmitt kick) 23-23, 3:33 LAN -- Harwood 41 FG 26-23, 0:14

Jeff Hart Sports Reporter