WINDER — Overshadowed all season by one of the state’s best defensive units, the Lanier offense showed it may be a force to be reckoned with as well.
The Longhorns used an effective passing game with Tahj Tolbert and Marcko Baity pounded out 139 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries as they scored a season-high in points in a 48-21 win over Winder-Barrow Friday night at W. Clair Harrison Stadium.
It was an effort Lanier coach Korey Mobbs has been waiting for all season and it came at just the right time. The victory clinched Lanier’s (9-0, 8-0 Region 8-AAAAA) second straight Region 8-AAAAA title.
“We’ve been blessed the last two years, that’s for sure,” Mobbs said. “This is a great group that works hard. They played a tremendous game tonight.”
Tolbert was the difference for the offense, which piled up nearly 500 yards on the night. Tolbert was 12-of-16 for 319 yards and one touchdown. Mobbs said they have been giving the senior a little more freedom and he has responded.
“The last two games he has really started to show what he can do. We’ve opened things up for him a little more and he has really stepped up,” Mobbs said.
The Lanier defense, which came in yielding just 6.2 points a game, was torched for the most points against it all season. In fact, it was just a 28-21 game midway through the third quarter when Noah Chapman connected with Andre Jackson on a 64-yard touchdown pass.
But the Longhorns would stiffen and allow just two more meaningful first downs the rest of the way while the offense behind Tolbert and Baity scored the final 20 points to put the game away.
“The offense controlled the second half for us and just kept putting pressure on them,” Mobbs said. “Just a great team effort.”
Lanier junior linebacker Juwan Jones snagged a pair of interceptions late in the fourth quarter to make sure there would be no Winder-Barrow comeback this time. The Bulldoggs had won four straight with come-from-behind victories.
Winder-Barrow’s CeCe Green was the workhorse in the first half with 11 carries for 40 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter to cut the lead to 21-14 by halftime. But the senior was limited to just four carries for 25 yards in the second half before leaving the game with an undisclosed injury.
Winder-Barrow coach Heath Webb said it was that kind of night for his Bulldoggs (5-4, 5-3).
“(Lanier) played very well on offense and that was the difference,” Webb said. “We’ll look at CeCe (Saturday) and see how he is. I don’t think it’s serious though.”
Winder-Barrow now will have to beat Heritage, Conyers on the road next week to have a shot at a second consecutive playoff appearance.
The Bulldoggs got the start they wanted when Jackson returned the opening kickoff 55-yards to the Lanier 40. But Devin Miller and Derrick Brown combined for two sacks to keep the Bulldoggs from advancing.
The Longhorns then went to work. They drove 92-yards in 12 plays, capped by a 1-yard touchdown run from Marcella Baity with 4:41 left in the first quarter. The score was set up two plays before that on a 38-yard pass from Tahj Tolbert to Cole Paschell to the Winder 15.
Winder would answer back, aided by a kickoff out of bounds. The Bulldoggs started at their own 35 and looked to be stopped on downs. But a gutsy fake punt pass to the Winder 49 kept the drive alive. They would drive to the Lanier 47 and again appeared stopped but a Longhorns penalty on 4th-and-6 to help set up a successful 1-yard run to kept the drive alive again.
Two plays later Chapman connected with Jackson on a 41-yard screen pass to tie the game at 7 with 1:20 left in the first quarter.
After the teams traded punts, the Longhorns retook the lead with a quick 52-yard drive in just 1:54 early in the second quarter. Tolbert capped the 6-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown. The big play was 35-yard pass from Tolbert to Marcella Baity to the Bulldoggs 10.
Lanier forced another Winder punt and then used a 7-play, 84-yard drive to push the lead to 21-7 with 6:14 left in the first half after Marcko Baity capped the drive on a 10-yard scoring run.
But the Bulldoggs did not go away. They needed just 1:50 to cut the gap to 21-14 when Green scored on a nifty 14-yard run to cap the 7-play drive, 65-yard drive.
Lanier was ready to add on late in the half driving to the Winder 24 with just over a minute left. But the Bulldoggs defense denied the Longhorns with three consecutive sacks of Tolbert in the final 20 seconds to stay within a touchdown.
The Longhorns set the tone for the second half taking the third quarter kickoff and driving 67-yards in 8-plays, capped by a 6-yard scoring run from Marcko Baity. But it was a pair of consecutive passes from Tolbert to Josh Stroud -- 11 and then 36-yards -- that set up Baity’s run.
The Bulldoggs answered right back again getting a 64-yard bomb from Chapman to Jackson to cut the lead to 28-21 with 6:07 left in the third quarter.
Lanier put the game away in the next five minutes when Tolbert scrambled through defenders and then found Marcella Baity behind the defense for a 28-yard touchdown pass for a 35-21 lead. The defense stoned the Bulldoggs for a quick three-and-out and Marcko Bailty carried five times for 28 yards, including a 14-yard score to push the lead to 42-21 with 1:04 left in the third.
The final score came with just 2:02 left in the game when Marcella Baity scored from 1-yard out.
SCORING SUMMARY
Lanier.......................7....14....21....6 -- 48
Winder-Barrow.........7......7......7....0 -- 21
First Quarter
LAN -- Marcella Baity 1 run (Thomas kick) 7-0, 4:41
WB -- Jackson 41 pass from Chapman (Zamora kick) 7-7, 1:20
Second Quarter
LAN -- Tolbert 1 run (Thomas kick) 14-7, 9:55
LAN -- Marcko Baity 10 run (Thomas kick) 21-7, 6:14
WB -- Green 14 run (Zamora kick) 21-14, 4:24
Third Quarter
LAN -- Marcko Baity 6 run (Thomas kick) 28-14, 8:13
WB -- Jackson 64 pass from Chapman (Zamora kick) 28-21, 6:07
LAN -- Marcella Baity 28 pass from Tolbert (Thomas kick) 35-21, 4:50
LAN -- Marcko Baity 14 run (Thomas kick) 42-21, 1:04
Fourth Quarter
LAN -- Marcella Baity 1 run (kick failed) 48-21, 2:02
