SUGAR HILL — Sometimes you have to take a step back before making a big jump.
At least, that is what Lanier coach Korey Mobbs is hoping last year’s stunning first round playoff loss to Sequoyah represented.
The Longhorns were fresh off their first-ever undefeated regular season and first-ever Region 8-AAAAA title. But a crushing 24-21 loss at home dashed any hopes for what many thought would be a deep playoff run.
“It was a disappointing ending for sure,” Mobbs said. “We really just did not play well at a time when you have to be playing your best. It was a humbling experience for a lot of guys.”
Fast forward to Friday night when Lanier, ranked No. 2 in the final Class AAAAA poll, will play host to East Paulding (8-2) in the first round of the 2015 state playoffs. The Longhorns (10-0) again come in undefeated and as region champs.
Mobbs said that is where the similarities end.
“This is a totally different team,” he said. “From the coaches to the players, we’ve all grown and learned from last year. We are still a young program relatively speaking. Maybe we had to lose a game like that to be able to take the next step.”
But Mobbs said they haven’t forgotten about the early exit and disappointment that followed. They just aren’t dwelling on the past.
“The kids realize this is a different team from last but we haven’t had to mention what happened last year. They know,” Mobbs said. “I think from basically the next day (after the loss to Sequoyah) the kids starting working on this season. The coaches and the kids have used how things ended last year as a motivator for this year.”
One area of emphasis going into the 2015 season was toughness -- not that the Longhorns weren’t already tough enough with the likes of bruising defensive lineman Derrick Brown and hard-hitting linebackers Devin Miller and Juwan Jones returning from a solid group in 2014. Mobbs and his staff just felt exerting it at the right moments was the missing ingredient.
“We were good last year, but our goal this year was to try and be tough enough when it matters most,” Mobbs said. “That kind of got us last year in the playoffs. This is when it matters most.
“I think in the big games this year the guys really stepped up and showed their toughness. Now we need to try and put everything together since it’s the playoffs.”
Lanier certainly has the capability of stopping anyone. The Longhorns are second in Class AAAAA in fewest points allowed, giving up just 79 (7.9 ppg), holding eight opponents to 10 points or less -- including three shutouts -- and held four teams (Flowery Branch, Cedar Shoals, Loganville, Heritage) to their lowest offensive outputs of the season.
However, Mobbs also was quick to point out that his team's offense must also be at its peak come the postseason.
“We love how our defense has played all season, and we think it is one of the best units around,” Mobbs said. “But you’re going to play teams that will be able to score on you no matter how good you are. That means you have to have an offense that can match them.”
The offense was definitely an unknown factor for the Longhorns in preseason. They did return senior quarterback Tahj Tolbert and running backs Ashton Barnes and Marcko and Marcella Baity. But they also were replacing their entire wide receiver group, including team-leader Timothy Leazor. Then Barnes suffered a season-ending knee injury midway through the campaign.
The 2014 Longhorns scored 31.5 points a game. The 2015 offense averaged just 21.5 ppg over the first six games, including just a field goal in a mistake-filled 3-0 win over Flowery Branch. But reps and confidence have helped the offense rediscover itself over the past month, averaging 44.2 ppg over that span, including Tolbert and a variety of receivers blitzing a good Winder-Barrow defense for 319 yards passing.
The newfound offensive success has Mobbs feeling they may be peaking at the right time.
“We knew it would take some time for the offense to get going,” Mobbs said. “Field position and turnovers were the difference for us in the playoffs last year and early on this season. With an entire new receiving group it took time for Tahj and those guys to find a rhythm and get comfortable.
“But I really like what we’ve been able to do the last month. We’ve shown a lot of balance and had success against some good defenses. I think we’re just now seeing what we are capable of on offense and it’s coming at the right time.”
And they will need everything they can find against a Raiders team that was just one play from winning the Region 5-AAAAA title. They were part of a three-way tie for second with Alexander and South Paulding and finished as the fourth seed. They also handed No. 9 Allatoona its only loss of the season (in the season opener). Junior quarterback Dylan Prater and junior wide receiver Jalen Browder have been a dangerous combination.
“Don’t be fooled by the 1-4 matchup. This is as good a football team as you will see,” Mobbs said. “They are solid on both sides of the ball. They run a zone-read out of multiple formations and have a dynamic quarterback and receiver that has been tough to stop. We did not get any breaks in our bracket.”
In fact, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings published by Georgia High School Football Daily, the Longhorns have the second-toughest road to a state title, behind only Dalton in Class AAAAA. The winner of Friday’s contest will take on the Shaw-Northgate winner next week in the second round.
Four of the top six defensive units in Class AAAAA are in the Longhorns’ quadrant, including Northgate, which leads the classification allowing just 72 points (7.2 ppg) on the season. No. 8 Coffee possibly looms in the quarterfinals with No. 3 Houston County and Allatoona also on the same half of the bracket as possible semifinal matchups.
But first things first, said Mobbs.
“When you look all the way down it is tough, no doubt,” he said. “But we’re only worried about East Paulding right now. We have plenty of guys that remember last year and we’ve had a great week of practice and they are focused and committed.
“That being said, it is our goal to take our program to the next level. To do that you have to have success in the playoffs. That’s our focus right now.
“It’s a one-game playoff the rest of the way. If we get past the first one, we’ll take a look at the next opponent after that. I think this group is ready to show what it is capable of. We’re excited for the opportunity.”
