SUGAR HILL, Ga. — It was all about the second half for No. 3 Gainesville.
Big Red outscored Lanier 28-7 en route to a 42-14 drubbing of the Longhorns (2-4, 1-1) on Friday at Lanier Community Stadium.
Gainesville (6-0, 2-0) is off to its best start since 2009 and is tied with North Forsyth for the Region 8-6A lead.
The Red Elephants scored twice in the first half after falling behind, 6-0. Marquis Ross provided the fireworks with 16 seconds to go in the opening quarter, sprinting 70 yards for the first Gainesville TD.
His touchdown was just a taste of what was ahead of Big Red over the next three quarters, including a 74-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Baxter Wright, who completed his first nine passes, to Naim Cheeks and a 62-yard Cheeks TD run.
Wright was 16-of-18 for 251 yards and a touchdown. His favorite target, Travien Watson finished with 10 catches for 120 yards.
Senior running back Naim Cheeks pocketed his first of three touchdowns — two rushing, one receiving — midway through the second period on a 22-yard run to give Gainesville a 14-6 lead. Cheeks finished with 167 yards rushing on 17 carries and two catches for 75 yards.
Gainesville began to flex its muscle in the second half. Cheeks went to work quickly in the third quarter, carrying the rock 62 yards for the touchdown and a 21-6 lead with 11:07 in the third.
Gainesville scored again on its next drive of the third quarter on a one-yard run by Darius Cannon.
Lanier added a score, a 1-yard run by Kaden Beard, on its next drive to close the gap, 28-14.
But junior quarterback Baxter Wright wasn’t going to led Lanier get back in it. On Gainesville’s next drive, he darted for a 27-yard score with 2:27 to go in the third.
Wright and Cheeks connected on the largest scoring play of the night with 5:57 to go in the game — a 74-yard strike for the TD.
Gainesville is off next week.
