Habersham Central travels to Lanier for Week 8 action and will be in search of its first win in the region against a traditional state powerhouse team.
The Lanier Longhorns (4-2) are 1-0 in Region 8-AAAAAA, while the Raiders (4-2) are 0-1 following a tough 24-7 loss to Gainesville last Friday night. Habersham’s first three region games on the schedule happen to be the three toughest predicted opponents (Gainesville, Lanier, Dacula) before finishing with Winder-Barrow and Apalachee.
With a six-team region, all the Raiders need to do is win a pair of region games to make state. Easier said than done, as all six teams are quality programs with winning traditions. Apalachee’s 0-2 start in region play has them on the outside looking in, but if Habersham can steal a win against Lanier and/or Dacula next week, they’ll be in great shape in the final two games.
Senior QB Noah Fritz, a dual threat, will be a challenge for the Raiders to hold down. He has thrown for 548 yards and 5 TD while rushing for 230 yards and 4 scores. His passing game has been erratic, as he’s thrown six interceptions. The Longhorns have eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards on the season, led by Tywon Reaves (486 yds, 5 TD) and Marcko Baity (291 yds, 3 TD) as well as Fritz’s output. Joshua Stroud leads the receiving corps with 119 yards and a TD, while Alex Wyant (116 yds, 2 TD) and Paul Miller (115 yds, TD) are also viable options in the passing game.
Cole Wilbanks leads the Raiders with 1,035 yards passing and 11 TD to just two interceptions, while fellow senior Michael Babers, back from injury, sits at 345 rushing yards and five scores. Senior Aaron Galloway also has 251 rushing yards and a touchdown for Hab Central. Aaron Wood’s 312 receiving yards leads the receiving group, as he’s also notched two TD’s. Jake Jones has five receiving TD’s with 280 yards.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Raiders and Longhorns.
