By: Bobby Missos

On the first Friday night game of the year, the South Forsyth War Eagles started their season at home against the Lanier Longhorns.  With 26 seniors returning this year and with some standout weapons from the junior class, The Eagles are a lot of people’s pick to win the region and they showed why last night. The final score was 28-0 with South trampling over the Longhorns.  

The first quarter started out with a slow spot for the War Eagle Offense as they couldn’t get much going.  On Lanier’s first offensive snap of the game, explosive Junior corner Kai Fernandes, jumped a curl route and ran it back to the five yard line.  A great way to set the tone early for South Forsyth.  After getting clamped on first and second down, Offensive Player of the Year for Region 6-AAAAAAA, Senior, Ty Watkins, throws a great rollout pass to James Margiotta for the touchdown. 7-0 War Eagles. On the next possession, Lanier marched all the way down to South’s 13 when RB Tojuan Peyton fumbled the football and was recovered by Junior LB, Maverick Schippmann.  South started the drive on their own 10 and got a couple of yards but a fumble and a recovery by their own QB led to a 3rd and 30.  Shotgun pass, Ty Watkins scrambles around until he sees new super speedy WR, Dash Moore, all alone and throws a bomb for a 90yd touchdown.  14-0 War Eagles.  

The Second Quarter came with a lot of defensive grind.  Both teams started out with great defensive stops and punts from both teams.  That was until the War Eagle defense made another amazing play.  Lanier started to drive down the field with a lot of great runs from RB, Tojuan Peyton, until a bad snap hit off of the Longhorns QB’s ankle and was dove on by menacing defensive end, C.J. Kemper.  South tries to get things going but is held short on 4th and down from midfield.  The War Eagle defense makes another great stop and forces a punt, which sends into halftime.  14-0 War Eagles

Third quarter started out with a Lanier 3 and Out and South got the ball on their own 49yd line.  On third down, the playmaking QB shows how athletic he is with a 25 yd run to get almost in the red zone.  On the next 3rd and 9, Watkins uses his feet again to pick up the first. In the red zone,  James Margiotta, cooks his man on a post route for his second War Eagle touchdown of the game.  21-0 South Forsyth.  Lanier fields the kickoff at their own 15.  After putting together a solid drive together, disaster strikes again.  Muffed snap by the Longhorns QB on the South 45, the War Eagles pick up another fumble.  South then doesn’t get a first down and punts it away at the Lanier 5.  After getting little to no gain on the first two plays, Longhorn fans can’t believe what just happened on third down.  Junior QB, Preston Ratliff, tries to throw a screen route, the ball slips out of his hand, is thrown backwards and trampled on by defensive end, Brady Fogarty, for a scoop and score. War Eagles up 28-0.  

At the start of the fourth quarter everyone thought Lanier couldn’t get any unluckier. The Longhorns kept feeding the ball to the man who had anyshot of getting anything going Sophomore RB, Tojuan Peyton, who seemed to get shaken up. Neither team was able to come up with any points or plays in the fourth just let the clock run out.  The final score being 28-0 South Forsyth.

Standout QB Ty Watkins had a great game with 3 passing tds.  James Margiotta with 2 explosive receiving tds.  Dash Moore with a 90 yd td showed the jets he has and why his name is Dash.  The defense looked very sharp for the War Eagles with 5 turnovers forced and no points allowed.  This is without 4 star DT/DE Nathan Efobi and super athletic twin corners, Chris and Josh Nelson.  South Forsyth attends their first away game of the year against the Harrison Hoyas (0-1).  The Lanier Longhorns look to bounce back at home against Peachtree Ridge (1-0).