DAWSONVILLE — With both teams needing a win on Friday night, the battle between Dawson County and Banks County turned in to an all-out brawl.

Banks (1-2, 1-1) was able to hold off Region 8-AA foe Dawson County (0-3, 0-2) for a 32-21 victory.

"We were two teams who hadn’t won yet. Dawson county always gives us a fight every time we play them." Banks Coach Blair Armstrong said

Running back Dylan Lackey put the Leopards on the board first with the first of his four touchdown runs, a 28-yarder with 6:59 left in the first quarter.

Tigers quarterback Ethan Brown answered with a 48-yard scoring run to tie the game at 7-7 after the first quarter.

Lackey scored on a 55-yard run with 3:38 left in the second quarter. But Brown answered again, scoring on a 14-yard run as the half was winding down, tying the game at 14-14 at the break.

Lackey scored his third touchdown with just over three minutes left in the third quarter, scoring from 22 yards out. At that point, he had 159 yards on 13 carries, giving the Leopard at 20-14 lead.

Early in the fourth quarter, Lackey added his fourth touchdown run from 6 yards out, giving Banks County a 12-point lead with 9:40 left in the game.

Brown again led his team downfield and scored from 1 yard out to pull the Tigers within five at 26-21 with just over seven minutes left.

The Leopards’ other running back Clay Frick, then put the game away with a 34-yard touchdown run with 2:09 left, making the score 32-21. The score came after the Leopards went for it on fourth-and-1 and converted.

On that same drive, Lackey suffered a strained right knee and had to be helped off the field.

"We will have to evaluate at the beginning of the week," Armstrong said of Lackey. "We have just suffered so many injuries, more than the past two years combined. We will just have to heal up, and get ready for next week."

Banks County plays Rabun County next week. Dawson County plays Fannin County.