DACULA, GA - Region 8 AAAAAA games will not be this easy the remainder of the year.

Dacula and Grayson are two teams looking to establish an early jump on other teams in the region and positioning for the playoffs, despite it only being December.

The Falcons ability to get steady scoring throughout the game allowed them to eventually pull away from the Rams 65-49 on Tuesday night.

“We talked about that before the game that we needed to score consistently,” Dacula coach Russ Triaga said. “In this region no one is going to run away (in a game).

“In this league we’ll take every region win we can get.”

Before the game started, Triaga was concerned about Grayson’s size inside and ability to crash the boards. Dacula struggled on the glass against the Rams but found a way to neutralize it with its scoring.

Keshawn Gibbs, who transferred from St. Francis, was the catalyst for the Falcons. The junior combo guard found various ways to get to the rim and set the tempo of the game. His biggest shot came late in the third quarter. Gibbs nailed a three-pointer to help the Dacula (5-0) to a 10-point cushion, which it maintained the rest of the game.

Gibbs finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. His production helped picked up the scoring from senior Cam Moye, who finished with 12 points, and junior Kevon Tucker, eight points. Zentavious Cobb rounded out the scoring with 15 points and seven rebounds.

“It’s a good thing to have a lot guys scoring,” Triaga said. “(Keshawn) knows what it takes to be successful. I’m please with the game he played.”

Things were not as pleasant from the Rams perspective.

Grayson coach Geoffrey Pierce was looking for answers. His Rams (2-1) team held a Dacula team under its scoring average (75 points per game). Grayson wanted to minimize the impact Tucker and Moye were going to have on the game. Check.

However, the one thing he did not account for was his team’s poor shooting. The Rams missed 17 free throws. Whenever they missed, it failed on getting any points on the board.

“We held them below their average, even though we were below ours,” said Pierce, whose team is averaging 68 points per game. “They made their free throws. When they didn’t they got the offensive rebound.

“We still have a long way to go.”

This is why teams don’t necessarily win the region in December. February will bring some intense rematches.

Grayson’s Marquise Lanier finished with a team-high 18 points. Cam Boaz chipped in with eight points.