After "cleaning up the little things" as Lions running back Quentin Ezell said, the Lions offense could not have executed any better than they did at the start of the game.

The Lions scored three touchdowns in the first 5:35 of the first quarter as they coasted to a 47-8 win against the Railroaders.

"Tonight we had a good mix of run and pass. We kept them guessing the whole time," Lions quarterback Jeremy Musselman said.

"We tell our kids we can yell and scream, but it's really up to them to get themselves motivated," Lions coach Ryan Hines said.

The Lions (6-3) are in a must-win situation next week as they face rival Middletown . A win by the Lions may put them in the playoffs; a loss for the Lions could put the Knights in the postseason.

"It's going to be the biggest game I've ever been in," Musselman said.

"It means the whole season," Hines said. "We told them, 'Every weightlifting session you went to, every running session, camps you attended, it's all built up to this and having everything on the line."

Offensively, the Lions clicked from the onset behind the potent passing of Musselman combined with the power running by Ezell and Jose Depadua.

The Lions took their 19-0 first quarter lead after Musselman hit Brian Schultz on a 36-yard touchdown pass, then found Joey Zuniga on a 49-yard strike followed by an 11-yard scoring run by Depadua.

"They were playing real deep, so that first comeback to Brian was wide open and then Joey burned his man and all I had to do was lay it out there," Musselman said of his early TD passes.

"The coaching staff was worried because they came out in pregame very flat," Hines said. "They were explosive in the first five minutes."

The Railroaders' (3-6) most successful drive came on a 16-play march at the end of the first quarter. Ian Fisher hit Stephen McCallum with a 10-yard touchdown pass as C.J. Shankle ran for a two-point conversion to cut the lead to 19-8.

The Lions turned to Ezell and the ground game in the second quarter, when he ran for 116 of his 140 rushing yards. Ezell scored on runs of 34 and 72 yards as the Lions went into halftime up 33-8.

"The pass opened up the run and I hit the hole hard. The line did a real good job blocking for Jose and I," Ezell said.

Musselman was 8-of-13 passing for 170 yards, while Depadua finished with eight carries for 96 yards.

Fisher finished 14-of-26 passing for 132 yards for the Railroaders.

Post your comments » Round 2: Snow expected to fall today, Wednesday Fast on the heels of the largest 24-hour snowfall to hit the Frederick County since 1983, meteorologists are predicting another round of heavy snow and wind to hit today. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning Monday afternoon for the area, including Frederick County, and said 10 to 20 inches of snow is possible by Wednesday night. Weather-related closings, delays A list follows of weather-related closings and cancellations for this week. Fire and police blotter Police search for robber School closures cause makeup schedule revision Even though Frederick County Public Schools are closed today -- using the sixth snow day this school year -- the school system will not hold school on the Monday Presidents Day holiday as the first scheduled snow makeup day. Crowds pay respect to fallen marine Even U.S. Marines couldn't hold back tears Monday at the viewing of their colleague, Sgt. David Smith. The procession to the Frederick Christian Fellowship Church was led by Frederick County Sheriff's deputies. Dressed in full military regalia, Marines carried Smith's casket into the church followed by family members as more Marines stood at attention.