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| ROCKWALL - It was going to take a two-way performance from Longview to get out of Wilkerson-Sanders Memorial Stadium with a win on Friday night.
The Lobos got just that in a pivotal District 11-6A game against the Rockwall Yellowjackets. With a once 17-point lead trimmed down to just three points with under five minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Longview's Jalen Carr picked off his second pass of the night as the Lobos held on for a 31-21 thriller over Rockwall. "It was a great team win," Longview head coach John King said. "To go through what this team has gone through with the start to district play and the number of injuries we've had, for them to come together and play as hard as they did for one another, it's a big win." Longview improves to 4-1 on the season and 2-1 in 11-6A action heading into a league-wide bye week. Rockwall drops to 2-4 on the year and 1-2 in districtplay. The win was also the 700th in 108 years of Lobo football. It was the 144th win with King at the helm. "That's one heck of an accomplishment for our team and this program," King said. "It's a testament to players past and present and to the coaches that have been a part of it." Back to Friday, it was no secret of the offensive prowess of the Yellowjackets, who, led by quarterback Jacob Clark, came into Friday's game leading 11-6A in team offense and averaging over 40 points per game. Once again, the Lobo defense turned in a bend but don't break contest, helping out the Lobo offense along the way. "I thought out defense was stellar," King said. "I know we gave up some yards but we created some turnovers and held them to 21 points. It was just a great effort out of those guys. "The offense then made the most of those opportunities." Carr finished with three interceptions on the night, two of which led to Lobo touchdowns. He added 110 total return yards on the three picks with a long of 50. The Lobos also created another turnover on the 18th play of a Rockwall drive heading into halftime with a 14-7 Longview lead. Ellison Brown forced and recovered a fumble on a third-quarter Rockwall kickoff that led to a touchdown. Offensively, Sophomore Haynes King got his second-straight start and finished 9-for-16 passing for 154 yards and two touchdowns. Jaquan Edwards was on the receiving end of on those on a 21-yard pass. "Darius Carter hauled in a 10-yard catch as well as a crucial third-down reception and fourth-down pass to Jaylin Brown in the first half. On the ground, Longview finished with 103 yards on 28 carries, led by a two-touchdown night from Keilyn Williams, who finished with 72 yards and scores of two and 11 yards. Chris Kessler added a 26-yard field goal to go with three touchbacks to round out the Lobo scoring. For Rockwall, Clark finished with 280 passing yards and accounted for all three Yellowjacket touchdowns, dropping pass after pass into solid protection from the Lobos. Carr picked off the fourth pass of the game, setting up King's touchdown pass to Edwards. Rockwall responded right back with an eight-play, 75-yard drive for a 7-7 tie. Longview converted a fourth-and-one on Carter's strike to Brown, setting up a two-yard scoring run from Williams. Longview blocked a field goal attempt before coughing up its lone turnover of the night with 9:19 left in the second quarter. Rockwall went to work, converting two fourth downs and two third downs on amethodical 18-play drive to the Lobo two before the combination of Kevion Bush, Roshodrick Harmony and Kyle Johnson forced a fumble in the end zone and 14-7 lead at halftime. Longview went up 24-7 with 4:13 left in the third quarter before 14 unanswered from Rockwall made it a three-point game. Carr's heroics then iced it for the Lobos, sending Longview into the bye week on a high note. |