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| LONGVIEW - There was never going to be much room for error in this one.
After taking its first lead in the fourth quarter and driving with a chance for it again, turnovers and penalties cost Longview in a 18-13 loss to Highland Park in a much-anticipated and hard-fought contest on Friday at Lobo Stadium. Highland Park moves to 4-0 on the season and 2-0 in District 7-5A, DI, a pivotal win that puts the Scots in the driver's seat for a district title. Longview drops to 5-2 on the season and 2-1 in league action. The first meeting between the two storied programs since 1986 lived up to the hype as big plays highlighted the 48-minute slugfest. But it was the errors from the Lobos, who snap a 20-game district winning streak and suffer its first district loss since at home since 2016. Longview grabbed its first lead of the night, 13-12, with 7:05 to play. Highland Park, led by quarterback Brayden Schager, reclaimed its lead quickly on three plays. The Lobos, in a throwback, power football effort, went on the march before its first fumble with 1:56 left. The Longview defense then rose to the occasion with a forced three-and-out to give the Lobos once last drive. Following a false start - the ninth of the game - Highland Park picked off a pass that sent the Scots into victory formation. Longview totaled nine penalties and two turnovers to one and one from Highland Park in the loss. Schager, a Hawaii commit, finished 15-of-23 passing for 326 yards and two touchdowns for Highland Park. He was picked off once by Longview's Jacobi Williams. But, other than that miscue, Schager targeted and connected with six different receivers. Jonathan Pettijohn led that department with seven catches for 186 yards and a touchdown while John Rutledge had four catches for 78 yards, including a 45-yard score. The Lobo defense limited the Scots to 19 yards on 17 carries. For Longview, Kaden Meredith finished with 108 yards on 15 carries, including the lone Lobo touchdown of the game on a 57-yard burst on fourth down in the third quarter. Markevion Haynes rumbled for 155 yards on 20 carries. Jordan Allen finished 9-of-18 passing for 113 yards with an interception. He connected with fellow sophomore Jalen Hale seven times for 84 yards. Spencer Powell had a 33-yard field goal and Antonio Onofre gave the Lobos their only lead with a 43-yard connection with just over seven minutes to play. Longview finished 3-of-11 on third-down conversions and 3-of-4 on fourth down. Highland Park went 2-of-7 and 1-of-2, respectively. The game featured 16 possessions and the Lobos came up empty on five of their eight, including a turnover on downs after the Scots opened the night with a touchdown throw from Schager. Longview missed a field goal to end the first half and opened the second with a bad punt attempt that went for 13-yard loss and set the Scots up at the Lobo 17-yard line. On the Scots' second possession, Trevor Tamplin had a tackle for loss on third down, which led to an incomplete pass on fourth down. The two teams then exchanged field goals with Longview's drive featuring three false starts. A penalty and a sack led to a long field goal attempt at the end of the second, which sailed wide left and sent Highland Park to the locker room up, 9-3. A bad snap on a punt followed a three-and-out for the Lobos to start the third quarter. Devean Issaac forced a fumble which resulted in a 15-yard loss for Highland Park, which led to a 36-yard field goal from Jack Stone and a 12-3 lead. On the next possession, the Lobo offense hit the field on 4th and 3 at its own 43 and Meredith raced 57 yards to the house. A Williams' interception in the end zone led to a 14-play, 80-yard drive with Onofre's 43-yard boot giving Longview a 13-12 lead with 7:05 left. But Schager responded and the errors, at the most inopportune times, cost the Lobos in the end. Longview visits Sherman next while Highland Park hosts McKinney North. |