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| HOUSTON - Misery blossomed on the Longview Lobo sideline Saturday for the first time in 15 games, and it was bitter fruit only hinted at during the 33 minuted and 20 scoreless seconds leading to the final whistle.
Misery was evident behind the towel defensive tackle Frank Cox stuffed inside his face mask as he swayed, sitting on the end of the bench where only his back showed to his teammates. The feeling was evident in the dejected way team mascot Jennifer Smith slowly freed her hot face from the Lobo head she'd worn all season. Misery ruled the limbs of three players who melted to the artificial Astrodome turf as the team trudged to a midfield huddle. Teammates and coaches helped them to their feet to shake hands with the victorious Katy Tigers. And it will take awhile for their misery to fade, as the memory of a season hallmarked by a team's faith in God failed in the end to climax in a state championship. Behind blue eyes, 10-year-old ball boy Jordan Johnson spoke the memory that will outlive the Saturday's sideline scene. "It was fine to go undefeated the whole season," Johnson said. "We sure beat a lot of good teams. And it's a lot better than losing, like, about four games." The boy clutched a toy football with both hands as the final seconds ticked off. On the field, the Lobos burst forth with a last long-yardage gain. "I can tell you another thing," Johnson said. "We didn't go down too easy. They're still putting up a fight right now." Varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders wiped tears that had appeared midway through the frustrating fourth quarter. Bobby Taylor, former Lobo and now an injured Philadelphia Eagle cornerback, spent the second half slowly walking behind the line of players and occasionally stopping to speak to a player while watching a snap. Taylor had told the Lobos in the halftime locker room they had worked too long and too hard to let the championship slip away. But as the game ended, cornerback Demetrius Perry had laid a brotherly arm across the shoulders of safety Sederick Hill. The injured Hill, who did not play with torn knee ligaments, held his own towel against his eyes. Before halftime, Hill had predicted the game would hinge on its defensive battle. "We've got a better defense," he'd said. "And we put our trust in the Lord." But when Tiger Bronston Carroll knelt in an end zone prayer of thanks after scoring the final Katy touchdown, the junior's demonstration of faith hinted that the Lobos' adversaries also were trusting in something larger than themselves. Offensive guard James Allison walked with his comrades to the locker room with a look that said he'd have liked to play this one again. "We really don't have anything to be down about," he said as he carried his helmet. "Because we did something that hasn't been done in Longview in a long time. I just hope next year's team can carry on with our tradition - both physically and spiritually." Maybe so. Outside the Astrodome, several players carried Bibles in one hand to counter-balance the gym bags full of gear en route to the team bus out of town. Tommy and Wilma Jamerson, parents of track standout Brandice Jameson and de facto spiritual mentors to the Lobos, said the days ahead hold another challenge for the team whose members were sure God wanted the state title in Longview. "You try to assure the that God lets nobody down," Tommy Jamerson said, his wife confident the team depression would lift. "They're feeling down right now," she said. "But I hope when they start looking back over this season they'll realize they've accomplished something Longview hasn't done in 55 years or more. And that's something." Student Stacy Jones, a junior who came to support her Lobos, echoed Mrs. Jamerson. "I know they're going to be down," she said. "But how many players that came through Longview High School can say they went to the Astrodome. They can't be down." |