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| LONGVIEW - A glance at the 2008 Class 4A Division I State Championship.
LONGVIEW (13-2) VS LAKE TRAVIS (13-2) Time: 2 p.m., Saturday Stadium: Floyd Casey Stadium, Waco On the Air: KKUS-FM (104.1), KFRO-AM (1370), KCUL-AM (1410), KITY-FM (106.3). The internet: www.theranch.fm Coaches Longview: John King Lake Travis: Chad Morris LAST WEEK Longview - In his best passing game of his career; Longview quarterback Aaron Johnson was 10-for-11 fo 278 yards and three touchdowns as the lobos pulled away from Denton Guyer 41-30 at Texas Stadium. Receiver Carey Fortson had a career-best 140 yards and three touchdowns on four receptions. Tyler McCray had his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game with 1101 yards and a touchdown. Guyer had 498 total yards of offense, but failed to score in the fourth quarter. Lake Travis - Lake Travis quarterback Garrett Gilbert accounted for six touchdowns as the Cavaliers routed Friendswood 56-22 in a state semifinal at College Station. Gilbert had 384 total yards of offense before leaving the game late in the third quarter. Austin Pollard had 10 receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown for Lake Travis. Friendswood lost two fumbles and threw two interceptions, while Lake Travis had no turnovers. HOW THEY GOT HERE Longview - Bi-district: Longview 61, Jacksonville 14; Area: Longview 49, Lancaster 22; Region II semifinal: Longview 35, Dallas Carter 20; Region II final: Longview 43, Waco Midway 42 (OT); State semifinal: Longview 41, Denton Guyer 30. Lake Travis - Bi-district: Lake Travis 55, Austin LBJ 14; Area: Lake Travis 38, Cibolo Steele 21; Region IV semifinal: Lake Travis 55, Alice 32; Region IV final: Lake Travis 71, Killeen 9; State Semifinal: Lake Travis 56, Friendswood 22. PLAYERS TO WATCH Longview - RB McCray (5-11, 186, Jr., 1,674 yards, 26 TD rushing)...QB-DB Johnson (6-0, 175, Jr., 1,505 yards, 15 TD, 7 INT passing, 912 yards, 13 TD rushing)...WR Fortson (6-0, 170, Jr., 27 receptions for 600 yards, 7 TD). FB Jonathan Oliver (5-10, 175, Sr. 695 yards, 7 TD rushing)...OG Bryce Redman (6-2, 260, Sr., AP Class 4A second-team all-state)...S-KR LaMacrus Howard (5-10, 175, Sr., 124 tackles, 6 INT with 3 TD, 1 punt return for TD, AP Class 4A first-team all-state)...QB Alonte Darden (5-9, 165, Jr., 120 tackles, 4 INT with 3 TD)...DE Chris Knighton (6-3, 240, Sr. 90 tackles with 15 for losses, 4 sacks)...DE Jeremiah Farley (6-0, 230, Jr., 85 tackles with 19 for losses), 7 sacks)...LB Chris Weaver (5-9, 188, Jr., 113 tackles with 15 for losses, 5 sacks). Lake Travis - QB Gilbert (6-4, 210, Sr., 4,493 yards, 51 TD, 5 INT passing, 689 yards, 21 TD rushing, verbally committed to the University of Texas, Associated Press Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year, Gatorade National Player of the Year)...OL Paden Kelley (6-5, 260, Sr., verbally committed to the University of Texas, AP Class 4A first team all-state)...WR Cade McCrary (6-4, 185, Sr., 80 receptions for 1,592 yards, 22 TD, AP Class 4A first team all-state)...WR Pollard (5-10, 155, Sr., 52 receptions for 876 yards, 8 TD)...RB Chris Adam (6-1, 200, Sr., 1,294 total yards, 17 TD)...LB Quinton Crow (5-10, 195, Jr., 183 tackles, 5 sacks, AP Class 4A first-team all-state)...FS Michael Streuling (5-11, 175, Sr., 105 tackles)...LB Harry Hatch (5-11, 170, Sr., 117 tackles, 8 sacks, AP Class 4A first-team all-state)...DE-P Ryan Erxleben (6-0, 190, Sr., 70 tackles, 44.3 avg. per punt, son of former University of Texas kicker Russell Ercleben)...DT Todd Perry (5-11, 285, Sr., 93 tackles, 7 sacks). Lake Travis wins if... the Cavaliers, the top-ranked team in the AP Class 4A state poll, use experience to their advance. Lake Travis won the Class 4A Division II state title last year, and have dominated their opposition ever since. The Cavaliers average 49.1 points per game, fueled by a spread, no-huddle offense. In the playoffs, Lake Travis has defeated every playoff opponent by at least 17 points. The team is filled with veterans from last year's squad, and reflected in their all-state selections earlier this week, a lot of talented. Area football fans with good memories should remember Morris. He led Elysian Fields to Class 2A Division II state runner up finishes in 1998 and 1999, before leading Bay City to the Class 4A Division I state championship. Morris also had a successful tenure at Stephenville before taking over the Cavaliers this year. Morris said he is aware of how good football is at Longview, and in East Texas, so it would be a surprise if Lake Travis takes the Lobos lightly. Longview wins if... the Lobos, ranked No. 5 in the AP Class 4A state poll - slow the Lake Travis offense down. Gilbert runs a dynamic offense King said is similar to what Allen and Sulphur Springs run. Longview's defense has struggled at times in the last two weeks, especially in preventing third-down conversions, but a strong fourth quarter against Guyer, and holding Sulphur springs to 13 points earlier this season, creates hope. The best defense Longview could have is a good offense that keeps the Lake Travis offense off the field with long drives. The Lobos are certainly capable of making such drives with the three-pronged running attack of McCray, Oliver and Johnson, and the Longview passing game is peaking at the best possible time. For what it's worth, Longview played better against a common opponent. On Sept. 12, Longview rolled past Shreveport (La.) Evangel 52-22 at Lobo Stadium, although because of an ineligible player, the Lobos later forfeited the game. A week later, Evangel traveled to Lake Travis, dropping a 46-31 decision to the Cavaliers. THE COACH SAYS John King - "Garrett Gilbert has the potential to follow in the footsteps of Vince Young and Colt McCoy. You have to make sure you get a pass rush on him. "We're glad to be here, but we're not satisfied just to be here. We want to make the most of it." Chad Morris - "Ten years ago when I was at Elysian Fields, during the week of the championship game, our coaches coached different and the players practiced different. It was a three-ring circus that week and I think it affected our game. I have tried to keep things as normal as possible this week. "This game has the potential to be a shootout. It will come down to who executes and makes the big plays." THE BOTTOM LINE Similar to Morris strategy, the Lobos have been low key this week. There has been little indication that preparations hav been any different than an October game against Mount Pleasant. However, an exception to this preparation happened on Thursday. Two assistant coaches - Oscar Wilson and Barry Lindsey - were also on Longview's staff in 1997, when the Lobos lost the Class 5A Division I state championship game to Katy. They shared how painful it was to watch Katy celebrate on the other side of the field at the Astrodome in Houston and how this year's team has to take advantage of this chance to win a state title. The Lobos probably will have to maintain the solid execution they've created throughout the playoffs. The steady emotions the Lobos have maintained have been a credit to such execution. The trick will be taking in just enough emotion to make a difference. This involves making the most of what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as well as the underdog role. Most observers believe because of state-championship experience, and having one of the nation's best players in Gilbert, Lake Travis is the favorite. The Lobos must find a way to slow down Lake Travis' offense, or if that doesn't work, somehow outscore the Cavaliers. Longview has proven this season it can rise up for big defensive games against strong offenses. The Lobos have also proven they can win shootout games, just ask Waco Midway. Obviously Lake Travis will be the toughest challenge the Lobos have faced all season, but if Longview's execution is on, and a turnover or two goes Longview's way, the Lobos will lift the trophy at thee end of the day. DID YOU KNOW? Among schools currently in existence that have won state championships, only Greenville has a longer state championship drought than Longview's high won its lone state title in 1937. Greenville's lone title was in 1933. |