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 WACO - Carey Fortson has put what the Longview football team has done in the past two years into a historical perspective. It's a perspective on how the Lobos reached the Class 4A Division I state championship game in 2008 and 2009, but lost to Lake Travis each time, including a 24-17 decision in the latest version on Saturday. In the opinion of the Longview receiver, history will be harsh. "Nobody remembers who lost. Nobody remembers who lost the Super Bowl," Fortson said. "A few people will remember for a while, but we're the team that didn't finish." I admire someone who can face the reality of disappointment without flinching, but in one respect, I think Fortson is wrong. He's right concerning when most people look back. The first question they ask is, "Who won that year?" For most of the state, they'll remember what Carthage and Daingerfield did this weekend and what Gilmer did last week - win state titles - than what happened to the Lobos. They'll especially remember Carthage and Diangerifled winning consecutive state titles considering how difficult it is to win back-to-back. O.K., maybe it's not so difficult for Daingerfield, (and the Tigers are a good bet to make it a three peat). Yet something tells me the 2008 and 2009 Lobos will be remembered for a long, long time, especially by those who were there. I arrived for Saturday's game 2 1/2 hours before kickoff, because of the fear of being stuck on I-35, when Longview fans made it a parking lot last year. The press box wasn't opened yet, so I decided to take a walk around Floyd Casey Stadium. I first passed by a group of Lake Travis fans. Tickets weren't on sale yet, and 25 anxious Lake Travis fans were waiting for the second they went on sale. Then I walked to the visitors side. There were 400 Longview fans waiting at the gates. The press box opened a half-hour later, but fans weren't let in for another hour. By that time they were let in, at least 1,000 Longview fans had encircled the north side of the stadium. That's one thousand fans that were not tailgating or otherwise enjoying the atmosphere of a state title game. That's one thousand fans that were standing in the cold that were obviously close to the Longview football team, and wanted to be the first to get even closer. That's not mere fan loyalty. That's devotion. The devotion of those fans will tell the stories of the 2008 and 2009 Lobos the rest of their lives, and I bet those stories will create a spark that will bring a state title to the Lobos in a future that could arrive sooner than later. The spark could come from a defensive lineman playing for Foster Middle School right now. It could be a quarterback tossing a foam football right now from Bramlette Elementary School. Or it could come a lot sooner. However, before those thoughts begin, I have a list of names. Aaron Johnson, Jeremiah Farley, Bryce Redman, Tyler McCray, Da'Cedric Hunt, Fortson himself, Bubble Vactor, Chris Weaver, Alonte Darden, Addison McGee. That's a small list of the 42 seniors who were on the roster for Saturday's game. That's the heart of the last two years, and they will be missed in the worst way. There's also a matter of UIL realignment in February, which could make Longview one of the smallest schools in Class 5A instead of one of the largest in 4A, Yet there are players who will return who can be the core of a run next year. Three who come to mind right away are dependable receiver LaDarrin Robertson, dependable kicker Kyle Jenkins and leading tackler of the Lobos in 2009 in defensive back Joe Brown. It isn't like 2006, when just one starter returned from 2005 (but the Lobos had a 9-3 season anyway). If Longview coach John King (34 straight district wins and counting) and his staff keeps up their recent trends, other players will step up which aren't coming to mind right away. "There will be opportunities for a lot of kids coming back," King said. "This is not quite like 2006." Those players, and future Lobos, would be smart to listen to the Lobos of the last two years, such as Hunt. "Play every down like it's the last down," Hunt said. Lake Travis coach Chad Morris said one reason his team was successful was former players coming back to give their support, especially in the playoffs. Fortson's future in college looks promising. He will play college football, perhaps in the Big 12. If he can make it, I hope Fortson or, for that matter, any Lobo from the past two years will give as much support as they can. I believe in the near future, the state title which has eluded Longview since 1937 will come, perhaps in the next decade. The 2008 and 2009 Lobos didn't bear state championship fruit, but they planted the seeds. Those seeds will bloom soon and all of Texas will know about it. Those future champion Lobos will thank the 2008 and 2009 teams. Two unforgettable teams. |