|
|
| LONGVIEW - Jephaniah Lister knew what it was going to take coming into the 2018 season for the Longview Lobos.
"All the social media stuff, the ranking, the hype, I don't buy into that," Lister said in August. "We have a job to do and we have to go out there, follow the plan and play. "All grace to be God for this opportunity for us and them to play this game. But that's what I've been telling them, don't let all of that stuff get you too excited. We're here to play a game. We're here to give it our all." Lister, now a three-time all-state player, spoke of leadership heading into Week 1 of the season and now, some four months later, his words ring true. The three-year starter turned in perhaps the single-best defensive night in the state semifinals, finishing with 26 tackles - 19 solo - to give him 356 career tackles and 121 this season. Kamden Perry talked about goals entering the season. He had personal ones for his senior season to go with ones for the Lobos as a whole. "It's important to me to have a goal for myself and work to achieve them," Perry said in September. "We've got to stay together and continue to play as one." Perry achieved his personal goal for the season, on that will leave him as one of the most prolific receivers in Lobo football history. Perry has 17 touchdowns, which is a school record, 1,644 yards, another school record, 22 career touchdown receptions, which is ... well, you get the idea. "We've just got to keep working," Perry said this week. "That's that we've been doing all year long and that's how we got to this point. "It's taken so much work to get here and here we are." Gavin Roberts spoke about the next man up. He knew what that meant to the Lobos as a sophomore when he heard his name called after an injury. "We've got to get ready and the rest of my teammates ready, especially the underclassmen because those guys matter now and for the future," Roberts said in October. In his 40th career game on the offensive line for the Lobos this past week, Roberts went down with an injury that ended his season. It's a big blow and a heartbreaking one for the senior and the offensive line. Roberts was at practice on Monday, coaching them up. "That's exactly why I'm here," Roberts said. Junior Joaquin Tovar is the next man up and the Lobos, like they did when Roberts was called upon, will rally around him and their teammate. "We'll do our best to win for him," senior tackle Marcus Harry said. "He won't be out there with us but he will be in a way too. "We have to be there to support the next man up and help him in any way we can." Keilyn Williams and Jessie Anderson were always going to be the duo. They were destined to be together in the Lobo backfield. It doesn't matter who gets the ball. "We don't care about those things," Williams said in November. "When people ask me how many yards or touchdowns I have, I don't really know, don't really care. "All we know is that we need one more." The answer to that question would be a lot. Thunder and lightning have 2,495 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns between them. Anderson has three 100-yard games in the postseason and Williams two. "We've got to come out and play hard," Anderson said before the postseason opener against Copperas Cove. "We know they're going to do the same and that's what you want." Jacob Johnson's unselfishness was tested heading into his senior season. The wide receiver-turned-safety didn't hesitate about the change. "We've embraced the process really well as a team, I think, as far as taking it one game at a time," Johnson said in November. "One game at a time." Johnson has 19 tackles, four passes broken up and two interceptions in the postseason for the Lobo defense at safety. Family is a big word for linebacker Ja'Vontae Writt, who is following in his father's footsteps in the state championship game. "We're a family, we're brothers," Writt said earlier this month. "We're always there for each other and we're going to stay together until the end." Leadership, goals, the team, unselfishness and family are the adjectives of Longview's journey to the state title game. It started with a thriller over Lufkin and another over Rockwall. Then they rolled. A battle with Spring Westfield came in Round 4 and a battle against themselves and Tascosa followed the next week. It's wolfgang, the 2018 motto of the Lobos and the path it has taken to reach the 16th game of the season. "The kids started saying that during the offseason and packing it up with it - wolfgang," Longview head coach John King said. "I did a little research into it and it's a German word meaning 'path of the wolf.'' "It made sense with the path these kids have taken to become a Lobo and it's been a unique one for this special group. There's a lot of people that are invested in this football team, family, friends and Lobo Nation. "There's a lot of people that have played a major role in their journey." Longview (15-0) will meet Beaumont West Brook (13-2) in the Class 6A, Division II state championship at 3 p.m. Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. |