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| LONGVIEW - With conference play just one game old, two teams are head and shoulders above the field, and all District 11-AA awaits their meeting.
That day is November 19th and the place is Marshall. The Marshall squad, riddled by injuries, stopped Gladewater's conference dreams with a 26-7 victory while Longview rode high, wide and handsome to a 40-0 trampling of Athens. This easy Lobo win might be classed as an upset, not in the sense that the Hornets' sting would bring defeat to the Lobos, but in that few expected the local stock win by more than two touchdowns, and all seemed sure that Athens would hit pay dirt. The run-away was the result of power, and more power. Coach Shotwell is bringing steady improvement to the play of the Lobos. Smoother and more alert play, combined with greatly improved blocked on the part of the ends and the blocking backs, showed up against Athens. One disadvantage looms back on the Lobo horizon. They have yet to be tested. No team of the four that has fallen before the Lobo attack, has been of danger to their victory. Longview has struck hard and fast and has rested behind a cozy margin of lead before any foe has threatened. Athens gave the Lobos their first chance to show a goal line stand, and they succeeded twice. Next Friday when Longview meets Texarkana on the Border Cities' gridiron, the Lobos will have their own way again. Let's just hope that the scoring doesn't pass 80 for the morale of Texarkana. By comparison of games such a total isn't a pipe dream. Kilgore and Athens ended in a 7 all knot, Kilgore rolled up a 45-0 runaway over Texarkana. That gives the Lobos a margin of nearly 80 points. Kilgore will be at Lobo Stadium the following week, October 22. This may be the Lobos' first bit of trouble, not because of the teams being equal but the competitive factor in the rivalry that exists and the fact that Kilgore has all to gain in the contest. They will shoot the works. Then comes Jacksonville and Tyler. Neither are push overs, but Athens wasn't supposed to be either. So Longview will rolled into Marshall without a great battle against a matched team, playing at Marshall, for what will undoubtedly see the conference championship decided. Longview's Lobos are presenting candidate for all conference all star teams in the form of their flash quarterback Blakeley and Dunaway at fullback. There is "Big Man" Grigg in the tackle spot that must be included, and Wright Johnson, center and linebacker who defensive work is the best seen so far this season, and his offensive play equals his protecting. Pushing these men hard for all-star spots is almost the entire Lobo team. The work of Bivins, Roland and Aycock is right up with the best, and the line sets end to end with boys that never rest a minute. Thomas, Raney and Richardson don't shine as often as other linemen, but watch their play and you will find them driving hard and smacking down play after play, opening holes for runners that could march a battalion through. Boyland, Gammon and Brown on the ends are showing improvement with very contest, especially on the clearing-a-path department. McGaw, Denson, Young, Dill, Poe, Coghlan and Gooding are capable replacements for the first stringers as they proved in a four down goal line defense that pushed Athens back from the two yard line to the eight. Shotwell's ability to find men to double for the first string is relieving the ability of an enemy to get a man and stop the team. Athens was waiting for Blakeley so Dunaway and Aycock took over and the Hornets are still wondering where they came from. A mention of players cannot be made without naming Mann Scott, Hornet fullback, as the best one-man team seen this year. He ran, punted, passed and prayed that the Lobos would let down, but his prayers went unanswered. Mann Scott totaled 101 of the 109 yards gained by rushing. In the first half he sparked a 77 yard march that ended eight yards from pay dirt. He ran every play but two and on those he completed passes to McRuiz, good for a total of 29 yards. In the final frame he hit the line seven times for 53 yards to advance within two yards of the goal but he was rolled back. Scott on defense was a flashy but one cannot win a game. Let us say that this week it is Texarkana...Period. |