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| SAN ANTONIO - Longview's 12-game victory march toward the Lobos' first state football championship in ten years was snapped rudely here Saturday as the powerful Brackenridge Eagles outclasses the East Texans by a convincing 20-0 margin. An estimated 17,000 Texans saw the game which was played under cloudless skies.
The Eagles put the Lobos behind for the first time this season when hard-running Gary Anderson romped 49 yards for the first score of the ball game early int eh second quarter. Jackie Schleuning added the extra point and Brackenridge led 7-0. The Anderson tally was a magnificent piece of footwork. He took a handoff from big Dick Calhoun, wormed his way over tackle, reversed his field once into the secondary, then outraced safety man Jack Serpas to the goal to score standing up. But the Lobos proved to the vast crowd that their journey to the semifinals was no fluke, by coming right back shortly before the half to score on a brilliant 85-yard touchdown run by Don Barton. The touchdown was nullified, however, because of an infraction of the rules and Longview was penalized 15 yards for clipping. That gave the Green and White a first down on their own 19 instead of a score which might have tied up the ball game. Longview was never the same after that costly break. The half ended less than a minute later, and the Lobos trudged dejectedly to the locker room as the crowd spent the entire half time discussing the play and its accompanying penalty. Umpire Johnny Morrow, a former Texas A&M grid star, called the infraction and there was no argument about it, although this writer did not see the portion of the play which involved the penalty. He was thoroughly convinced by those who did see it that Morrow's decision was both fair and correct. Any hopes that Longview might come roaring back in the final half to win the ball game were discouraged 11 plays after the start of the third quarter. Longview kicked off and the ball was put in play on the Brackenridge 20 after Roy Anderson's tremendous boot sailed into the end zone. Calhourn, a 210-pound bull of a man, picked up 11 before a 5-yard offside penalty sent the Eagles back to their own 26. Bill Sweet carried twice for 8, and after Anderson was stopped short of a first down. Sweet kicked out of bounds on the Lobo 43. Jimmy Pakenham, who played a terrific ball game despite the fact that he suffered a case of ptomaine poisoning Saturday morning, carried for one yard. He picked up six on the next play, then handed off to Don Barton who attempted a short pass intended for Buddy Terry in the flat. But the Eagle's Danny Perkins, who was backing up the line, reached out and intercepted the toss and race 56 yards for the second score of the game. Once more Schleuning's kick was good, and the Purple and White went out in front by 14-0. They foxed the Lobos to kick on third down following Schleuning's kickoff, then marched 60 yards to the Longview one-foot line where the Lobos held for downs. It was on this particular occasions that the Longview line won the plaudits of the crowd with a courageous goal line standing which was highlighted by the great Don Menasco. The Eagles had four cracks at the Longview line from inside the 9, but Menasco teamed with men like Eaves, Anglin and Fuller to thrust aside the Eagles' attempt to add to their score. It was the same Menasco who broke up a Brackenridge rally in the first quarter by intercepting Calhourn's pass on the Longview 4-yard line and racing 20 yards out of danger. The score at the end of the third quarter was 14-0, and there was still hope among the die-hard Longview fans that Maco Stewart's eleven might pull the potato out of the fire. But this wasn't Longview's day. The Brackenridge speedy backs ripped the East Texas eleven to pieces in the fourth quarter and piled up a huge statistically advance. Stewart substituted freely in the last 12 minutes and his reserves couldn't take the sting out of the Eagle attack. It was Brackenridge's ball, first and 10 on the Lobo 36, at the start of the fourth quarter and Sweet raced up 12 yards on the first play. Anderson picked up one, and Schleuning advanced to the 19 on a wide end sweep. Sweet made it a first down on the Longview 13 and Calhoun advanced to the six, where he fumbled and Bob Muston recovered for Longview. Amy Rogers and Barton got eight in two tries, then Rex Stuckey got away for 7, but fumbled and Pesky Perkins recovered on the Lobo 19. Longview's forward line came in life and dropped the Eagles back for a net loss of 26 yards in four plays. Muston stood out particularly at this point by personally tossing Anderson for a 12-yard deficit. A 15-yard penalty against the Eagles for holding helped drive them back from the 19 to Longview's 45. After Barton turned Sweet's punt from the five to the 21, Cashell fumbled and Charley haw recovered on the 17 for Brackenridge. Calhoun lost five, but on the next play he drilled a perfect pass right through the middle to Joe Ecrette, who was in for Schleuning and it went for six points. The try for that point was wide, and ended the scoring. The game ended two minutes later with the Eagles in possession of the ball on their own 40. The better team definitely won the ball gas, but the Lobo grid fans will argue for many years to come about "what might have happened?" if Barton's 85-yard touchdown run had been allowed to stand. The Eagles uncovered an all-state prospect in diminutive Jerald Oliver - a squat guard who gave the Lobo back a fit all afternoon. Sweet and Calhoun were the standing out back for the winners, but they shared every bit of those honors with the 139-pound Schleuning and the shifty Anderson. Menasco lived up to every expectation, and Pakenham was impressive in spite of his handicap. Bob Muston and Eaves were plenty rough and the Lobo ends, Ed Roach and Buddy Terry, proved troublesome spots. Anglin and Fuller in good games, but the Brackenridge eleven wouldn't be denied the important triumph. Thus, the curtain is rung down on a great season for the Lobos. Few of the experts even gave them chance to win their district crown let alone the bi-district and quarterfinal games. Their many triumphs speak well for coaches Stewart, Tommy Fuller and Joe Bailey, and the Longview Lobos will take their place aside other great Longview teams. |