|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
||
|
|
| LONGVIEW - After playing a heavily favored Texarkana to a complete stand still for three and a half quarters, the Longview Lobos saw a 6-0 victory slip from their grasp after three minutes had classed in the final periods. The border city Bengals, relying on a desperation pass to pull them out of a hole, finally hit the mark and went on to win by a 14-6 score before 5,100 fans at Lobo Stadium Friday night.
The game took on all the earmarks of a mighty upset when Longview turned in their only tally less than four minutes after the start of the ball game. The kids in the Kelly green uniforms were fired up for this one and went out to win it the moment the kickoff whistle had sounded. The visitors kicked off and checked the Lobos on the first series of downs. Then, after Texarkana had failed to gain, Morry Teague booted 41 yards to the Lobo 42. Jittery Gene Hardin squirmed down to the enemy 49, then Johnny Linney flipped an 11 yard aerial down to Earl Williams on the Tiger 38. Fox Cashell brought the crowd to it's feet with a 10 yard romp around end which netted a first down on the Bengal 28. It was Cashell again, this time bulling his way to the 20, then Hardin picked up a first down on the 15. Three running plays lost five yards, but on fourth down Linney jumped pass to Williams who out-fought two Tiger defenders in the end zone for possession of the ball. Longview had scored. Fox Cashell's try for the point was wide to the left and the Lobos had to settle for a 6-0 advantage. Sonny Jones kicked off to Oran Scurlock, shifty Tiger running ace, who hauled in the oval on his own eight-yard marker and zig-zagged through the entire Lobo squad before he was nailed on the Longview 31-yard line. But referee Jimmy Higgins said Scurlock had stepped out of bounds on his own 35, so the ball was returned to that point. The Lobo line, playing its best ball of the year, held the Bengals in check for the remainder of the quarter and forced Teague to punt immediately after the second quarter had gotten under way. Longview got a big break a few moments later when Jim Nelson booted on third down to Jerry Norton, who fumbled. The loose ball was recovered by the Big Green and Longview had possession on the Bengal 48. Bu the Lobo running game stalled at this point and Longview as forced to kick. Fox Cashell intercepted a Norton pass shortly before the end of the half to snuff out a short-lived Tiger rally as the Lobos protected their meager 6-0 lead at the intermission. It was a revitalized Bengal eleven which came roaring out at the start of the second half. It was learned during the 15-minute rest period that Texarkana back Scurlock had fractured his collarbone late in the second quarter, and Watty Myers inserted Tom Cooper in Scurlock's position. Cooper returned the opening second half kickoff 26 yards to his own 41 and the Tigers were on their way. Paced by the hard running Norton, they travelled to the Lobo 23 before Norton fumbled and Sonny Jones recovered for Longview. Despite the sudden break, it was apparent that the Tigers were determined to score sometime during the second half. Whereas the Lobo running game had been slowed to a walk, the Texarkana offensive unit was picking up steam. Three running plays by the Green and White lost one yard, then Nelson booted to the Tiger 3. Once more Texarkana was on the march, but they couldn't get over. A Norton pass intended for Teague was intercepted by Hardin on the Longview 32, but Norton evened matters by interception a Lobo aerial intended for Williams on the Tiger 41. Williams appeared to be in the clear, but Norton raved over and picked the ball out of the ozone at the last possible moment. Norton carried three times, finally reaching the Lobo 49 before Teague was called on to punt. Hardin gathered in the ball on the 12 and was nailed on the 16. Once more the backs were stopped cold and Nelson returned the boot to Norton on the Tiger 49, and the Tiger safety man returned to the Longview 41. Norton took a vicious smack at the line and edged forward three yards, but J.W. Arndall fumbled on the next play and the alert Tom Bufkin recovered for Longview on his own 21. Many observers figured this play was the turning point of the game - that the continual loss of the breaks would wear the Tigers down. But the tide turned three minutes later. Bufkin's recovery marked the end of the third quarter and both teams braced for what would be the deciding 12 minutes. The Lobos were content to protect their 6-0 lead. Texarkana figured they could win if they could score, and fought for possession of the ball. The Bengals stalled two Longview line plays, but Linney passed to Williams on third down and the ball rested less than a yard short of the first down stripe. Playing it safe, the Lobos punted, and Norton returned 15 yards from the 32 - the place where he caught the ball. Halfback Wayne Wall picked up two, then Norton's long pass to Teague fell incomplete. On third down, Norton faded far back and sent another long pass to eagle who had slipped behind the Lobo pass defenders. He nabbed it on the Longview 20 for a gain of 31 yards and the Tiger took life. Three smacks at the line were stopped cold by the brilliant Lobo forwards led by Pat Collier, Dick Hurst, Bufkin, Mack Brewton, Larry Skipper, Mitch Hackney, Jackie Bell and Williams. The three line plays had gained only four yards. Everyone knew the Tigers would have to gamble on a fourth down pass, but no one knew where it would terminate. Norton took the snap from center and whipped a bullet aerial to Teague, who was eight yards down the middle. It was now first and goal to go from the Lobo eight, and Arndall went skipping through the line for the touchdown on his first try. Norton booted the point and the visitors were ahead 7-6. The Tigers added an insurance marker with less than a minute remaining when Ardnall broke loose for 46 yards. The shifty little seatback carried all the way down to the Longview six-yard marker before he was halted by Cashell. Norton went over from three on the fourth down and added the point 20 seconds before the end of the game. |