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| LONGVIEW - The powerful running game of the Texarkana Tigers and the toe of Kirby Carter combined to give the Texas High club a 7-6 victory in an all-important District 9-AA conference clash here Friday night at Lobo Stadium.
The fleet Texarkana lad turned in a 60-yard down-the-line touchdown run for his team's score early in the third quarter and kicked the extra point that gave his orange-clad crew the win. Carter's conversion, incidentally was his 12th one in a row, and a dime will get a buck he won't kick another one all year that will be half as important. Carter was assist on his jaunt by a liberal helping of some of the sweetest blocking fans have seen here in years. Carter is a lad who can go all the way; and when they broke him into the open, he did. The blocking that go him there was reminiscent of the haleyon days on 13 years ago when Dandy Dick Miller used to get a little boost into the secondary and then outrun all the rest of the people. For the first time this year the Wolves ran into a team that is better than they are, but they played fine defensive ball when the chips were down and stifled several other threats which the power laden visitors made. The fans had hardly settled in their seats when the Tigers gave them a terrific start and demonstrated early that they were playing for keeps. After the Lobos received and after a first down was largely nullified by a holding penalty Sonny Jones quick kicked to the Texarkana 31. There Richard Steele, 139-pound safety, took it and set sail down the right sideline. The best adjective for the blocking he got is "bone-crunching" and he got plenty of it. He was touched maybe three times but he went the whole way, 69 yards, only to have the played called back because of a Tiger offside. Things were on fairly even terms through the rest of the first period and half way through the second. Then the Tiger kicker, Kirby Carter, booted a punt that Dick Nash took on the Lobo 40 and returned 28 yards to the Tiger 32. He got some neat blocking but he shook off a couple of tacklers who got to him, before he was downed. Jones rattled the Tiger left end for 8 yards and Ronnie Lemmons got three and a first down on the Texarkana 21. Lemmons lost three, Matthews hit Jerry Bland on the 18 for a 6-yard gain. On the next play Matthews faded a bit and hit Lemmons right in the eye as the later stood in the end zone for a touchdown. Lemmons was all by himself, having to completely behind the defense right halfback. Jones' attempt conversion was bed and the Wolves led 6-0. Late in the second quarter the Tigers caught fire and working from spreads and double wing formations instead of their usual T, moved deep into Longview territory. Pass interference was ruled against the Wolves on their 20, giving the Tigers a first down there. Two plays later another interference gave the Tigers a first down on the Lobo 3. The Tigers elected to try their ground game from that point. Carter fumbled and Martin Reynolds recovered for the Lobos on the eight. The clock caught them before another series of downs could be completed. The Tigers lost little time in getting into the lead. They took the kickoff opening the second half and Marvin Lay returned it to the Tiger 43. Carter lost three at left end and then he took a handoff, circled the Lobo right end and headed for the sideline. He bulled his way by a couple of tacklers, then after he hit the wide open spaces he never was touched. The last Lobo defender was cut down on the 15 and Carter went all the way. He then booted his 12th consecutive point after for a 7-6 Tiger lead. The Tigers themselves made the most serious threat thereafter. They moved to the Lobo five, got penalized back to the 20 and then went back to the eight before they lost the ball on downs. Another sustained drive carried the Tigers to the Lobo 22 late in the game but the Lobos' subsequent effort was halted when Bill Singleton intercepted a Jones pass. The game ended in the next series of downs with the Tigers in control. Both teams abandoned their T-formation late in the game and went to the old reliable power setup - single and double wing backs. The Wolves passed from it mostly but the Tigers used it for their ground plays and made it work. Jerry Matthews playing as the man under in the T all the way, connected with several passes that started drives for the Wolves but he abandoned the short passes that were clicking and gambled on long ones that either failed to connected or got intercepted in the second half. The alert Tiger secondary made long passes extremely hazardous business all night. Paul Terry, the Lobo tackle, played the best game of his career and repeatedly opened up holes in the tough Tiger line for his backs to go through. Dick Nash also turned in his best performance to date, racking up several nice punt returns and hauling in some passes at key points. The sheer power of the Tiger forwards and the drive of such backs as Carter, Lay, Sam Buchmeyer and Bobby Barnes were too much for the Lobos. Buchmeyer late in the game ran the tackles, ragged and mixed up his play beautifully by sending Lay through the middle from the T. The tiring Lobos were powerless to halt them in midfield but managed to take a brace near their goal line. The starting lineups: Longview - Shaw and McRee, ends; Blakeley and Terry, tackles; Wheeler and Griffin, guards; Huey, center; Matthews, quarterback; Lemmons and Huff, halves; Jones, full. Texarkana - Single and Johnson, end; Harland and Bagwell, tackles; Bramhall and Harris, guards; Nix, center; Harmeyer, quarterback; Williams and Lay, halves; Carter, full. |