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| LONGVIEW - The Longview Lobos closed out their most disastrous season in years Thursday when they dropped a 32-7 decision to the Gladewater Bears, who unleashed a speed-merchant in Tommie Dunagan, a fine passer in Neil Williams and a powerful driving back in John Shipp to rack up the routine win.
The Wolves, rendered impotent by the loss of 22 men in midseason for training rules infractions, wound up a conference season that saw them beaten five straight time after a fast start. All five losses were to conference opponents. Gladewater scored less than two minutes after the opening whistle and it looked like it might be a runaway. However, the Lobos battled back gamely and tied it up 7-7 and it was a ball game for a while. But the Lobos' lack of depth began to tell in the late stages and the final quarter as a rout. The Bears had themselves a touchdown less than two minutes after the game got underway. Their kickoff was allowed to go all the way to the Lobo four where it was picked up but the carrier slipped there. Matthews kicked out on first down, the boot going out on the Lobo 42. Then Shipp ran left guard for 21 and a first down. After two plays netted one yard, Williams hit Lynn in the end zone with an on-the-nose pass that scored. Barnett kicked the extra point. But the Lobos got back into the ball game ten minutes later, driving 75 yards to score. They took an out-of-bounds punt on their own 25. Matthews ran left end for 13 and then passed to Lemmons for 34 and another first down on the Bruin 19. Matthews, Bland and Lemmons powered through the line in short hauls to the one from where Matthews cracked center for the touch. Bruyere converted to tie the count at 7-7. The Bears added another touchdown eight minutes deep in the second quarter with a 70-yard drive. A series of short jolts took the ball to the Lobo 36 and Shipp slipped around left end for 13 and a first on the 23. From there, Wilks took a handoff from Williams and started to his left. As he was nailed around the 10, he lateraled to Godwin who went on over in a trot for the touch. Barnett's conversion attempt was wide of the bars. The 13-7 score stood at the half. A good Bear punt late in the third quarter set up the this Gladewater marker. It went out on the Lobo nine and then the Wolves were set back to their own one by a clipping penalty. Matthews kicked out to the 35 and the fleet Dunagan returned it 24 yards to the Lobo 11. Wilks then hit the Lobo line just inside the right end and went all the way. Barnett's conversion try was good again bad. The Bears drove 56 yards for their next marker. Taking an out-of-bounds kick on their 43, they moved in two plays to the Lobo 17 as the third period ended. Williams' 33-yard jaunt around left end was the back-breaker. Then Wilks made it a first down on the even and after Shipp lost four at left end, Williams hit right tackle, was stopped and then lateraled to Goodwin for another touchdown. Barnett converted this time for a 26-7 lead. A Longview fumble started the Bears on their final scoring drive. Byrd pounced on a Lobo bobble on the Longview 32. Williams passed to Davis for 10, then hit center for nine himself and on the third play passed 13 to Shipp for the score. That wound up the scoring as Shipp's conversion try failed. Dunagan didn't score any points but his runbacks of Longview punts were something beautiful to watch, even from the viewpoint of the Lobo supporters. He returned seven Lobo punts for 115 yards. Williams ran the Bruin attack and his passing and ball-handling from the man-under spot was superb. He got lots of protection for his aerials and completed 10 of 17 he tried. Shipp's pile-driving runs helped the Bear attack plenty also. The Wolves, with Jerry Matthews doing almost all of their passing, completed 15 of 36 for 155 yards. Matthews did a creditable job of signal-calling and running too, but the alert Bruin defenses closed him in when the Lobos got too close to a payday. With the score tied at 7-7, the Bears stopped a Lobo thrust on the one-foot line. Two drives in the second half ended on the Gladewater 11 and 26 yard line. Jerry Bland showed a lot of power in his running and Ronnie Lemmons and Don Huff were offensive standouts. Tommy Brunere and Bobby Blakely played well in the line and McRee, Griffin, Wheeler and Hagan also turned in good jobs. But the continual pounding tired them and the elusive and speedy Bruin backs rolled over them in the late stages of the game. |