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| LUFKIN - A burly, bruising end gave a magnificent demonstration pf passing catching here tonight to score two Longview touchdowns but the power-laden Lufkin Panthers counted twice on rapier-like thrusts in the first half and held on for a 14-13 victory.
Jim Noble was the boy who showed them how the wings should be played and his mates played their best defensive game of the year in the final half, but the damage was done by the potent Panthers in the first two periods. Noble caught eight of the nine passes completed by Longview for a total gain of 154 yards and scored both touchdowns but they were not quite enough to win. Lufkin looked like they were set to make it a rout by scoring the second time they got possession of the ball. The first time was on the opening kickoff which Stanley Ware fumbled and Hubert Ash recovered for the Wolves. Lufkin took over on downs on their own 28 and moved the ball to the 45 in three plays. Then Bill McMillan broke off the Lobo left guard on a quick opener and ate up 55 yards in about five seconds to score going away. Bobby Bound added the extra point and the Panthers were on top 7-0 with the game only four minutes old. Near the end of the first period the Lobos tied it up with the aid of some spectacular pass catching by Noble. Bound got off a short 13 yard kick into a stiff breeze, the ball going out on the Panther 33. George Myers, Lobo quarterback, lost three trying to pass and on the next play made it back to midfield and calmly hit the burly Noble on the five. He simply ignored the defender woh was trying to stop him and stepped into the end zone fro the score. Myers conversion tied the count at 7-7. The Panthers threw only three passes and complete only one of them but it was the ball game. E.C. Davenport, the best pass defender the Wolves shave seen this year started the business by interception one of three Myers' aerials he took in the game, running it back to the Longview 34. David Musslewhite, Lufkin quarterback, who rather Benton used to play a little ball for Southern Methodist, got trapped on a pass but he ran it 12 yards down the middle to the 22. Musslewhite then hit Buddy Modissette with a rifle shot on the 3 and he stepped over to score with 29 seconds remaining in the half. Bound, who last week missed three out of three extra point tries against Gladewater, booted his second one and provided the point which won the game. The Wolves came alive in the third period to score on a 55-yard drive. After a Panther punt went out on the Lobo 45, Myers hit Walter Uhlenhoff with an 11 yarder on the Lufkin 44. This was the only pass caught by any Lobo other than Noble. Myers moved the ball 9 yards on a plunge down the middle and then passed to Noble for 14 more after losing 5 trying another pass. Myers faded to midfield again and threaten a needle for Noble on the 5. The big boy again moved on across with two defenders trying frantically to halt him. This time Myers conversion kick went off his toe to the right of the post and that was the ball game. The Panthers got to the Longview 20 only one time in the entire second half and that was a recovered fumble. They never threatened after that. The Wolves meanwhile were knocking at the door every few plays but when they got going, they were halted either by a flag or by Davenport's snaring of Myers' passes. But they kept the Lufkin attack well in hand, holding the Panthers to two first downs for a net gain of 60 yards through the entire second half. When they needed the punch however the Lobos just didn't have it. The Wolves completed 9 of 27 passes for 165 yards while Lufkin connected on one of three for just 22 yards. First downs favored Longview, 12 to 6. |