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| MARSHALL - The Longview Lobos unveiled a smooth and powerful offense and a defense that you couldn't pour sand through in the first half and scored pretty much as they pleased in disposing of a tough but outgunned Marshall Maverick team 39 to 16 here Friday night. It was the District 8-AAAA opener for the Wolves.
The Mavericks scored one first down in the entire first half and lost one more yard than they gained during that time. They did not possess the ball in Longview's end of the field until less than two minutes remained in the third quarter. Anybody who thought the Steers had a chance after the first five minutes was misinformed. Longview kicked off and the Mavs got into trouble so early that they kicked on third down. A few minutes later, a short kick by Buck Sullivan gave the Wolves the ball on the Mav 32. A 35 yard pass from Bob Abney to Douglas Bruner, who was all alone, should have scored; but the hustling little halfback stumbled over award marker, a blade of grass or something and fell headlong on the six. Mack Thomas hit right tackle twice, the second time for four and a touchdown, and Abney kicked a one-pointer for a 7-0 lead. The next score was a lot quicker. Marshall kicked to the Lobo 19 and in five plays, aided by a 15-yard roughing penalty, the Wolves ate up 81 yards for the touchdown. Billy Coley hit left tackle for two and Bruner smashed left tackle for five. Shoemaker hit tackle for 10 and when a Steer was caught piling on after Coley added on another two, the referee quit walking on the Marshall 41. On the next play, Thomas hit let tackle and kept going. He was stopping once at the line and twice within 15 yards of the scrimmage line, but he dug out all three times and powered 41 yards frown the middle. Abney's kick was no good. In the second quarter the Lobos added another quick one on a Maverick miscue. Elmer Almond, Steer fullback, fumbled a fourth down punt attempt and the Wolves took over on downs on the Marshall 32. Abney hit Boswell with a third down pass to the 22 and a Marshall penalty moved it to the nine. Coley hit right end, right tackle and center in that order, the last paying off from the one. The conversion was no good and the Lobos led 19-0 at halftime. At that point Marshall had a minus six yards rushing and a five-yard net gain passing for a minus one on total offense. And things got worse for them before they got better. The Mavs tried an onside kick to open the second half and the Lobos fielded it on their own 47. Bruner hit left tackle for 14 to the Mav 39 and Shoemaker moved it in two tries to the 25. A few plays later, Abney hit Coley with a bullet on the one, and Bruner plunged over from there. Abney got through to Mobbs and another conversion shaft and it was 27-0. Along about the end of the quarter, the Mavs began to build up a little head of steam and moved inside the 50 for the first time just before the quarter ended - and to the surprise of a lot of folks they went all the way early in the fourth. The drive was sustained, with Frankie Fagan, a tackle moved to fullback, using his 190 pounds effectively in turning in some good gains. The Herd moved to the 20, lost the ball on downs and then a Lobo fumble was covered by Moose Roberts on the 19. A 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer moved it to the two, and Fagan powered into the end zone for the score. Ronnie Carpenter, a fine left handed quarterback, went into the end zone on a keeper to add the two points. The Wolves counted again minutes later after a weird kickoff play. Bruner took the kickoff and with some real fancy stepping managed to get to the Lobo 45, then lateral to Ray Chancelor as he was tackled. Chancelor went on to the Mav 25, but the ball was ruled dead back around the 45. A 15-yard roughing penalty was tacked on from the Lobo 38 and the ball wound up on the Mav 47. Abney hit Larry Doswell with a 17 yarder and Mike Clark a moment later with an 11 yarder to the 12. From there Thomas socked left tackle, round the underbrush all cleared away for him and went all the way. Abney's conversion failed and it was 33-8. A nice kickoff return and a Lobo penalty fired the Steers up again and Carpenter hit halfback Ross Ayers with an 18-yard shaft to move to the Lobo 6 and from that point Carpenter rolled out on a keeper and went around right end to score. Fagan hit left guard to make it 33-16. The last tally was on the final play from scrimmage in the game. The Mavs gambled with seconds left and the Lobos took over on downs on the Marshall 7. Mobbs took a pitchout, shot around left end and scored. Coach Catfish Smith shuffled his defense considerably for the conference opener, moving big Andy Malone into a defensive tackle and bringing in a raft of speedy bows as linebackers. They worked effectively until the issue was settled and thereafter the pressure as off considerably. The Lobos continued to play a crunching, tackling and blocking game, and as usual they found an opponent was liked to go likewise. The game was as rough as a woodhauler's backside. and the leading ground gainer of the evening by all odds was the referee, who must have have lost 10 pounds just from pacing off the 227 yards in penalties which the officials called on the two teams. Longview was taxed 127 and the Mavs 120. The win was the Lobos' first in conference play and left them tied with John Tyler with a win apiece. Marshall and Texarkana are each 1-1 and 0-2. |