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| LONGVIEW - Longview's champion-caliber Lobos wiped nervous sweat from Coach Jim Gray's brow Friday night by handing him a hard won 32-21 victory over Dallas' Sunset Bisons in a thrill-a-minute marathon at Lobo Stadium here.
The score clock fluctuated violently as the Lobo steamroller built pressure, but from early in the first quarter until the ending shot, it was apparent the untested Longview crew had been whipped into a touchdown machine in only short weeks of pre-season training. Erasing a big question mark in coach Gray's mind were a bunch of hard-driving bad and stubborn linemen, whose teamwork clicked like a rifle shot when the ball snapped into play. Halfback Ray Chancelor and Pete Mobbs sent their running stock soaring with brilliant displays of flashing feet, with Chancelor breaking loose in the final quarter on an 84-yard sprint that left the Bisons open-mouthed, and Mobbs burning a broken field path over 44 yards of contested ground to pay dirt in the first half. Lobo strength along the forward wall held Dallas' most powerful backfield repeatedly, handing the Bisons a minus-8 yard record on rushing and rolling up 71 for Longview. In the passing department, Sunset outdid Longview slightly, with the Bisons completing 11 for 123 yards and the Lobos getting a hold on five for 112 yards. Lobo quarterback Kim Flint's long arm proved itself with two long touchdown passes which stuck as it glued to fullback Larry Shoemaker's fingers. Workhorses of Lobo defenses were guard Jerry Earnhardt, who displayed all-state aggressiveness, line backer Don Petty, ends Stewart Ferrell and Bobby McLendon and guard Ronald Lancaster. Sunset started the touchdown clock rolling in the first quarter when quarterback Jerry Rhome hit end John Beal on a 19-yard gainer over the goal. But that just started the Lobo aggressiveness clicking. Sunset's score came six minutes into the first quarter and less than four minutes later, after Longview's Flint hit fullback Shoemaker for 15 yards and a first down, halfback Mobbs got sticky fingers on a 47-yard thriller from Flint. Mobbs went over the goal stripe standing up to tie the score. Both Lobo and Bison lines held staunchly throughout the remainder of the first quarter and into the first minutes of the second. Play sew-sawed until Sunset's halfback Neckar broke through on a 9-yard line scamper that set up the second Bison score. Rhome zipped a 30-yard beauty to halfback Herman Neckar for a second first down. That put the battle on the Lobo 10 and reserves moved it to the 3 before Rhome hit end Beal for the second Bison score. Rhome's pass for extra points fell short, setting the score at 12-6. The Lobos, with halfback Douglas Bruner, fullback Larry Shoemaker and Flint doing the chores, punched downfield on short gainers to pick up two first downs and get to the Bison 39. Flint drew his long-barrelled arm and hit end Ferrell dead center for a 30 yard pass to move a raring Lobo eleven to Sunset's 9-yard line. Bruner fumbled on next play with Sunset's Blackmon recovering, but the Bisons were force to punt after three tries. Mobbs, the lad with a big question mark on his potentially when the game started, proved his worth by snagging the ball and brushing a leaping 44 yards to pay dirt as Earnhardt, Ferrell and Lancaster cleared a victory path. Flint's extra-point pass to Chancelor was knocked down, leaving the score tied at 12-12. And it took just two minutes for the victory hungry crew to blots another paying trail through the Bison's defense. Sunset received the kickoff but got mired down on their own 24-yard line the first pop out of the box. Two drives netted them just eight yards before Chancelor pulled down a Bison pass to give the Lobo machine a launching site on the Bison 32. Flint tried a short pass to Mobbs but it fell short. He then went on a keeper for no gain. His command of the advantage lessened none as he flipped a pass to Bruner for a 26 yard play which put the Lobos across the goal stripe and gained a 18-12 lead. Chancelor broadened the lead to 20-12 with a sprint to end touchdown play in the first half. Longview broke the ice late in the fourth after a scoreline third period. Fullback Larry Shoemaker's 55-yard punt turned out to be another eventual gain as the Lobos rushed down field to stop Bison halfback Neckar smack on his goal line. The Bisons were forced to kick after two tries, and Lobo Shoemaker moved in striking distance on two runs. He blasted across from the two, upping the tally to 26-12 in Longview's favor. One minute later, Bison halfback Randall Blackmon caught Mobbs behind the Lobo goal line for a safety, moving the score to Longview 26 and Sunset 14. Sunset took possession on the kickoff, with quarterback Rhome taking tot eh airways. He completed one to halfback Ronnie Jenkins for 17 before a referee unleashed pandemonium in the stands as another try to end Buddy Burden. Longview drew an interference penalty on that one, setting the ball on the Lobo 3-yard line. Fullback Charles Marshall broke through for a touchdown and a narrow 26-21 tally with just three minutes to play. But halfback Chancelor took the kickoff to scamper 84 yards downside to the Bison 1. Shoemaker slammed across to set a final 32-21 tally in Longview's favor. |