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| LONGVIEW - Longview's 8-AAAA Lobos loosed a veritable barrage of Mobbs-Shoemaker-Bruner-Chancelor-Earnhardt salvos into Grand Prairie's Gopher-lined rock wall in Lobo Stadium Friday night, shell-shocking the visitors into a 32-0 defeat and retaining undefeated status in non-district play.
The victory kept Longview high on the state totem pole, following on the heels of wins against Sunset of Dallas, and North Side and Arlington Heights of Fort Worth. Longview's touchdown manufacturing backfield again proved the difference between a ball club which can roll out victories and a team content with proving itself good statistic-wise. The Gophers charged out 12 first downs compared to Longview's 9 during the game, but Lobo touchdown drives and sprints gave them 227 yards in net gain while the Gophers picked up 169. Longview's pass defense, sparked by halfback Douglas Bruner, Pete Mobbs and Ray Chancelor, and fullback Larry Shoemaker kept the visitors scoreless on several long pass tries which were nipped near the goal line. Guard Jerry Earnhardt dazzled local fans and visitors with a 56-yard touchdown run after pulling down a Gopher pass. Other Longview touchdowns came on runs by Mobbs, Shoemaker, Bruner and Chancelor. Alert linemen, who aided to keeping the Gophers scoreless with sparkling defensive maneuvers were end Bobby McLendon, guards Ronnie LAncaster and Earnhardt, and end Mike DeLatin. Both team bucked heads during most of the first quarter, with the Gophers getting the best of the deal by picking up two first downs first time they got the ball. They never got to dangerous territory though and the Lobo steamrolling backfield rolled out after end McLendon covered a Gopher fumble on Grand Prairie's 5. Bruner blasted through center to pick up three yards, followed by a sparkling dash over to pay dirt by Mobbs from 2 yards out. Chancelor added his touch with a straight thrust over tackle for the points, setting Longview up 8-0. The score clock clicked over with 1:33 seconds remaining in the quarter. Play got mired down in midfield after the second quarter began, with the Gophers punching out two first downs before giving up the ball. A Longview sees accounted for only 8 yards and loss of the ball on downs. Shoemaker pulled the cork by slipping in front of a Gopher pass and breezing 70 untouched to pay dirt five minutes into the second period. Flint's pitchout to Chancelor was stopped short on point try, leaving the score at 14-0. Longview's third touchdown, still in the second quarter, came six minutes later after Mobbs recovered a Gopher fumble in mid air and sprinted 37 yards over broken field. Chancelor took a handoff fro 8 yards and Flint followed up on a keeper for 11 to move play to the Gopher 9. Bruner slipped through for the touchdown, but Petty's conversion kick was no good, leaving the halftime tally at 20-0. The Lobos kept up the barrage in the second half, slamming over a touchdown in both the third and fourth quarters. Offensive gainers started clicking on Longview's second possession, with the ground-eating Lobos biting off big chunks on a sustained series which picked up 73 yards and two first downs on the way. Bruner started forward motion with a four-yard scamper, moving out to the 31 from the Longview 27. Flint tried a long pass to Bruner and repeated with a successful pitch to Mobbs for 33 yards o set play on the gopher 36. Flint charged through center for seven yards and Mobbs hit the line for three to move to the 26. Fleet-footed Chancelor took the paying handout from Flint and zipped 26 yards for the fourth Lobo touchdown. Petty's conversion kick went wide leaving the score clock at 26-0 five minutes deep into the third quarter. The real dazzler of the evening, Longview's final rally, plucked a hard-driving Lobo guard, Earnhardt, from the steady line grind and sent him hot-footing down field like a Cahncelor and Mobbs put together. Grand Prairie had charged out two first downs and was moving steadily when Earnhardt put the game in reverse by leaping up to snag a Gopher pass and gallop through secondary defense to pay dirt, rolling over 56 yards on the way. The thriller came with a little over four minutes left in the game. |