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| MARSHALL - The Marshall Mavericks recuperated from a sledge of fumbleitis to push over a fourth quarter touchdown and defeated the Longview Lobos, 7-0, Friday night before an enthusiastic Homecoming crowd.
After butter-fingering the ball away three times in a frustrating first half, the Mavs jumped a Lobo fumble late in the third period to set their touchdown drive in motion. The victory gave both teams a 1-1 record in district 8-AAAA play. Marshall is 4-3 for the season while Longview slipped to 2-4-1. Fullback David Thomas carried the ball but once all night and that for only one yard, but it resulted in the game's only touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. Two stiff defensive lines kept each other bottled up most of the night, although Marshall made enough mistakes in that first half to stop themselves. The tough Maverick line limited Longview to just 57 yards rushing and didn't allow the Lobos a first down in the second half. Longview made only three first downs for the game.Both teams had one penetration. Marshall meanwhile had to wok hard to gain 109 yards overland. But Deacon Lewis and Palmer Pratt hit half of their 10 passes to account for 74 yards more offensively. Sophomore end Jack Martin and tailback Billy Baker shared receiving honors by gaining 37 yards each with passes. Marshall started the fumble parade early in the opening quarter when Pratt lost the ball at the Longview 49. But the Mav defense held and Marshall drove from their 37 to the Lobos' 25 before the ball went over on downs. Fullback Ray Fessler was the big guy in the surge as he ripped over 25 yards in three caries. Fessler led all ball carriers for the game with 45 yards rushing. Longview gambled on a fourth and one situation at their 34 late in the first period and the Maverick defense held. But on the first play of the second period, Sammy Senesac fumbled the ball back to the visitors. Just before half Lewis hit Baker with a 15-yard pass but the slim senior was jarred loose from the ball with Longview recovering. The Lobos appeared to have broken the game wide open on the fourth play after halftime, when Sophomore Harold Bridge returned Pratt's punt 49 yards to the Marshall 18 yard line. Pratt, the last man with a shot at Bridges along the far sideline, saved a touchdown by bouncing him out of bounds. But again that reliable Maverick defense stopped Longview cold and the hosts took over. The turning point in the game came when Bridges fumbled late in the third quarter and tackle Butch Kennedy hopped on the ball at the Longview 25. Baker carried twice for four yards and Lewis unloaded to Jack Martin for a 16-yard gain to the Lobo five. Thomas prevented a situation similar to the Lufkin game when, on fourth down and goal from the one, he cracked across left guard for the touchdown with 11:58 remaining in the final quarter. Baker kicked the PAT. Marshall kept the Lobos in check the rest of the way. The Mavericks had a lop-sided advantage in most of the statistics, except punting, where the Lobos' David Kiergan kicked eight times for an excellent 36.3 average. A tribute to the Maverick defense is the fact that Longview managed only one first down. The other two resulted from penalties. |