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| CARTHAGE - Did you ever know of a fellow who didn't want to have anybody looking over his shoulder while he was working on something? Not until he had finished would he let you see it.
This is the way the Longview Lobos acted Friday night when they defeated Carthage's Bulldogs, 21 to 14, before a standing room crowd. It marked the third consecutive conquest for Longview. For a while there, it looked as if ace field general Lynn Poss, 157-pound junior, was going to run the table. Poss couldn't miss and he didn't even stop to chalk his cue. The Carthage team is going to beat some good teams before the season is over. For the record, the Bulldogs outplayed the Lobos with outstanding passing, running and an excellent goal line stand. Carthage used a lot of bone jarring tackle ad a superb signal-calling performance by quarterback Poss. It took more bruises and bumps for he Lobo touchdowns than it usually does. The crowd scrammed itself to tears every time field general Poss would put the ole pigskin into orbit. His receiver was left end Bubba Smith, 160-pound junior Smith has the hands of Baylor's Lawrence Elkins. This boy is one of the finest's' ends in East Texas. A great blocker, tackler and he had the desire where Friday night. The Lobos crucified themselves with mistakes, while Coach Ty Bain and his staff paced the sidelines in utter misery. When they finally double-checked the scoreboard at the end, Coach Bain's troopers had taken a 21 to 14 contest. Carthage's small front line showed no signs of wearing out from Longview's supposedly superior depth. One of the bright sides from the bitter struggles, besides the all-important outcome in the Lobos' favor, was the running of tailback Don Stout. The fancy speedster carried the pigskin 14 times for 124 yards and scored one touchdown. Longview's Ronald Cook started the contest off with his talented foot and the ball was returned by fullback Mike Heard to the 27-yard line of Carthage. On the very first play quarterback Poss on hand off to fullback Michael Heard fumbled the ball and was recovered by defensive halfback Edward Harbour, who played his best game of the season. Longview took over on the Carthage 29-yard line. Eight plays and two quick first downs later, the Lobos were knocking at the goal line. However, the Bulldogs went to work with lots of hustle and swear. On the nine yard line, the Lobos were forced to give the ball over to Carthage for failing to make a first down with 6:18 on the clock in the first quarter. In eight plays, quarterback Poss punted the ball from the 10 and was returned by tailback Don Stout to the 37-yard stripe of Carthage. It was tailback Stout, quarterback James Street and fullback Mike Crawford that plowed through the line and around the ends for the first touchdown of the night and the Lobo fans then had something to cheer about. The touchdown came when Stout took the pigskin from Street and he sprinted around right end from the 24 with wagon room to space for the six pointers with 2:20 on the clock in the first period. Cook's kick was good and Longview led, 7 to 0. Carthage wasn't going to be out done by Longview so they came right back and put six points on the board. The Bulldogs started on their own 26-yard line after fielding a punt from the foot of Cook from the 34-yard line of the Lobos. Quarterback Poss cranked up the touchdown machine and gave it a good oiling. Poss on the first play sailed the football down field into the arms of bubba Smith. Defensive halfback Rusty Musser dashed in and pushed Smith out of bounds on the 26-yard line of Longview with 9:37 on the big clock of the second quarter. Halfback Robert Skinner was given the ball on the next play and he was rushed for a loss of one. Then Poss fired the ball again into the arms of Smith at the right side of the Martin Stadium to the one yard line. The pass was good for 26 yards and the Lobos knew the Bulldogs were knocking at the door for business. Poss on a keeper play is grounded for no gain. Then Skinner was given the ball and he failed to make ground. Poss takes the ball and is pushed back to the two yard stripe by a host of Lobos. Then the big bomb hit Longview. Poss stepped back and went to his right as he was going to throw to the right end zone. However, the receiver was covered and he hit right halfback Gary Edge in the end zone for the six pointer. Edge had three Lobos around him but they couldn't get the ball. Smith booted the extra point through the crossbars to tie the score, 7 to 7, with 6:27 left in the second quarter. Longview's second touchdown came when fullback Mike Crawford plowed over the right tackle with 5:20 to go in the second quarter, 13 to 7. Cook's kick was good, 14 to 7 Lobos. The touchdown was set up after Bubba Smith kicked off to the Lobos and the ball was returned by wingback Harold Bridge to the 36 from the 1. On the 36 yard line, the Lobos started moving the pigskin like a Longview team should. Don Stout on a hand off from street dashed off right tackle and up the middle. Then he saw open room and sprinted to the left side to the four yard stripe before he was grounded by the Bulldogs. Longview tried twice before Crawford carried the ball over for the touchdown. Carthage came alive again in the third quarter when Poss hit Bubba Smith for a touchdown from the nine yard line to make it 21 to 13. Poss rolled to his right and sailed the ball to Smith and with 7:17 on the clock, Smith booted the extra point, 21 to 14. With 4:32 on the clock in the third quarter, Longview was knocking at the Carthage goal again. But on the Bulldogs were just too tough and rough for the Lobos. So the ball, on the 22-yard line, was turned over to the Carthage girders. The Bulldogs had many "stars" in Friday night's game. The team must be given a "pat-on-the-back" for a fine job. Standouts for Carthage were Andy Durett, Ronnie Taylor, Danny Owens, Bubba Smith, Ronnie Bruster, Danny Red, Lynn Poss, Gary Edge, Mike Heard and Robert Skinner. Defense plays for Longview were Randy Morphew, Tommy Allbright, Terry Don Phillips, Edward Harbour and Jimmy Molphus. |