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| LONGVIEW - The best football team in Lobo Stadium kept on getting better here Friday night, and Longview's Lobos left Tyler Lee mangled, 13-6, in a District 13-AAAA opener for both ball clubs on a very hot September evening in East Texas.
The Lobo defense, which begins to look more and more like 1967, held the Rebs to 50 yards net on the ground and 82 yards in the air, and only allowed six points on the scoreboard and that was an 89 yard punt return in the second quarter. Even the hot and cold Dallas Cowboys now and then will allow a team to return a punt on the Big D boys. Robert Robe, Larry Meeks, Phil Atkins, Billy Medlin, Mark Friend, Eddie Koon and most everyone else coach Tommy Hudspeth put out there when Tyler Lee had the football, didn't want the other side doing a thing. the other side didn't do much. Linebacker Billy Medlin, 173-pound junior, will celebrate his 18th birthday Saturday. The victory over Lee was the boy's big birthday gift. This is the third straight year for the Lobos to beat Tyler Lee's Rebels. It was in 1966 here in Lobo Stadium the Longview team blanked the Rebs, 9-0. Then in 1967 Longview went through the Rebels, 21-0. The Rebel team is coached by Don Barton, a former Longview great and Texas University grid star. It was in 1965 that Lee, with about two minutes to go in the game at Rose Stadium, pulled a major upset over the Lobos with a 21-20 victory. The last time Lee has beaten a Lobo squad here was in 1964, 22 to 14. The Lobo captains for the second straight week won the coin toss and elected to receive. Here's the way the action went Frida night on the first drive. The Lobos huffed and puffed and blew the Rebels out of the stadium. Fullback Matt Clapp was given the job of kicking off for the Rebels and Billy Price, who gained 133 net yards on 26 tries, took the opening kickoff on the four of Longview and returned to the 22. Quarterback Roland Whitehurst, who proved to be a big man here Friday night, took the snap from center Walter Bennett, and sailed around his left end for a gain of 21 yards to the 43. This gave the fans something to talk about for a few seconds. Tailback Price went off right tackle tot he 49 of Longview for a gain of six, then wingback Sid Sistrunk sailed to the 36 of Tyler Lee for another first down. So the chain gang had to do a little walking. From the 36, the Lobos looked a lot like the boys of 1967. Price was given the ball and he lowered his head and went to the 31. Whitehurst on a keeper worked his way tot eh 21 for a first down and a gain of 10. On the 21 the Lobos just couldn't be stopped. Price charged around right tackle to the 19 and Whitehurst plowed to the four for a first down and a gain of 15. The Reb defense went to work. Wingback Sistrunk, on a handoff from quarterback Whitehurst, went off left guard to the one. Then fancy stepper Price sailed around right guard into the end zone for the touchdown with 8:22 left on the clock in the first quarter. Ralph Blount's extra point kick sailed to the right of the crossbars and the Lobos had to settle for only six points. Blount's shoe is giving him lots of trouble this season. The toe isn't flat. So the lad ma change shoes for next Friday night's game with Palestine. Blount kicked off to the Rebs and the ball sailed into the arms of deep back Gary Marshall. The lad took the ball on the goal line and returned to 17. Quarterback Phil Brooks started barking the signals for the Rebels. Tailback Lee Campbell was stopped by a host of Lobo defensive lads for no gain. On the next play Brooks went to the air and hit end Brian Burch for a six yard gainer to the 23. Brooks elected to go to the air once more and the pass was short. So Burch punted the ball down field. The old pigskin rolled out of bounds at the Lobo 34 yard line. The Lobo offensive machine under the leadership of Whitehurst regrouped for another drive. However, it was short lived. Fullback Ray Wright made only two yards, Price recorded one yard and wingback Sistrunk carried to the 40 yard line for three yards. So it was fourth down and four needed for a first. Coach Hudspeth said punt. Whitehurst put his toe to the ball and deep back Fred Florence took the ball on the 11 yard line. Bob Gilchrist nearly made a tackle at the fancy stepper. However, Florence made a quick move to his right and several of his Rebels joined a front and Florence went down the right side line 89 yards for the touchdown untouched. This nearly shocked Lobo fans out of their seats. Bring seat belts next time. With5:45 left in the first quarter, the game was tied at 6-6. Matt Slapp's extra point kick hit the left goal post. the last time a punt turn was returned against a Lobo team was when Woodrow Wilson of Dallas returned two against the Lobos a few years back. Tyler Lee's Clapp kickoff to the Lobos and Price took the ball in the end zone and returned to the 25. On the first play the Lobos were given a five yard penalty. Then Whitehurst carried twice on runs of two and nine yards tot he 31. On third down quarterback Whitehurst sailed a bomb into the arms of Ralph Blount to the 42 for a gain of 11. Blount's catch was great as several Rebels were guarding the ace receiver like the secret service men to the President. Whitehurst from the 42 of Longview went to the 45. Then on the next play the Lobos were given another five yard penalty. The ball was moved back to the 41. Price broke away to the right side on a pitchout from quarterback to the 46. Third down and eight needed for a first, so Whitehurst was about to give the ball off to one of his backs and fumbled. Larry Hood recovered the ball at the 45. The Rebels took the ball on the Lobo 45 yard line. On the first play quarterback Brooks was snowed by a host of Lobos and fumbled the ball. However, it was another anchor end Bob Gilchrist that really put the pressure off the field general. Nose guard Larry Shanks recovered the ball for the Lobos at the Lee 42 had line. Brooks was credited for a 13 yard lost. The Lobo touchdown machine was well oiled and they were off. n five plays the Lobos were knocking at the door at the 28 yard line. The first quarter ended as Whitehurst rolled to his right side for a gain of five to the 23. Price had yards of five, three and six in the drive. With second down and six needed for a first, wingback Sistrunk fumbled the ball and Randy Rodgers recovered the ball at the 29 yard line. This nearly broke all the hearts of the Lobo fans in the stands. When a team drives for a touchdown and fails to score, it is a heart breaker. Tyler Lee took over at the 29 and ran 10 plays and Brian Burch was forced to punt from the Lee 41 yard line. Alton Coley of Longview took the ball on the three and returned to the five. Once again the Lobos took over and started moving the ball very well in the middle of the field. Price made eight on the first try and then Sistrunk made four for a first down to the 17. Again these two runners were the big guns with two and 18 yards. From the 37 of Longview, Whitehurst went to the air and hit Blount for a 20 yard gainer to the Lee 43. Blount caught the ball at the Longview 49 and turned on steam to the 43 of Tyler Lee before he was grounded. Whitehurst then went to the 32 for a first down. Price carried to the 27. Fullback Wright pushed his way to the 18 for nine yards and a first down. At the 18, the Lee defense went to work. Wright went off tackle to the 15 and Whitehurst on the next try was stopped. Whitehurst then on his second try was stopped for a loss by Larry Hood back to the 23. So it was fourth down and 15 needed for a first. Whitehurst then started to his right and was caught by a host of Rebels back at the 28. So the Lobos had to give the ball up. With only 2:23 remaining before halfback the Lee Rebels took over. Tyler Lee ran three plays and then Burch punted the ball down field. The ball rolled out of bounds at the 21. Price and Sistrunk carried on runs of 7 and 13 for a first down to the Lobo 41. Price then plow up the middle to the Lee 40 for 19 yards as the gun sounded for halftime. Lee came back in the third quarter and took the kickoff. From the 20 the Rebels looked as though they might be fired up. On the 13th play quarterback Brooks of Lee was stopped by linebacker Billy Medlin and end Larry Meeks at the Lobo 21 yard line. Brooks started from the Lobo 16 but the ace Lobos carried the ball carrier back to the 21 for a loss of five. So the Lobos once again took over. It was a great defensive stand by a great bunch of Lobos that stopped Lee. So Longview once again took over and started to move. From the 21 of their own, Price went to the 25. Price carried twice more to the 27. Then on fourth down Whitehurst punted the ball down field. The ball sailed high to give the Lobo linemen time to get down field. The ball hit the foot of Fred Florence (he was the lad that returned the punt against the Lobos 89 yards in the first quarter) and bounced to his right. Wingback Sid Sistrunk recovered the pigskin for the Lobos. Thi really gave the local fans something to talk about. the ball hit Florence's foot at the 29 and the ball bounced to the 32. Whitehurst called his boys together for a family talk and whatever he said the Lobos went to work. Whitehurst became a big man in Friday night's game and he earned it. On the first play Whitehurst went to the air and hit his wingback Sistrunk in the right flat for a gain of 15 yards to the 17. Then Price carried to the 11. On the next play the Lobos were given a five yard penalty back to the 16. Sistrunk started up the middle on the next play. However, the Rebels were issued a five yard penalty and the ball was moved to the 11. So it was second down and four, Whitehurst went to the left side and found very little room and gained only one yard to the 10. Then ace Price sailed to the eight and again to the seven for the first down. Price from the seven went to the six. Then Whitehurst took the snap from center Bennett and turned on the speed around his end for the touchdown with 1:45 remaining in the third chapter. Blount's kick this time was good and the Lobos, 13-6. Sure the Lobos made a lot of mistakes. But this early in the season it can be expected. But what counts is the scoreboard. The Lobos won. Longview is now 1-0 in district play and will meet Palestine in another district game on Friday night at Palestine. Longview's offense last year was slow coming around. But when it did arrive, the Lobos were one of the true powers in the state. Billy Price must be given a big pat on the back for a grand job. He carried the ball 26 times for a net of 133 yards. Whitehurst toted the ball 16 times for 61 yards, Ray Wright carried eight times for 26 yards and Sistrunk carried seven times for 34 yards. The Lobo offensive line turned in a great job. Tyler Lee must be given lots of credit. They are a young ball club and coach Barton is one of the finest young coaches in the business. This club still is much in the district race. Just because the Lobos defeated them, this isn't the last game. They could be tough in mid-season. |