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| PALESTINE - Longview brought wild, wild old-fashioned Texas football to Palestine Friday night. The Wildcats tried to pull pistols with the Lobos, and the Wildcats lost.
Longview had a lanky gunner name of Rolanda Whitehurst ponder - and Longview had receivers running free over Luckett Kolstad Field all night long, and the Lobos had the big end of the scoreboard when the shootout was over. Just to keep the record straight the Lobos defeated Palestine, 36-0, the worst beating a Palestine team has suffered in years, according to an official of Palestine High School. There is such a thing as working yourself out of a job and that's almost what Longview's first stringers did starting with the fourth quarter. Coach Tommy Hudspeth used all players that made the trip here. Truer words were never spoken, "they say a good defense is a good offense," and the Lobos proved just that. Coach Hudspeth's Lobos remained unbeaten, winning their third straight game and their second straight district contest with a tough, hard fought win. Good looking things for the offense were the running of tailback Billy Price, a senior fancy stepper, who appeared ready to break out and go the distance, and the dangerously swift fullback Ray Wright, plus blocking which penned some avenues for Longview runners to travel. Palestine went into the game with a perfect 2-0 record, with wins over Athens and Marshall, but Friday night they were beaten by one of the finest football teams in Texas. Quarterback Roland Whitehurst was as calm as could be during the entire contest. The scouts in the press box were very impressed with his running and throwing of the pigskin. They said he's a born champion. Swift and sure as a Scotchman's savings, Longview showed its heels to Palestine. The Wildcats' game plan must have been to keep the Lobo tailback Billy Price pinned down. They failed from the first play. Price carried the ball 16 times for 115 net yards. The Lobos scored touchdowns by wingback Sid Sistrunk, end Ralph Blount, fullback Ray Wright and tailback Alton Coley. End Larry Meeks caught Palestine's punter, Calvin Griffith, in the end zone for a 2 point safety. Blount kicked three out of four extra point and Jimmy Hill kicked one extra point. Quarterback Whitehurst carried the ball five times for 35 net yards and attempted six passes, completing four. One of them was a 75-yard touchdown aerial to Blount in the second quarter, 23 seconds to go before halftime. The victory must be credited to a team effort. This team is looking more like the Lobos of 1967. It was the third game last season at Houston when the Lobos defeated Smiley in a come-from-behind victory. However, here Friday night, the Lobos were never behind as Palestine in the second half never really came close to scoring. In fact, they could hardly move the ball. The Lobo defense s something to write home about. Boys like Bob Gilchrist, Larry Bagley, Larry Shanks, Robert Robe, Larry Meeks, Phil Atkins, Billy Medlin, Mark Friend, Eddie Koon, Mark Hill, Alton Coley and Corwin Bush were standouts. If Coach Hudspeth had kept his first team in all four quarters the score would have been past 50 points. But the Lobo mentor was a good sportsman and used his entire squad to help keep the score down. Longview had a 14-0 lead at halftime, and came back in the third quarter and scored 13 more and in the final period added nine points. The Lobos scored their first touchdown 8:30 remaining on the clock int he second period when wingback Sistrunk went over left guard from one yard out. Blount's extra point kicks as good and the Lobos led 7-0. The Lobos started on their own 20-yard line with 16 seconds left in the first quarter On the first play, Longview was given a five yard penalty for offside, so the touchdown drive started on the 15-yard line and the Lobos receive a little help as Palestine was charged with a 10 yard penalty for hitting late then tailback carried the ball from the 15 to the 30 for a gain of 20 on the first try. So from the 50, the Lobo touchdown machine moved like a well oiled clock. In 10 plays the Lobos had six points on the board. With 1:31 remaining before the break, the Lobos took over on their own 15 yard line. On the third play from the 29 yard stripe of Longview, quarterback Whitehurst took the snap from center Walter Bennett and went to his right. He waited until Blount was open. He hit Blount on the 35 of Palestine and the all-district star galloped the distance into the end zone for the touchdown with only 22 seconds left. Blount's kick was good and the Lobos led 14-0. Longview started the third off hot as a tin-top roof on an August day in South Vietnam. Quarterback Eddie Moore fumbled the ball on the 39-yard line of Longview and Larry Shanks recovered it back on the middle stripe. With 8:42 on the clock, fullback Ray Wright broke through like a Sherman tank and sailed 50 yards for the touchdown and wasn't even touched by a Wildcat. Blount's kick was blocked and the Lobos settled for a 20-0 lead. The Lobos started again on their drive for another touchdown with the Lobos on the Palestine 47-yard line. Price, on the first try, carried tot he 32 for a 15-yard gain. Wright went off left tackle to the 30. Then quarterback Whitehurst took the ball, and worked his way through the 'Cats to the 5 yard line for a gain of 25 yards. Price carried to the one and then Sisrunk went off right tackle for the touchdown. With 4:45 on the clock in the third period, Blount added the extra point with his golden toe to make it 27-0. Tailback Alton Coley scored Longview's final touchdown with 8:44 left in the fourth quarter from 11 yards out around left end. Jimmy hill kicked the extra point. The drive started on the Lobo 47 under the quarterbacking of Mike Northcutt. Northcutt, who is a junior, guided the Lobos down the field with very little trouble. Palestine's punter, Griffith, was caught in the end zone by Larry Meeks for a 2 point safety with 2:40 left in the game. The Lobo defense fought the Wildcats back on their own 9-yard line and it was fourth down. Griffith went back to take the snap and the ball went to his left. Meeks put the rush on him for the safety. Coach Hudspeth used quarterbacks Whitehurst, Northcutt, Blackshear Jameson, Ron Cidulka and Mark Hill. If the clock had not run out, the managers may have been sent in. It was a victory Longview fans will remember for a long time. Longview will play host to Tyler Scott next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Longview. |