|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
||
|
|
| MARSHALL - Marshall, which last year defeated Texas High in the season finale enabling Longview to capture an outright district championship, presented the Lobos several gifts here Friday night - in the form of four fumbles and two interceptions.
Overcoming a horrendous first quarter, the Lobos capitalized on most every opportunity to scored 28 unanswered en route to a convincing 31-13 victory. The win puts Longview two games away from defending its 14-AAAAA title and eliminates the Mavericks from any consideration. Longview is now 7-1 on the season and 4-1 in league play, a game behind next week's foe, John Tyler. The Mavs are 6-2 and 3-2. Marshall totally dominated the first period, running off 23 plays to Longview's seven and gaining 88 yards to Longview's four. But thanks to a pair of missed field goals, the Mavs held only a 7-0 at the end of the quarter. It was not until less than 10 minutes remained in the first half that Longview recorded its initial first down. And although the Lobos had shown little sign of life deep into the quarter, a spectacular 64-yard punt return to the Marshall one-yard line by Gahlen Johnson provided the needed spark. Kenny Frazier, who would rush for 7 yards on the night, including 49 on a quarterback sneak play, dived in on the ensuing lay and Jessie Floyd knotted the game at seven-all with 3:40 left in the first half. That's when the complexion of the game changed. Mav signal-caller Tim Sperier fumbled on the first play from scrimmage following the Lobo kickoff and Ken Jordan recovered. Despite a 15-yard offensive pass interference penalty, which moved the ball back to the 43, Frazier connected on two straight passes, 17 yards to Terry Morrow and 18 yards to Johnson, and Ronnie Hunter carried two straight plays, the last five yards for the go-ahead score with 1:54 still showing on the clock. For all practical purposes, it was all Longview the rest of the way. Duke Brooks was a defensive stalwart. In addition to his sideline-to-sideline ball-hawking, the smallish middle linebacker intercepted a pass at his own five to halt one Mav scoring threat and recovered a fumble near the end of the third quart to set up Longview's third touchdown. Brooks even turned ball-carrier late in the game, taking an up snap on a fake punt and scampering 14 yards for a first down to the Marshall 20. Four plays later Floyd booted a 29-yard field goal for the final points of the game. Brooks' interception at his five came with the Lobos holding a 14-7 lead, but 10 plays and 95 yards - all on the ground - later it was 21-7, Ronnie Hunter scoring from two yards out. Hunter, who did not start due to a bruised thigh, carried only six times all night but two were for touchdowns, giving him 10 for the season. The 95-yard march was sparked by Frazier's 49-yard jaunt which moved the ball from his 17 to the Marshall 34. On the ensuing kickoff Brooks recovered Jack Hurd's fumble and it took Johnson just three carries, eight, eight and 10 yards, to go in for the score. Floyd's extra point put the Lobos up 28-7 with 9:31 left. The Mavericks, who put the first points on the board on their second possession with a one-yard plunge by Ira Valentine, the game's leading rusher with 120 yards on 20 carries, struck quickly in the final quarter. Aided by a pair of 15-yard Longview penalties, Sperier capped a 71-yard march with pass completions of 35 yards to Teddy Richardson and 11 yards to tight end Richard Mitchell for a touchdown with 5:26 remaining. |