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| LONGVIEW - Selwyn Broughton provided the spark, Earnest Hunter the muscle and John Tyler the scare before Longview's Lobos came from behind to post a 21-20 win here Friday night at Lobo Stadium.
The trump clinched a state playoff berth for the Lobos, who completed the District 13-5A schedule with a 5-1 record and take an 8-1 mark into the regular season final at Mesquite next week. Marshall, which defeated the Lobos last week, defended the district title with a 10-7 win at Tyler Lee. It will be the Lobos' first playoff appearance in two years and the first for coach Robert Bero. John Tyler, playing under first year head coach Jimmie Keeling, falls to 2-7 and 1-4, but it was a gallant effort which went awry in the second half. The Lions had not scored as many as 20 points in game this season, but Brougthon came off the bench - playing almost all of the second half - to rush for 132 yards while the defense was keying on Hunter. Hunter score all three Longview touchdowns and rushed for 72 hard-earned yards on 26 carries. Hunter's final touchdown, and his 21st of the season, came with 9:14 remaining in the gam and came two plays after Broughton had stepped off 54 yards to the John Tyler five. A try for two failed, but the Lobos finally had the lead after falling behind, 20-8, at the half. Hunter also scored at the end of a seven-play, 62-yard drive on the initial play of the final quarter. He scored from the five, again after Broughton had scampered for 37 yards on a fourth-down-and-one play. Broughton faked to Hunter in the middle and skirted around the right end for his big gainer. The Longview defense, which had been rattled for 188 yards in the first half, held the Lions to just nine yards and one first down in the second half. John Tyler quarterback James Allen finished with a 15-of-27 performance for 150 yards, but he had completed 12-of-18 in the first half for 128 yards. The Lions had minus 13 yards rushing in the second half as Longview's front wall teed off on Allen, sacking him five yards for 30 yards in losses in the last two quarters. An exchange of fumbles allowed the Lions to take a second quarter lead, but a scoring march in the final seconds enabled them to take a surprising 20-8 advantage at the half. Allen hit a leaping S.A. Barnes at the Lobos' six-yard line with just eight seconds remaining and on the ensuing play connected with Kenny Cantrell for the score and the 12-point margin. The drive covered 54 yards and took only 31 seconds as Allen hit three of four passes. It was Allen's arm which caught the Lobos off guard on the game's opening drive as he hit four of five tosses for 41 yards in a 13-play, 57-yard drive, capped by Barnes on a one-yard dive play with 4:42 left in the stanza. Longview, however, bounced right back and marched 6 yards in only nine plays. Hunter taking it in from two yards with 34 seconds left in the opening quarter. A Broughton two-point conversion put the Lobos momentarily in front, 8-7. Broughton, who alternated with Kevin Madden, directed the scoring drive, all of which came on the ground. Reggie Adams had a 23-yard scamper on an option play to place the ball at the Lions six. Hunter bulled over two plays later. John Tyler then drove from its 26 to the Longview 37 but fumbled and Longview's Eric Davis made the recovery. Three plays later, however, Madden and Hunter mishandled a handoff and the Lions' Chris Rocha recovered at the Longview 34. Allen seven plays later hooked up with Cantrell on a third-down play from the 10 and John Tyler was back in front. Gus Alfaro booted his second extra point for a 14-8 lead with 6:34 left in the first half. |