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| TYLER - Longview's district championship bid was a football length from the end zone, but John Tyler's defense wouldn't crack for a 17-14 Lion triumph here Friday night.
The Lobos came into the chilly Rose Stadium atop the 12-5A standings with a 3-0 record and needed only a win to claim its first title since 1987. But the Lions now move into the driver's seat and take a 3-0-1 record into next Saturday's season finale against Tyler Lee. A win and John Tyler would claim its first crown since '81. Longview closes out the regular season at Marshall next Friday and needs a win over the Mavericks, plus a loss by John Tyler against Lee to still win district. At 6-2-1 overall, John Tyler wraps up a postseason berth. The Lobos (7-2) had already clinched a playoff spot. The Lobos had four chances inside the five-yard line in the final minute of play. John Tyler even helped Longview with an offsides call that stopped the clock with nine seconds showing. But with no timeouts left, Andre Davis was stacked up short of the goal line as the clock expired. A 50-yard kickoff return by Bobby Taylor, after the Lions' S.A. Barnes gave John Tyler a 17-14 lead with 2:14 to play, set the Lobos up 41 yards away from victory. A 22-yard pass from Jason Dodson to Chad Daniels, Andre Davis' 16-yard sweep to the right and a Dodson-to-John Washington connection for nine yards set the Lobos up with a first-and-goal at the two. However, in the process the Lobos expended their timeouts, calling two in the final 1:33 of the game. It was perhaps a fitting end to a game dominated by the Lions on both sides of the football. Until the final series, Longview had mustered only one first down in the second half, while starting possessions on their own 28, 7 and 8-yard lines. Using a ball-control offense, John Tyler's offense was entrenched in the Lobos' end of the field. The Lions were stopped at Longview's seven on a fourth-and-one when Tony Dixon tackle Cakai Champion for a loss and again at the 40 as John Tyler was forced to punt after running off nine time consuming plays. Davis led all rushers with 18 carries for 86 yards as he had his string of four consecutive 100-yard games broken. Champion paced John Tyler with 84 on 16. John Tyler dominated everything in the first half but the scoreboard, as Longview used a pair of big plays to hold a 14-10 advantage. The Lions ran off 38 offensive plays to Longview's 17. John Tyler also held an 11-3 edge in first downs. In time possessions, John Tyler had the ball for 17:48, while the Lobos were on offense for only 6:12. The Lions nearly pulled off a "Hail Mary" as the half ended on Arthur Hunter's 44-yard pass to Pat Bowie, who caught it at the eight, but was dragged down by Taylor at the two as time elapsed. It was the Lions only mistake of the half that vault the Lobos into the lead as Taylor and Charles Jones stripped quarterback Hunter after a 27-yard gain at the 21. The Lions had taken possession at their own 48 after a short pass by Longview's Levin Fuller. Fullback Alton McAlister then busted up the middle, broke a tackle in the secondary, and raced 67 yards for the touchdown with 4:18 left in the second quarter. John Tyler took the lead on Mike Jones' 1-yard dive at the 7:28 mark to culminate a 70-yard, 15-play drive. The Lions' other points came on their opening possession as Gus Alfaro booted a 27-yard field goal as Joh Tyler ran nearly eight minutes off the clock. It took only four plays for Longview to take a 7-3 lead. On a fourth-and-one call at their own 46, Davis went 54 on a sweep down the left sideline. |