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| BRYAN - There's just something about the second half that brings out the best in the Longview Lobos.
Longview scored on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter to rally for a 15-10 victory Friday night in a Class 5A non-district high school football game. The Lobos capped off a frantic comeback when Fred Talley scored on a 12-yard sweep with 3 minutes, 19 seconds left. The play capped a nine-play, 48-yard drive that was set up by an on sides kick recovery by Bryce Beckworth. Longview, 3-1, couldn't celebrate just yet. Bryan, 1-3, marched to the 6-inch line with time running out. Viking quarterback Joel Bryan had reached the goal line on a bootleg. The Vikings took a timeout with 12 seconds left. Bryan's tailback blasted into the end zone on the next play, but a dead ball procedure penalty brought it back. Longview safety Lee Jackson tackled a scrambling Joel Bryan at the 3 on the game's final play. Longview players, cheerleaders and coaches dashed onto the field to celebrated. Viking players knelt and cried. "That's the way we've been doing it all year," Longview coach Robert Bero said. "We've been a strong second-half team." The Lobos rolled up 178 yards rushing in the first half, but no points as turnovers killed three drives deep into Viking territory "We felt we were moving the ball," Bero said. "We were just hurting ourselves with penalties and turnovers at key times. In the second half, our offense came together, and I thought our defense played well when it had to." Longview was impressive on its first second-half possession, reaching the Bryan 10, only to fumble, reminiscent of the first half woes. Bryan responded with a nine-play, 86-yard field goal drive aided by a pair of 15-yard penalties against Longview. Undaunted, Longview marched 86 yards in 14 plays with Tajuan Stoker scoring from the 4. Stoker had 123 yards on 20 carries and Fred Talley 177 on 18. Longview's Bryce Beckworth then recovered the onsides kick as the Lobo place-kicker pulled off the surprise by booting the ball on his heel with his back to the ball. Longview needed nine plays to cover 48 yards, the big play being a 15-yard screen pass to tight end Ben Price on fourth-and-8 from the 35. Talley scored on the next play with 3:19 left. Bryan marched down the field until the penalty and Jackson came through. "That was a big, big play," Bero said of Jackson. Bryan took a 7-0 halftime lead on the strength of two Bryan Wolfe interceptions. Longview reached the Bryan 3 early in the second quarter when a holding call killed the drive. Wolfe came up with his second interception, returning it 51 yards to the Longview 31. Bryan tailback Patrick Tennell scored from the 3 with 7:10 left. |