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| TYLER - Time and the season simply ran out on the Longview Lobos as John Tyler claimed a 36-27 victory Friday night at Rose Stadium.
Longview needed a victory to keep its postseason hopes alive. But the loss ended those hopes as the Lobos fell to 1-3 in District 12-5A and 3-6 overall. John Tyler improves to 5-3 and 3-1. Behind the pass-catch duo of Dustin Wilson and Courtney Taylor, Longview got its offense going in the second half. However, a fumble in the end zone after Taylor was stripped of the ball at the John Tyler one-yard line, and a Lion defensive stand inside their own five twice denied the Lobos. "The fumble down in the end zone on the one pass play where we could have gotten points, and then down on the five, those were big," said Longview coach Robert Bero. "You put points on the board right there and we've got a chance to win the football game." Wilson was pressed into service as the starting quarterback for the injured Joe Creal. The junior threw for a career-best 258 yards, 22 of 33 completions and two touchdowns - a 1-yarder to Mark Peters and 27 yards to LaRoyce Howard both late in the ballgame. Taylor caught a career-high 10 passes for 124 yards. The Lobos were also playing without three defensive starters, including leading tackler and middle linebacker Alan Dale Rodgers, safety Antoine Pickron and end Josh Symank, who is also the deep snapper on punts. All three were injured in last week's loss to Tyler Lee. Offensively, center Vondrick Lawson was sidelined by an injury. John Tyler used a 334-yard ground check, that was led by Robert Garmon's two big touchdown runs. His 75-yard romp on a toss sweep down the left sideline proved to be the game clincher. The Lions had gained just nine yards in two series where they went three plays and out. Garmon's game breaker came with 8:25 remaining in the fourth quarter - both teams combined for 34 points in the final stanza. Lion quarterback Cletus McGee also found the end zone on a 20-yard pass with 5:25 remaining as John Tyler built a 36-13 advantage. The Lobos had looked sharp to open the game, converting on a fourth-and-two play with Artillious Allison taking the ball the final 4 yards to complete a 78-yard, nine-play drive. Josh Scobee added the point-after as Longview led 7-0 with 7:56 showing on the clock. The Lions would score 22 unanswered points. First, taking advantage of an interception by Aaron Ross who stepped in front of Wilson's intended pass for Howard at the John Tyler 26-yard line. Longview was also flagged for a five-yard face mask infraction. Longview was in the midst of an 11-play drive, which started at its own 20. On third-and-three, Garmon took a pitch to the left and raced down the sideline for a 62-yard scoring play. However, Ogletree's extra point was wide to the left. Longview did little else the rest of the half as the Lions picked up a safety as the ball was snapper over the head of Scobee and out of the back the end zone with 6:16 showing, and Ross scored a 1-yard burst up the middle to finish off a 67-yard, eight-play drive at the 1:44 mark. |