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LONGVIEW - Terrance Parks did his best Reggie McNeal impression, especially in the second half as he guided the Lufkin Panthers to a 23-12 victory over Longview Friday night at Lobo Stadium spoiling the Lobos' 2002 Homecoming celebration.
The Loss snapped Longview's 10-game home winning streak. It also dropped the Lobos to 1-2 in District 11-5A. Lufkin improved to 2-1 in district and 6-1 for the season. The Lobos came into the game ranked 10th in the state, while the Panthers were No. 6 Parks, who replaced the All-American McNeal this season at quarterback, proved both elusive on the ground and accurate through the air. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 196 yards, throwing one touchdown, while picking up an additional 56 yards toting the football 14 times. "We got outcoached tonight," said Longivew coach Pat Collins, "and we got outplayed. It's a little combination of everything. We got out and had good practices, but the intensity wasn't there. In order to beat Lufkin, you've got to have a lot of intensity. "I thought at the half our kids were in good spirits. But in the second half we seemed to stay bottled up. We just couldn't get out of our half of the field, we couldn't move the football. They just whipped us at the line of scrimmage." Longview did make back-to-back defensive stands deep in their own territory, sacking Parks once tot urn the ball over on downs, then allowing the Panthers just a field goal - a 24-yarder by Michael White. The Lobos were stilling clinging to a 12-10 with two seconds remaining in the third quarter. However, Longview had been stymied offensively after taking a 12-7 lead into the dressing room at halftime. The Lobos managed just 45 yards in the second half. Twice, the Panthers pinned Longview at its own 10 and when the Lobos reached near midfield they fumbled. A 52-yard pass play from Parks to Quentin Holman put Lufkin on top 16-12 early in the fourth quarter. The Panthers attempted a two-point conversion, but Parks' pass was batted down at the goal line. Lufkin then sealed the victory as Brian Rogers ran in from 4 yards out with 2:26 to play as the Panthers used ball-control to use up valuable time not eh clock. Longview jumped out to a 6-0 lead on its first possession of the ballgame, marching 78 yards in 16 plays - all on the ground. Fred Hawkins finished it off with a 3-yard burst up the middle. However, the snap was high on the extra point attempt and Alex Cammack's attempted pass on the ensuing scramble fell incomplete. The Lobos' opening drive took eight minutes, 19 seconds off the clock, consuming most of the first quarter. Lufkin took its first lead early in the second quarter as Parks went to the air three straight times for 71 yards on an eight-play, 82-yard drive. However, Jorvorskie Lane tallied the touchdown, scoring on a 2-yard run. Jonathan Hale kicked the point-after for a 7-6 Panther lead at the 8:38 mark. A good Longview stand on defense, where the Panthers were forced to punt deep in their own territory set up the Lobos' go-ahead score before intermission. Consecutive first down runs by Jerrel Williams and Rogers Taylor, and back-to-back Armstrong carries set the Lobos up with a first-and-goal at the Lufkin 8. However, on a sack of Armstrong, Longview was also flagged for unsportsmanlike conducted. Facing second-and-goal from the 24, Taylor leaped to pull down an Armstrong pass at the 1. On the next play, Armstrong snuck across the goal line for a 12-7 Longview advantage with 1:17 left in the half. The Lobos' attempt for the two-point conversion failed as Hawkins was tackled short of the end zone. |