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LONGVIEW - Longview's football team had three smooth quarters on Friday, after one scary one.
After Whitehouse controlled the first quarter, Longview stormed back and scored 42 consecutive points for a 52-9 victory in a Class 4A Division I bi-district playoff in Longview's first playoff game at Lobo Stadium since 1984. The Lobos had 508 total yards of offense - 378 from the running game - while the defense produced four interceptions, four sacks and 13 tackles for losses on defense. Longview (10-1), ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press' Class 4A state poll advances to an area playoff against Hewitt Midway or Red Oak at 2 p.m. next Saturday at Kincaide Stadium in Dallas. Midway plays Red Oak in a bi-district playoff at 1 p.m. today at Waco ISD Stadium. Whitehouse ends its season at 3-8. Whitehouse had control of most of the first quarter. After Kyle Jenkins kicked a 27-yard field goal for Longview, Whitehouse quarterback Hunter Taylor connected with Trey Metoyer for a 69-yard touchdown pass on Whitehouse's first play from scrimmage with 5:58 left in the first. Taylor passed for 203 yards in the first half while Metoyer had five receptions for 105 yards. Whitehouse drove to the Longview 32-yard line on its second drive, but the momentum of the game changed when LaDarius Brooks intercepted a Taylor pass and returned it 20 yards. The pick and an ensuing 24-yard scramble by Aaron Johnson set up a two-yard touchdown run by Dakota Anthony with 11:15 left in the second quarter to give Longview the lead for good at 10-7. The Wildcats threatened to score on its next drive, but Alonte Darden intercepted a Taylor pass in the Longview end zone and returned the ball 31 yards. This set up a 48-yard pass from Aaron Johnson to Javorus Poole, which in turn set up a two-yard touchdown run by Tyler McCray with 7:54 left in the second quarter. McCray had 71 yards rushing in the first half on 11 carries and finished with 88 yards on the ground. Whitehouse tried to convert on a fourth-and-10 on its next drive, but Diop Johnson sacked Taylor to give Longview the ball at the Whitehouse 49-yard line. A 30-yard reverse run by Carey Fortson set up a six-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Johnson to Brandon Olson with 1:11 left in the second quarter, helping give Longview a 24-7 halftime lead. Longview had five tackles for losses in the first half, two by Bubba Vactor. "The first touchdown got our attention, but I wasn't surprised about it because of their big-play potential," Longview coach John King said. "Our kids got adjusted and we didn't have as many missed assignments after LaDarius' interception." Longview scored touchdowns on its first three possessions of the second half, which included a 20-yard reverse run by Javorus Poole and a 53-yard touchdown run by Da'Cedric Hunt. Both touchdowns were set up by downfield blocks by LaDarrin Robertson. Aaron Johnson had 132 total yards of offense while Fortson had 91 total yards. Darden added a third-quarter interception, and Addison McGee also had a pick for Longview. Vactor had three tackles for losses while Brooks and Diop Johnson had two each, sparking a Longview defense which knocked Whitehouse back for minus-four yards rushing. Taylor had 224 yards passing, but left the game on a stretcher after getting sacked by Anthony Wiley in the third quarter. Metoyer finished with seven receptions for 119 yards, but also left the game in the third quarter with an apparent leg injury. Whitehouse's defense had no tackles for losses. Longview cornerback Clema Holland, also a standout basketball player, left with an apparent turned right-ankle injury in the third quarter and did not return. |