2008 Season - Class 4A Division I State Finalist

[LoboFan07]

2008 Season - Record: 13-3 (6-0)
08.29 - at #8 Allen - Loss 21-7
09.05 - vs Tyler Lee - Win 21-0
09.12 - Barbers Hill - CANCELED
09.12 - vs #2 Evangel - Loss 2-0
09.19 - vs #9 Lufkin - Win 45-37 (3OT)
09.26 - vs #8 Texas High*/ - Win 41-7
10.03 - at #7 Sulphur Springs* - Win 32-13
10.10 - vs Mount Pleasant* - Win 51-7
10.17 - at Marshall* - Win 50-21
10.24 - vs Hallsville* - Win 21-7
10.30 - Pine Tree* - Win 41-14
11.14 - Bi-District: Jacksonville - Win 61-14
11.21 - Area: Lancaster - Win 49-22
11.29 - Regional: #5 Dallas Carter - Win 35-20
12.06 - Quarterfinals: #7 Waco Midway - Win 43-42 (OT)
12.13 - Semi-Finals: Denton Guyer - Win 41-30
12.20 - Finals: #1 Lake Travis - Loss 48-23

Longview won the District 13-4A Championship.

* 09.12 vs Barbers Hill was set to be played at Homer Bryce Stadium in Nacogdoches but was canceled due to Hurricane Ike. Longview scheduled Evangel to make up for the game.
** 09.12 vs Evangel was a 52-22 victory for Longview until later in the week they were forced to forfeit due to an ineligible player.
*** 10.30 vs Pine Tree was played at Rose Stadium in Tyler.
**** Bi-District match up vs Jacksonville was played at Rose Stadium in Tyler.
***** Area match up vs Lancaster was played at Kincaide Stadium in Dallas.
****** Regional match up vs Dallas Carter was played at Tiger Stadium in Corsicana.
******* Quarterfinal match up vs Waco Midway was played at Texas Stadium in Irving.
******** Semi-Final match up vs Denton Guyer was played at Texas Stadium in Irving.
********* Class 4A Division I State Championship vs Lake Travis was played at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco.
/ = 7th annual Green Out game.

[LoboFan07]

Longview at Allen - at Eagle Stadium - August 29th, 2008 - via Longview News-Journal

First game jitters show in 21-7 loss

Longview's football team was able to keep Allen's high-powered offense in check on Friday

— for a half.

Unfortunately for the Lobos, Allen came alive in the second half, scoring two third-quarter touchdowns to pull away for a 21-7 victory at Eagle Stadium.

After Allen had 69 yards of offense in the first half, the Eagles had 74 on its first second-half drive, capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Matt Brown to Nathan Behne with 9:51 left in the third quarter, putting Allen up for good at 14-7.

An interception and 28-yard return by Allen linebacker Mitch Hartshorne set up a four-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Dakarai Pecikonis with 2:24 left in the third quarter. Brown also connected with Pecikonis for a 32-yard pass play to set up the touchdown, with Pecikonis making a leaping catch.

"They were able to sutain drives better in the second half," Longview defensive end Chris Knighton said. "They pulled their guards to block us in the second half."

The loss spoiled the first game as a Class 4A school for Longview (0-1) since 1979. Longview, ranked No. 8 in the Associated PRess' Class 4A state poll, lost its third straight season opener. Allen (1-0), ranked No. 8 in the AP Class 5A state poll, won its 20th consecutive regular-season game.

Longview had a rough start to its season. After Longview's first drive stalled, Allen's Jeremiah Reeves used three sharp moves to break free for a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown, giving Allen a 7-0 lead with 10:34 left in the first quarter.

After that player however, the Lobos appeared to lose first-game jitters. The Lobos rebounded to march 80 yards for a touchdown, capped by a four-yard run by Aaaron Johnson with 6:16 left in the first quarter.

The Lobos generally controlled the first half, outgaining Allen in yards, 196-69. This included holding Allen's running game to 18 yards on nine carries.

Unfortunately for the Lobos, their best chance to break the 7-7 tie in the first half ended with 1:18 left in the second quarter, when Allen forced Longview fullback Jonathan Oliver to fumble and defensive back Marcus George recovered.

Scoring

1st - Allen (7-0) - Jeremy Reeves (52 yard punt return)
1st - Longview (7-7) - Aaron Johnson (4 yard run)
3rd - Allen (14-7) - Nathan Behne (14 yard pass from Matt Brown)
3rd - Allen (21-7) - Dakarai Pecikonis (4 yard pass from Matt Brown)

Statistics

First Downs: Allen-15 Longview-18
Rushing Yards: Allen-80 Longview-242
Passing Yards: Allen-180 Longview-101
Passes: Allen-15-27-0 Longview-10-22-1
Punts: Allen-4-36.8 Longview-5-30.0
Fumbles Lost: Allen-0 Longview-1
Penalties: Allen-3 for 30 Longview-8 for 65

[LoboFan07]

Longview vs Tyler Lee - at Lobo Stadium - September 5th, 2008 - via Longview News-Journal

Lobos shut out Raiders

Longview's football team blanked Tyler Lee on Friday, 21-0, because Longview kept Lee from moving in the air, while the Lobos moved the ball on the ground.

Before 9,000 spectators at Lobo Stadium, the Longview defense picked off three passes, the most important a 36-yard return for a touchdown by Alonte Darden with 6:29 remaining. Longview's defense forced five turnovers and held the Red Raiders to 121 total yards of offense. Longview, ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press' Class 4A state poll, improves to 1-1, while Lee drops to 0-2.

Longview's defense had to hold ground until the Longview offense hit its stride.

The stride came with 4:17 left in the third quarter, when a two-yard touchdown plunge by Tyler McCray broke a scoreless tie. The touchdown capped an 87-yard drive on 10 consecutive rushing attempts. The drive started when the Longview defense forced Lee fullback Chase Wiley to fumble, with Longview linebacker Chris Weaver pouncing on the loose ball.

Lee's best chance to tie the game in the second half was late in the third quarter, when the Red Raiders received the ball on the Longview 36-yard line after a 14-yard punt. With 1:53 left in the third quarter however, Longview safety Lamarcus Howard intercepted a Wagner pass in the end zone for a touchback.

The Lobos clinched the win when Darius Watters recovered a Wagner fumble, then the Lobos ran eight straight running plays, capped by a 13-yard touchdown run by Aaron Johnson with 1:25 remaining.

Longview had 233 yards rushing on 47 carries, led by 99 yards from McCray. Jonathan Oliver added 57 yards on 10 carries, while Da'Cedric Hunt had 47 yards on six second-half carries. The running game made up for struggles in the passing game, as the Lobos had just 18 passing yards.

Neither team could get on the scoreboard in the first half. In that half, Longview's defense was outstanding, holding the Red Raiders to 22 total yards and two first downs, none in the first quarter.

However, the Lobos could not take advantage of two early scoring opportunities. On their second drive, the Lobos had a fourth-and-inches at the Lee 26-yard line, but the Lobos were called for illegal procedure, then fullback Oliver could not hang on to screen pass from Johnson, which probably would have gone for a first down.

Longview's other first-half scoring opportunity came with 3:58 left in the second quarter, when Longview defensive end Chris Knighton intercepted a Wagner pass and returned it to the Lee 44-yard line. On the ensuing drive however, the Lobos were knocked back for minus one yard.

The Lobos had 95 total yards and four first downs in the first half, with no first downs in the second quarter.

Longview's defense finished with seven tackles for losses, with two each from Knighton and Melvin Templeton. The Lobos held standout Lee running back Da Da Brown to 25 yards on 18 carries. Brown had 178 yards rushing in last year's 20-12 Longview win, including a 97-yard touchdown run.

Longview plays Mont Belvieu Barber's Hill this Friday at Stephen F. Austin State University's Homer Bryce Stadium in Nacogdoches. Lee hosts Dallas Kimball this Friday.

Scoring

3rd - Longview (7-0) - Tyler McCray (2 yard run)
4th - Longview (14-0) - Alonte' Darden (Interception return)
4th - Longview (21-0) - Aaron Johnson (13 yard run)

Statistics

First Downs: Tyler Lee-6 Longview-13
Rushing Yards: Tyler Lee-55 Longview-233
Passing Yards: Tyler Lee-66 Longview-18
Passes: Tyler Lee-4-12-3 Longview-4-12-0
Punts: Tyler Lee-5-35.2 Longview-6-25.5
Fumbles Lost: Tyler Lee-2 Longview-0
Penalties: Tyler Lee-8 for 55 Longview-5 for 30