Longview vs Grand Prairie - Gopher Bowl - September 19th, 1970 - via Grand Prairie Daily News
Gophers bow 27-7 against Longview
The Grand Prairie Gophers could well spend all week working on pitchouts from the quarterback to the halfback, after falling to Longview, 27-7, Saturday night in the Gopher Bowl.
The Lobos, scoring points in every quarter, combined a fine offense with a taught defense to crush the hometown boys. But the contest was much closer than the final score shows.
Grand Prairie blew three good scoring opportunities, which could have possibly put the Gophers ahead by one at the final gun. Two of Grand Prairie's three bad laterals came when they were deep in Lobo Country, once when the Gophers were on the four-year stripe and once at the 12-yard line.
On another possession, Grand Prairie had driven from the Lobos 37 yard line before a Keith Judy lead defense stopped the Gophers in their tracks at the 11.
Longview quarterback Ronnie Davis connected with Bill Gibson for two of the visitors touchdowns. And teammates James Lomax and Jeb Blount added the remaining two scores.
Gary Bartel, the Gophers halfback, accounted for the only Grand Prairie score. His effort was a six-yard run in the first period.
Fullback Gopher Ron Mahry was the leading rusher for the home team, picking up 48 yards on 11 carries. Bartel was second with 35 yards on 22 tries.
Mike Fresley couldn't seem to get his passing game going and as a result hit only two of 12 passes for 28 yard and one interception.
Davis connected on five of eight aerials for 74 yards with one interception. Lomax became the workhorse for the Lobos, carrying the ball 18 times for 80 yards. Teammate Chuck Boyd, who didn't se any action until the final quarter, was the second leading rusher for Longview with 35 yards.
Longview took the opening kickoff and drove 50 yards for their first tally. A seven-yard pass from Davis to Gibson was the clincher for the score. Blount's extra point was good, and the Lobos led, 7-0.
But the Gophers came right back to even things up. With the running Mabry and Bartel. Grand Prairie steadily moved down the field from their own 31 yard line. On the 10th play of the possession Bartel scooted across the magic marker for the six points. Bill Liner's point after touchdown was straight through the uprights, and with 3:44 remaining in the opening canto it was all tied up, 7-7.
After an exchange of punts, the fireworks started popping again.
Longview took the ball at their own 46 and two plays later found themselves six yards in the hole. Just as it looked as if the Lobos were going to have to forfeit the ball, Grand Prairie had a roughing the kicker penalty called on them.
That gave Longview a first down at the Grand Prairie 30 instead of the Gophers ball at their 20. It took only two minutes for the Lobos to capitalize on Grand Prairie's error.
Lomax climaxed the 54-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown plunge. The snap from center on the extra point attempt was bad, and the Lobos never got the kick away. Still, Longview held a 13-7 lead.
The Gophers couldn't move the ball after the kickoff and were forced to punt. When Longview got their opportunity with the ball, they fumbled their chances - literally. Steve Saundera gobbled up the loose football at the Lobo 25 yard line.
Grand Prairie drove to the four, but a bad pitchout killed the effort, and the Gophers went in at halftime six points down to Longview.
Alvis Sneed fumbled for Grand Prairie on the opening play in the third quarter, and it only took Longview three plays to find pay dirt. Another pass from Davis to Gibson added up to another seven points for the Lobos with 10:29 left in the period. Blount's extra point was good.
An alert Mike Lancaster recovered another fumble for Grand Prairie on Longview's next possession, but the Gophers couldn't move the ball, and were forced to punt after just three plays.
The local squad opened up the final quarter with another opportunity to put six points on the scoreboard but failed. The Gophers drove to the 12 yard stripe, but again, another costly lateral spoiled their chances.
Things began to get wild and wooly with 55 seconds left in the game. Stan Farrar picked off a Lobo pass and returned it to his own 38. But Kent Wilson intercepted a Presly pass on the opening play, and ran the ball all the way to the Gopher 14 yard line. Two plays later Blount plunged in from the one for the final score.
Scoring
1st - Longview (7-0) - Bill Gibson (7 yard pass from Ronnie Davis)
1st - Grand Prairie (7-7) - Gary Bartel (6 yard run)
2nd - Longview (13-7) - James Lomax (4 yard run)
3rd - Longview (20-7) - Bill Gibson (? yard pass form Ronnie Davis)
4th - Longview (27-7) - Jeb Blount (? yard run)
Statistics
First Downs: Grand Prairie-15 Longview-12
Rushing Yards: Grand Prairie-123 Longview-126
Passing Yards: Grand Prairie-28 Longview-74
Passes: Grand Prairie-2-12-1 Longview-5-8-1
Punts: Grand Priaire-5-34.0 Longview-4-42.0
Fumbles Lost: Grand Priaire-2 Longview-2
Penalties: Grand Prairie-4-25 Longview-5-60
