ETSN 2017 Offensive Newcomer of the Year: Haynes King, Longview

It’s not always easy being the head coach son’s, especially at a high school in Texas with one of the most respected and successful people running the program.

Longview sophomore quarterback Haynes King just made it look that way.

Inserted into the starting lineup five weeks into the 2017 regular season, King blossomed into one of the area’s top signal-callers, guiding Longview to the state semifinals for the first time since 2010.

Not bad for a kid that was crawling around on the floor of the Lobos’ locker room as a toddler less than two decades ago.

King is the 2017 ETSN.fm East Texas Football Super Team’s Offensive Newcomer of the Year. He follows last year’s recipient, Gilmer quarterback Aaron “Poppy” Brown.

Longview head coach John King, who has amassed a 152-36 record in his 14 seasons with the Lobos, had a dilemma at the quarterback spot at the season’s outset.

He had three players vying for the starting job: two seniors, Jordan Lawson and A’Darius Carter, who had paid their dues for three years, and his son.

Coach King went with the two seniors at first, but after a rough performance in Longview’s District 11-6A opener at Mesquite Horn, he needed to make a change.

All Haynes King (6-2, 170) did after that was rattle off 10 consecutive victories, which included a playoff upset of previously unbeaten Klein Collins and an epic 33-32 win over East Texas rival Lufkin the following week.

In those two games, Haynes King passed for a combined 343 and seven touchdowns.

His 28-yard touchdown pass with 54 seconds remaining sealed Longview’s exciting defeat of Lufkin.

For the season, Haynes King passed for 2,106 yards with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also added 238 yards and two TD’s on the ground.