District 12-5A

Longview Lobos (6-1, 3-0)

vs.

North Mesquite Stallions (6-1, 2-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday

Mesquite Memorial Stadium

 

Coaches
  • Longview: John King
  • North Mesquite: Mike Robinson

 

Last week
  • Longview: won 49-30 vs. Mesquite Horn
  • North Mesquite: lost 34-33 at Mesquite

 

Next week
  • Longview: vs. Tyler Lee (7:30 p.m. Thursday)
  • North Mesquite: at Rockwall-Heath

 

Playmakers

Longview

  • S Travin Howard, Sr., 6-0, 179 (50 tackles, 5 for loss, 1 sack, 4 INTs, 2 forced fumbles, 7 PBUs, 1 punt block, 3 def. TDs)
  • S Stephan Maxey, Sr., 5-11, 186 (56 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 recovery, 1 punt block, 1 def. TD)
  • S Laurent Johnson, Sr., 5-8, 160 (53 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 recovery)
  • DE DeRodrick Alexander, Sr., 6-1, 240 (28 tackles, 9 for loss, 6 sacks)
  • DT Omar French, Sr., 6-0, 202 (27 tackles, 10 for loss, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 punt block)
  • DT Zaycoven Henderson, Sr., 6-1, 315 (7 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 recovery in 3 games)
  • QB Dezmond Chumley, Jr., 6-0, 188 (63 of 112, 1,176 yards, 16 TDs, 3 INTs)
  • WR Dorian Leonard, Sr., 6-4, 200 (committed to Texas; 20 catches, 396 yards, 6 TDs)
  • RB L'darrius Peterson, Sr., 5-7, 150 (41 carries, 321 yards, 2 TDs)
  • TE Jordan Whitaker, Sr., 6-5, 190 (3 catches, 52 yards, 2 TDs vs. Mesquite Horn)
  • OL Vernon Hutchinson, Sr., 5-10, 295
  • RB JaMycal Hasty, Jr., 5-9, 181 (112 carries, 862 yards, 10 TDs; doubtful for Friday's game with an ankle injury)

 

North Mesquite

  • RB Ta'Varius Luke, Sr. (110 carries, 1,180 yards, 11 TDs; 14 catches, 248 yards, 2 TDs)
  • RB Corey Hunt, Sr. (135 carries, 895 yards, 11 TDs)
  • QB Shateek Nasir, Sr. (26 of 43, 211 yards, 1 INT; 27 carries, 153 yards, 2 TDs)
  • QB Cody Williams, Sr. (36 of 55, 648 yards, 8 TDs, 0 INTs; 17 carries, 152 yards, 3 TDs)
  • WR Pat Mobley, Sr. (20 catches, 182 yards, 2 TDs)
  • WR Kayveon Brown, Sr. (11 catches, 169 yards, 1 TD)
  • DB Andrew Brown, Sr., 6-0, 170 (committed to Northern Illinois)
  • OL Dezmond Candelarie, Sr., 6-3, 277 (committed to New Mexico State)

 

Just the facts
  • Longview is 6-1 vs. North Mesquite since 2004.
  • Longview beat North Mesquite 52-3 in 2012.
  • Longview averages 41.7 points per game and allows 22.7.
  • North Mesquite averages 36.6 points per game and allows 18.7.
  • North Mesquite won its first six games before losing 34-33 at Mesquite a week ago.
  • North Mesquite allowed 16.2 points per game during its 6-0 start.
  • Longview has won six consecutive games after a 32-24 season-opening loss to Coppell in Allen.
  • Longview has averaged 44.7 points per game during its six-game winning streak, including 53.4 per game in its last four contests.
  • Both teams have played Mesquite. Longview won 69-17 Sept. 27 at home, while North Mesquite lost 34-33 last week.
  • A win clinches a playoff spot for Longview, which would take complete control of the District 12-5A championship race with a victory.
  • Longview junior tailback JaMycal Hasty suffered an ankle injury at the end of his 21-yard first-quarter carry in last week's 49-30 win against Mesquite Horn. His status for Friday's game is unknown, but he did not return to play at all the rest of the night against Horn.

 

Longview's Deionte Wall returns a kick during the Lobos' 49-30 Oct. 18 home win against Mesquite Horn. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)
Longview's Deionte Wall returns a kick during the Lobos' 49-30 Oct. 18 home win against Mesquite Horn. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)
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Key matchup: North Mesquite's defensive front vs. Longview's running game. The possibility of Longview junior standout JaMycal Hasty missing the game is certainly a plus for the Stallions, but if the Lobos' 19-point win against Mesquite Horn is any indication, they will still concentrate on running the ball if Hasty can't play.

Senior L'darrius Peterson relieved Hasty and finished with 181 yards on 19 carries to spearhead a Longview ground attack that eclipsed 300 yards against Horn. Fullbacks Jeremy Powell and Marquies Hunter gave head coach John King a physical change of pace to Peterson's speed.

That's not to diminish Peterson's ability to run in a physical manner. Despite his stature, the 5-foot-7, 150-pounder runs very hard and isn't easy for defenders to tackle.

North Mesquite cannot let Longview dictate the tempo. Mesquite Horn found out what happens when that occurs. North Mesquite has a strong running game of its own, so the Stallions must establish it early and lean on it to prevent Longview from pounding its way to a seventh consecutive victory.

Longview DT Zaycoven Henderson. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)
Longview DT Zaycoven Henderson. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)
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Don't be surprised if: North Mesquite plays the Lobos much closer than it did last year, but can't find a way to spring the upset against a favored Longview team that is rolling at this point in the season.

Longview could be one of the most under-the-radar Class 5A teams in the state. After all, the Lobos are a few plays away from being 8-0. North Mesquite has won six games for the first time since 2004 (6-4), but as well as the Stallions have played at times during the first half of the season, they may not have the horses to run with Longview on Friday night.

 

 

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