Longview Aiming For Third Consecutive Win + 2-0 Start To District Vs. Greenville

DISTRICT 15-5A

Greenville Lions (3-1, 1-0)

vs.

Longview Lobos (2-2, 1-0)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Lobo Stadium, Longview

Coaches

• Greenville: Marvin Sedberry
• Longview: John King

Last week

• Greenville: def. Mount Pleasant, 24-23
• Longview: def. Pine Tree, 66-13

Next week

• Greenville: at Sulphur Springs, Oct. 10
• Longview: vs. Marshall, Oct. 10

Playmakers

Greenville

• RB Crandall Hale, Jr., 5-9, 195 (78 carries, 488 yards, 4 TDs; 3 catches, 13 yards)
• QB Jacob Jarvis, Sr. (43 of 66, 591 yards, 3 TDs, INT)
• WR D'erren Wilson, Sr., 6-3, 185 (11 catches, 335 yards, 3 TDs)
• WR Melvin Mapps, Sr., 5-5, 150 (14 catches, 104 yards; 4 carries, 12 yards)
• ATH Spencer Gilbert, Jr., 5-10, 170
• OL Shaquille Anderson, Sr., 6-1, 300
• OL Cameron Canady, Sr, 6-0, 305
• LB Devon Charrier, Sr., 6-1, 205

Longview

• OL/DL Broderick Washington, Sr., 6-3, 290 (committed to Texas Tech)
• QB Dezmond Chumley, Sr., 6-1, 190 (25 of 47, 569 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs; 24 carries, 39 yards, 4 TDs)
• RB Tylan Miller, Jr., 5-9, 205 (53 carries, 330 yards, TD; 3 catches, 99 yards, TD
• FB Marquies Hunter, Sr., 5-11, 240 (32 carries, 238 yards, 4 TDs; 5 catches, 38 yards)
• S Khalil Williams, Sr., 6-1, 170 (2 INTs)
• WR Antonio Carter, Sr., 6-2, 180 (7 catches, 155 yards, 2 TDs)
• DE Kybrin Sheridan, Jr., 6-0, 200
• LB Jaylon Jackson, Sr., 6-0, 210

Just the facts

• Greenville is 3-1 after losing 40 consecutive games from 2010-13.
• Through four games, Greenville is averaging 27.3 points and 321.8 yards per game -- 174 rushing and 147.8 passing.
• Greenville's three wins have come by a combined seven points
• So far, Greenville's four opponents -- North Garland, Royse City, Princeton and Mount Pleasant -- are a combined 4-14. All four wins belong to Princeton.
• Longview's 66 points last week against Pine Tree were the most the Lobos have scored in a game since last season's 69-17 rout of Mesquite.
• Through four games, Longview is averaging 31 points and 398.8 yards per game -- 236.3 rushing and 162.5 passing.
• Under head coach John King, the Lobos are 54-3 in district games.
• So far, Longview's four opponents -- Lufkin, John Tyler, Monroe (La.) Neville and Pine Tree -- are a combined 8-8.

Key matchup: Longview rushing attack vs. Greenville defensive front. When the Longview Lobos are at their best, they're imposing their will at the line of scrimmage with a big and physical offensive line that's paving the way for a powerful rushing attack. Even without its top running back JaMycal Hasty, a Baylor commit who's missed the first four games of the season and is out indefinitely with a back injury, Longview hasn't changed its age-old approach offensively. Despite an uncharacteristic 0-2 start to the season, Longview has still been able to find success on offense, and in particular the ground game, which comes into Friday's contest averaging more than 230 yards per game. Without Hasty, Longview has relied on junior tailback Tylan Miller, whose 5-foot-7 frame makes it difficult for defenders to find leverage. What sets Miller apart even more is his size and speed, which has allowed him to average well over 100 rushing yards in the three games he's played this season. When Miller's number isn't called, Longview gets the ball to bruising fullback Marquies Hunter, who's a load to bring down both at the line of scrimmage and in the open field. If the running game is clicking on all cylinders, which it almost always is, the passing game becomes equally dangerous with the school's all-time record holder for career touchdown passes Dezmond Chumley at quarterback.

Greenville, which edged Mount Pleasant in last week's District 15-5A opener, is off to a surprising 3-1 start. However, none of the three teams the Lions have defeated in the season's first month have recorded a win yet. Longview will be, without a doubt, the stiffest test of the season for Greenville up to this point. Through four games, Greenville's defense is allowing 28.5 points per game, but the Lions' defense has been very solid in shutting down the opposition's rushing attack. Teams are averaging just 145.3 rushing yards per game, and a pedestrian 3.5 yards per attempt. So even if the competition hasn't been what Greenville will face Friday night at Lobo Stadium, Greenville's run 'D' should come into the game with a fair amount of confidence. Whether that translates to success on the field remains to be seen.

Don't be surprised if: Longview continues to roll. Everything points to a fairly easy district win for the Lobos, which have become the norm in the 11 years head coach John King has been patrolling the sidelines. After a rough start to the season, which included Longview's first 0-2 start in more than 50 years as well an off-the-field incident that prompted the one-game suspensions of several starters, the Lobos have re-discovered what's made them one of East Texas' most consistent program over the last decade-plus. Longview scored on its first three possessions in its 19-13 win over Monroe Neville on Sept. 13, and then was never really challenged by crosstown foe Pine Tree in last week's district opener. The defense, which featured a handful of new starters at the beginning of the season, has also begun to turn a corner. Longview allowed 85 points in its two losses to Lufkin and John Tyler, but has limited Neville and Pine Tree to 13 points apiece the previous two games. Unless a few unforeseen circumstance arise, Longview should have little trouble capturing its third consecutive win on Friday night.