Longview Can Clinch At Least A Share Of 10th District Title In 11 Years Friday At Sulphur Springs

DISTRICT 15-5A

Longview Lobos (6-2, 5-0)

vs.

Sulphur Springs Wildcats (5-3, 4-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Gerald Prim Stadium, Sulphur Springs

Coaches

• Longview: John King
• Sulphur Springs: Greg Owens

Last week

• Longview: def. Mount Pleasant, 63-6
• Sulphur Springs: def. Pine Tree, 47-27

Next week

• Longview: vs. Hallsville, Nov. 7
• Sulphur Springs at Marshall, Nov. 7

Playmakers

Longview

• OL Broderick Washington, Sr., 6-3, 290 (committed to Texas Tech)
• QB Dezmond Chumley, Sr., 6-1, 190 (50 of 89, 980 yards, 7 TDs, 5 INTs; 36 carries, 92 yards, 6 TDs)
• LB Jaylon Jackson, Sr., 6-0, 210
• RB Tylan Miller, Jr., 5-9, 205 (111 carries, 785 yards, 10 TDs; 8 catches, 145 yards, TD)
• WR Antonio Carter, Sr., 6-2, 180 (20 catches, 315 yards, 5 TDs)
• FB Marquies Hunter, Sr., 5-11, 240 (60 carries, 414 yards, 6 TDs; 9 catches, 104 yards)
• DE Omar French, Sr., 6-0, 202
• FS Khalil Williams, Sr., 6-0, 170 (2 INTs)

Sulphur Springs

• QB Larry Pryor, Sr., 6-0, 200 (112 of 178, 1,567 yards, 8 TDs, 6 INTs; 106 carries, 1,025 yards, 18 TDs; committed to Texas A&M)
• RB Jaylon Hawkins, Soph. (71 carries, 507 yards, 4 TDs; 2 catches, 35 yards)
• RB Tyler Rosamond, Sr., 5-9, 190 (113 carries, 564 yards, 9 TDs; 4 catches, 53 yards)
• WR Dillon Carpenter, Sr., 6-3, 210 (43 catches, 628 yards, 2 TDs)
• WR CJ Stephens, Sr. (26 catches, 519 yards, 4 TDs)
• DL Carson Hicks, Sr., 6-1, 195 (29 tackles, 11 for loss, 6 sacks, 4 QB pressures)
• DL Cain Cody, Jr., 6-3, 215 (34 tackles, 10 for loss, 5 sacks, 4 QB pressures, PBU)
• DB Bubba Hall, Jr., 6-1, 175 (34 tackles, INT, 9 PBUs)

Just the facts

• This is just the fifth meeting between Longview and Sulphur Springs. Longview is 3-1 all-time vs. Sulphur Springs
• In 2008, Longview defeated Sulphur Springs in district and both teams ended up playing for state championships that season.
• Longview is averaging 42.2 points and 396.5 yards per game -- 252.5 rushing and 144 passing.
• With a win, Longview clinches at least a share of its 10th district title in 11 seasons.
• The combined record of Longview's opponents this season is 30-34.
• Sulphur Springs is averaging 40.3 points and 516.3 yards per game -- 315.5 rushing and 200.8 passing.
• The Wildcats have qualified for the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.
• The combined record of Sulphur Springs' opponents this season is 26-38.

Key matchup: Sulphur Springs rushing attack vs. Longview defensive front. Ordinarily, the outcome of any game in which Longview competes is determined by how effective the Lobos are on the ground. And while that will certainly be something to keep an eye on Friday night, the end result between these 15-5A contenders may come down to how much success Sulphur Springs' uptempo, "NASCAR" offense has, especially within the running game. Usually, Greg Owens-coached teams are remarkably balanced on offense, but the Sulphur Springs passing game has taken a back seat to its rushing attack so far this season. The Wildcats enter this week's matchup averaging well over 300 rushing yards per game, and they're getting production from three primary sources. Senior quarterback Larry Pryor, while committed to Texas A&M as a safety, has been making plays from behind center for the better part of two years. Pryor is already just two yards shy of equaling last season's rushing total in 12 games, while the tandem of senior Tyler Rosamond and sophomore Jaylon Hawkins has combined for nearly 1,100 yards and 13 touchdowns. And while Pryor has performed well in the passing department, his numbers are significantly lower than they were a season ago.

There were several things wrong with the Longview Lobos through the first couple weeks of the season -- most importantly, an 0-2 start. But ever since a 41-25 loss to John Tyler in Week 2, the Lobos have been on fire. Longview has outscored opponents by an average of 37.7 points during its current six-game winning streak. Longview's play on defense, in particular, has been a catalyst for the turnaround. In the Lobos' first two games, they surrendered 85 points, but in the past six games, Longview has allowed a grand total of 72 points. Only one team -- Texas High -- has scored more than two touchdowns on Longview since Week 2. It might be needless to mention, but if Longview continues to play defense at that level, the going could get very rough for Sulphur Springs on Friday night. Considering how effective Sulphur Springs has run the ball this season, it may be a reach to expect Longview to hold down all three -- Pryor, Rosamond and Hawkins. But if the Lobos can focus on stopping the Wildcats' two primary running backs and turn Sulphur Springs into a one-man show on offense, Longview stands an excellent chance of extending its winning streak to seven games.

Don't be surprised if: Longview keeps it on the ground for most of the night. That's not exactly going out on a limb, considering the Lobos have attempted nearly 200 more running plays than passes. But it wouldn't be surprising to see Longview place an added emphasis on its ground attack this week. Sulphur Springs is bringing in the most explosive and dynamic offense Longview has seen since the first two weeks of the season, so it would make sense to let running back Tylan Miller, fullback Marquies Hunter run behind a dominant Lobos offensive line and pound away at the defense. Despite being without the services of star running back and Baylor pledge JaMycal Hasty, who's been sidelined with a back injury all season, Longview's running attack hasn't skipped a beat with the tandem of Miller and Hunter, who have combined for almost 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns. Longview is not commonly referred to as a quick-strike offense, but the Lobos' grind-it-out approach is an equally-effective approach. The more time Longview's offense can spend on the field and the longer Larry Pryor and Sulphur Springs' offense remains on the sidelines, will definitely be something to watch in this one.