Longview Hopes to Bounce Back vs. North Mesquite After Second District 12-5A Loss

North Mesquite Stallions (2-5, 1-2)
vs.
Longview Lobos (4-3, 1-2)

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

Coaches
North Mesquite: Mike Robinson
Longview: John King

Last week
North Mesquite: lost to Mesquite, 56-10
Longview: lost to Mesquite Horn, 25-17

Next week
North Mesquite: vs. Rockwall-Heath
Longview: at Tyler Lee

Playmakers

North Mesquite

• QB Cody Williams (46 of 103, 693 yards, 5 TDs, 4 INTs; 27 carries, 100 yards, 3 TDs)
• RB Ta'Varius Luke, Jr., 5-7, 150 (100 carries, 646 yards, 5 TDs; 9 catches, 208 yards, 1 TD)
• RB Corey Hunt, Jr., 5-10, 195 (109 carries, 460 yards, 6 TDs)
• WR Kayveon Brown (13 catches, 173 yards, 3 TDs)
• K Juan Mendez (5 FGs, 12 PATs)
• S Thomas Oberg, Sr., 6-2, 180 (2 TDs)
• OL Dezmand Candelarie, Sr., 6-3, 277
• OL Xavier Hardy, Sr., 6-0, 270

Longview

• RB Tory White, Sr., 5-9, 175 (115 carries, 761 yards, 7 TDs)
• FS Corey Bartley, Sr., 5-7, 155 (85 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery, 9 PBUs, 4 kick blocks, 1 punt block, 1 def. TD)
• LB DeMarkus Lathan, Sr., 5-9, 190 (83 tackles, 5 for loss, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 4 PBUs, 1 kick block)
• QB Dezmond Chumley, Soph., 5-11, 185 (36 of 69, 545 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs)
• WR Dorian Leonard, Jr., 6-5, 185
• WR Justinn Spady, Sr., 5-9, 155
• DE Jalen Porter, Sr., 6-0, 210 (41 tackles, 6 for loss, 1 sack, 3 forced fumbles, 1 recovery, 1 def. TD)
• DT Cornelius Williams, Sr., 5-10, 190 (45 tackles, 11 for loss, 2 sacks)
• DE Tre Allen, Sr., 6-0, 225 (15 tackles, 5 for loss, 2 sacks, 1 kick block; committed to Arkansas State)
• CB Nakia Brown, Sr., 5-10, 180 (36 tackles, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble, 4 PBUs; 2 punt return TDs)

Just the facts

• North Mesquite averages 23.3 points per game and yields 31.9.
• Longview averages 29.6 points per game and allows 22.0.
• North Mesquite has scored 17 or fewer points in three of its last four games.
• Longview has outscored the four opponents it has beaten by an average of 30.0 points, but the three teams that have beaten Longview have won by an average of 22.3 points.
• Longview is 5-1 vs. North Mesquite since 2004.
• Three of the six meetings have been decided by 10 or fewer points, and five have been decided by 17 or fewer.
• North Mesquite's lone win was 24-14 in 2010, when Texas running back Joe Bergeron played for the Stallions.

Key matchup: North Mesquite's running game vs. Longview's defensive front. Longview's defensive line has arguably been the Lobos' best and most consistent unit in 2012. Coach John King needs a big performance from that group Friday if the Lobos are to bounce back from last week's eight-point loss at Mesquite Horn. Ta'Varius Luke and Corey Hunt give the Stallions two capable ball carriers, while quarterback Cody Williams has shown he can run the ball, too, with three rushing touchdowns this season. North Mesquite averages less than 300 yards per game, but almost two-thirds of the Stallions' yardage comes on the ground. Longview's Cornelius Williams, Jalen Porter, Zaycoven Henderson, and newcomer Tre Allen -- the Chapel Hill transfer who has 15 tackles and two sacks in only two games with the Lobos -- need to have a big game against Luke, Hunt, and company.

Don't be surprised if: Longview once again bounces back after a tough loss. The first two times Longview lost -- to Coppell in the season opener and at Mesquite in the District 12-5A opener -- the Lobos roared back in the following games, getting a convincing win against North Little Rock in the second week of the season, then hammering Rockwall-Heath after a bye week that came after the Mesquite loss. While it may seem strange to think this in late October, this is a Longview team that is still finding itself. A lot of veterans returned defensively, but the loss of standout QB Bivins Caraway to a knee injury in the first game of the season still impacts the offense, and that can affect how much time the defense spends on the field at times. Then there's Tre Allen, a Division I-bound player who the Lobos have had to find a way to get playing time since transferring from Chapel Hill. The same could possibly be said for former DeSoto tailback Deionte Wall, who is now eligible after moving back to Longview. In other words, there are a few players still carving their niche and defining their roles for a promising roster playing in a tough district. Sophomore QB Dezmond Chumley had a solid game against Mesquite Horn, but the running game struggled. When the Lobos get both phases of their offense clicking at the same time, watch out. While a 4-3 record may seem disappointing at this point, the best could still be to come for the Lobos, who have a good chance of finishing the regular season with three consecutive wins to ride momentum into the playoffs.