Louisiana Completes Battle On The Border Sweep Of East Texas With C.E. Byrd’s Narrow Win Against Longview

SHREVEPORT, La. -- Longview head coach John King did it again. He went for the win in the fourth quarter with a two-point conversion and got it.

Only, this time, it wasn't enough.

Louisiana power Shreveport C.E. Byrd bounced back from giving up its one-possession lead with a late score, forced a three-and-out and then killed the clock with a five-minute drive for a 22-15 victory Saturday in the final game of the Battle on the Border showcase at Independence Stadium.

"They're a good football team," King said. "I think we are, too. We just needed to make a play there in the fourth quarter. When we get the lead, it's time to make a play. Get a stop and get the football. Maybe then we're talking about a little bit of a different outcome."

Longview's loss was a tough one to swallow. Louisiana teams went a combined 3-0 against East Texas this weekend in Shreveport.

Lufkin and Gladewater also were handed losses by Louisiana's West Monroe and Bossier City Parkway, respectively.

The Lobos (2-1) saved some face for the region last year with a win against Monroe Neville after Gladewater, Lufkin and Marshall lost earlier in the showcase.

They almost did it again. This time against a program that went 13-1 last season.

After Lobos quarterback Michael Ross found Jacorian Jones in the back corner of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown with 9:05 left in the game, field goal holder Brycelon Pruitt took off running for the go-ahead two-point conversion. That gave the Lobos their first and only lead of the game, 15-14.

C.E. Byrd (2-0) responded with a nine-play, 86-yard scoring drive over the next three and a half minutes. A 54-yard halfback toss out of the school's triple option scheme to Tysen Hardman set up a 1-yard dive from quarterback Deuce Caston.

Hardman made it a seven-point game with a two-point run of his own.

Tylan Miller set Longview up at its own 42-yard line after a 30-yard kick return with 5:41 to play, but two incomplete passes sandwiched around a 4-yard gain from Ross to Miller forced a Lobos to punt back to Byrd's 22-yard line.

Longview had two timeouts remaining at that point.

With 3:28 left, King used the team's second timeout of the half with Byrd facing 3rd-and-six at its own 44-yard line. Out of the huddle, however, the Lobos jumped offsides to set up 3rd-and-inches. Running back Tray Allen ran to the 50-yard line.

Caston picked up 15 yards the next play on a designed run all the way.

Allen was held to a 2-yard gain a play later, so Longview used its final timeout with 2:06 remaining. Caston and Allen put up back-to-back 4-yard gains to close the game.

"Can't fault their effort, but I don't think we played very smart at times," King said. "We had too many penalties, some that were after the play was over. It cost us on the opening drive of the second half. And turnovers. That hurt us in the first half."

King's squad fumbled away two possessions in the first 24 minutes. Both came on completed passes and may have cost the team from adding onto what was a 7-7 tie at the break.

C.E. Byrd capitalized on the Lobos' first fumble. Hardman got in with a 5-yard counter run for a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Longview caught a lucky break the following possession. Ross' intended pass for Jordan Wyatt was deflected by Wyatt to fellow receiver Jon Sorey who ran an uncontested 48 yards.

Cornerback Ameron Dean helped the Lobos stay in the game through the first half. He had two pass breakups and forced a turnover on downs with good coverage over the top to kill a C.E. Byrd drive that reached the Longview 35-yard line with 4:55 left in the half.

C.E. Byrd did not complete any of eight pass attempts in the game.

The East Texas team kicked to start the second half and drew a late hit penalty. That set up C.E. Byrd 52 yards from pay dirt, and it got there on eight plays to take a 14-7 lead. Allen scored on a 4-yard run.

Ross completed 10 of 18 passes for a season-best 178 yards, including Longview's two touchdowns. Running back Tylan Miller was held to a season-low 83 total offensive yards.

 C.E. Byrd will host Shreveport Calvary Baptist at 7 p.m. Friday.

The Lobos will be idle this week and begin District 15-5A play against Pine Tree on Sept. 25.

"You better be at your best," King said. "It all counts as far as playoff berths and the district championship starting next Friday."

Shreveport (La.) C.E. Byrd 22, Longview 15

At Independence Stadium, Shreveport

Longview             7      0      0      8    --    15
C.E. Byrd             7      0      7     8    --    22
First Quarter
BYRD--Tysen Hardman 5 run (Bailey O'Byrne kick), 5:46
LON--Jon Sorey 48 pass from Michael Ross (Cody Jenkins kick), 4:01
Third Quarter
BYRD--Tray Allen 4 run (O'Byrne kick), 8:41
Fourth Quarter
LON--Jacorian Jones 11 pass from Ross (Brycelon Pruitt run), 9:05
BYRD--Deuce Caston 1 run (Hardman run), 5:53

                                         LON             BYRD
First Downs                        12                18
Total Yards                        258              340
Rushes-Yards                  29-80          49-340
Passing Yards                  178                 0
Comp.-Att.-Int.              9-17-0            0-8-0
Punts-Avg.                     3-37.0          3-39.7
Fumbles-Lost                    4-2              2-0
Penalties-Yards               10-94           7-50

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Longview, Tylan Miller 18-61, Bralynn Anthony 1-16, Austin Moore 4-5, Chris Braggs 1-2, Michael Ross 4-1, TEAM 1-(-5). C.E. Byrd, Tysen Hardman 14-143, Tray Allen 23-129, Deuce Caston 11-52, Mason Garfield 1-16.
PASSING--Longview, Ross 9-17-0--178. C.E. Byrd, Caston 0-8-0--0.
RECEIVING--Longview, Jordan Wyatt 3-87, Jon Sorey 3-58, Tylan Miller 2-22, Jacorian Jones 1-11.