Turnovers Doom Longview for Second Consecutive Year in 45-35 Third-Round Loss to A&M Consolidated in Midlothian

MIDLOTHIAN -- Saturday evening at Midlothian ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium was about the worst case of deja vu imaginable for the Longview Lobos.

One day prior to the one-year anniversary of the Lobos' 2012 third-round loss to Austin Westlake on the same field, Longview suffered a slew of second-half miscues, punctuated by two A&M Consolidated defensive touchdowns, in a 45-35 Class 5A Division II Region II loss.

Longview finished the season 11-2 after winning the District 12-5A championship and outscoring Rowlett and McKinney Boyd 73-31 in the first two rounds.

Austin Westlake forced seven Longview turnovers and scored three defensive touchdowns to sink the Lobos a year ago, and opponents' defensive scores again sabotaged Longview's hopes to advance to the regional finals for the first time since 2010. Saturday's loss marked the third consecutive season the Lobos have lost in the third round following defeats to Westlake in 2012 and Spring DeKaney in 2011.

Trailing 28-21 early in the third, Longview's Dezmond Chumley had a screen pass picked off and returned 43 yards by Consolidated defensive lineman Alex Arseneaux. The Lobos answered with a touchdown drive capped by JaMycal Hasty's 26-yard touchdown run, his second score of the game, but disaster again struck on the ensuing possession, which Longview gained after recovering a muffed squib kick in Consolidated territory.

A fourth-and-3 Wildcat-formation snap sailed high near midfield, where Consolidated linebacker Riley Garner scooped and scored from 50 yards to extend the Tigers' lead to 42-28 with 4:12 left in the third.

That touchdown proved to be the game-winner. Consolidated added a 28-yard Ryan Anderson field goal to stretch its lead to 45-28 before Chumley found Texas-bound receive Dorian Leonard on a 26-yard touchdown strike late for the game's final touchdown.

"We had a couple of turnovers that they got defensive touchdowns off of, but we still fought back. The kids kept fighting and trying to win the ball game. That's all you can ask them to do," said Longview head coach John King. "There were a couple of calls we wish we had back, of course, but you make a call in the heat of the battle hoping it's the right thing to do, and it backfires on you and it doesn't look so good."

In eight quarters of third-round play in Midlothian in the last two seasons, Longview opponents have scored five defensive touchdowns.

"Even as bad as the third quarter was for us at times, you get it back to a one-possession game (at 35-28) and have the ball fourth-and-2 and we have the mishap on the snap that they turn into six points."

What Consolidated's defense finished, quarterback Kobe Miller started. He threw for more than 260 first-half yards and three scores to stake the Tigers to an early lead. Miller finished 21 of 25 for 300 yards, three touchdowns, and two first-quarter interceptions, both of which went to Longview senior safety Laurent Johnson, who also had a second-half fumble recovery to finish his career with a stellar performance.

Hasty ran 20 times for game-high 178 yards and two scores, while Chumley was 15-for-25 for 214 yards two scores and the Arseneaux pick-six. Leonard caught six passes for 79 yards and a score, while tight end Jordan Whitaker snagged four passes for 45 yards and a touchdown.

A back-and-forth first half ended in a 28-21 Consolidated lead. The Tigers led early on Miller's 46-yard touchdown strike to Corey Dukes before Longview took a 14-7 advantage on Hasty's 24-yard touchdown run and Chumley's 14-yard strike to Whitaker that came less than a minute into the second quarter.

Consolidated scored 21 unanswered points in a 5 1/2-minute span to take a 28-14 lead late in the second. Tyri Merchant's seven-yard touchdown run preceded Miller touchdown throws to Derrick Dick (52) and Kerry Thomas (22) for the two-score edge, but the Lobos responded on a 62-yard strike from Chumley to Chris Pellum, who outjumped a defender and sprinted to the end zone.

"I'm extremely proud of these kids and this group of seniors. Hate for it to end this way," King said. "There are some great kids in there. There are some that will have the opportunity to keep playing and there are some that won't. You just grow fond of them and develop a relationship that you hate to see end as a player or coach. They're always gonna be one of your guys, but the day-to-day battles in the trenches, so to speak, whether it be offseason or in-season or summertime, you hate for that to end."

Dick caught six passes for a game-high 108 yards and a score, while Daniel Zivney had five receptions for 86 yards. Thomas caught six passes for 57 yards and running back Brandon Jackson gained 70 yards on 17 carries.

Consolidated faces Lake Travis next week in the 5A D-II Region II championship.

Longview will suffer big personnel losses on defense, including multiple defensive linemen such as college-bound standout Zaycoven Henderson. The Lobos' trio of star safeties Johnson, Travin Howard, and Stephan Maxey will also graduate, along with key pieces on the offensive line and virtually the entire receiving corps, including Leonard.

But Lobo fans can expect the return of Hasty and Chumley, who each had great seasons, along with offensive tackle Broderick Washington. King will be able to rebuild the Lobos around that trio entering the 2014 season.

---

Class 5A Division II Region II

Semifinal

College Station A&M Consolidated 45, Longview 35

MISD Multi-Purpose Stadium, Midlothian

College Station A&M Consolidated -- 7 21 14 3 -- 45
Longview -- 7 14 7 7 -- 35

First Quarter
A&M -- Corey Dukes 46 pass from Kobe Miller (Ryan Anderson kick) -- 10:00
LON -- JaMycal Hasty 24 run (Andres Perez kick) -- 4:40
Second Quarter
LON -- Jordan Whitaker 14 pass from Dezmond Chumley (Perez kick) -- 11:14
A&M -- Tyri Merchant 7 run (Anderson kick) -- 8:45
A&M -- Derrick Dick 52 pass from Miller (Anderson kick) -- 6:59
A&M -- Kerry Thomas 22 pass from Miller (Anderson kick) -- 3:08
LON -- Chris Pellum 62 pass from Chumley (Perez kick) -- 1:12
Third Quarter
A&M -- Alex Arseneaux 43 interception return (Anderson kick) -- 9:15
LON -- Hasty 26 run (Perez kick) -- 6:50
A&M -- Riley Garner 50 fumble return (Anderson kick) -- 4:36
Fourth Quarter
A&M -- Anderson 28 field goal -- 4:12

                                        A&M                        LON
First downs                         15                            20
Total yards                         395                          416
Rushes-Yards                    29-95                      37-202
Pass yards                         300                          214
Comp.-Att.-Int.                 21-25-2                    15-25-1
Penalties-Yards                   6-49                        6-74
Fumbles-Lost                      2-1                          3-1
Punts-Avg.                        1-48.0                     4-40.3