ETSN.fm Class 6A/5A Preseason Poll: No. 4, Longview Lobos

Longview has a long streak of winning districts or at least managing to claw back late and take a share of the league crown.

We're banking on the Lobos' history to guide the 2016 team. It's short on known quantities but not on talent, which could keep the program's district streak alive against the odds in District 11-6A.

Longview will begin the season ranked fourth in ETSN.fm's Class 6A/5A poll. It is ahead of No. 5 Tyler Lee and 5A competitors in No. 6 Texas High, No. 7 Nacogdoches, No. 8 Hallsville, No. 9 Lindale and No. 10 Whitehouse.

The good news for all aforementioned 5A schools is they are now at least two spots ahead of their position in the joint poll when just looking at their own classification.

Gaylon Wiley will start under center for a Lobos team that lost 18 starters from last year's run to the fourth round of the Class 5A Division I playoffs. He won the most valuable quarterback award at the ETSN.fm + APEC Football Recruiting Combine in May without the benefit of any varsity experience.

Wiley is expected to be a solid passer and yet another weapon in head coach John King's run-first offensive attack.

D'Crayvan Polk gives Longview some skill experience. He ran for a little more than 700 yards through last year's 14-game season.

Kendrevian White is an finesse back and should compliment the bruising Polk while taking a load off Wiley.

All of the skill guys are going to benefit from offensive lineman Kendall Starling returning. The 6-foot-3 and 300-pound universal lineman recorded 136 knockdowns a season ago.

Defensively, senior safety Traveion Webster is the star. He has one NCAA Division I FBS offer from Louisiana-Monroe at the moment.

Senior linebacker Jaquavian Faggans had a promising junior campaign and anchors the front.

Other than the four starters and some early observations on Wiley and White, Longview is a mystery.

But history suggests the newcomers will be pleasant surprises.

2016 Longview Lobos Football Schedule

Date	Opponent	Time
Aug. 26	at Lufkin	L 35-24
Sept. 2	at Marshall	W 56-7
Sept. 9	Dallas South Oak Cliff	W 62-14
Sept. 16	*Mesquite Horn	W 47-37
Sept. 23	*at Tyler Lee	W 56-35
Sept. 30	*Rockwall	W 36-29
Oct. 7	OPEN
Oct. 14	*at North Mesquite	W 49-35
Oct. 21	*John Tyler	L 38-24
Oct. 28	*at Rockwall-Heath	W 35-21
Nov. 4	*Mesquite	W 62-7
Nov. 11	(BI-DISTRICT): vs. Beaumont West Brook	L 34-33