SHREVEPORT, La. -- Faced with its first 0-2 start in 51 years, Longview began Saturday night's finale of the annual Battle on the Border High School Football Showcase on fire, but needed a big fourth quarter from its defense to secure win No. 1 on the season.

Longview, shut out for the final two quarters, held off Monroe (La.) Neville for a 19-13 win at Independence Stadium, as the Lobos (1-2) concluded the non-district portion of their schedule victoriously.

After allowing Neville (1-1) to score touchdowns on its first two drives of the second half, Longview's defense tightened up down the stretch by forcing a three-and-out and stopping Neville on downs on sacks twice in the fourth quarter.

The Longview defense's effort turned out to be much needed after the Lobos' offense went cold in the final 24 minutes after a torrid start to the night. Longview managed just 41 yards and three first downs in the second half after scoring on its first three possessions of the game and piling up 276 yards by halftime.

Longview RB Tylan Miller. (Christopher R. Vinn, ETSN.fm)
Longview RB Tylan Miller. (Christopher R. Vinn, ETSN.fm)
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Longview quarterback Dezmond Chumley passed for 162 yards and a touchdown on 7 of 13 completions, and added another score on the ground. Running back Tylan Miller rushed 23 times for a game-high 104 yards for Longview, while fullback Marquies Hunter added 43 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts.

With Longview carrying a 19-0 lead into the third quarter, Neville reached into its back of tricks on the second half's first play. Receiver Kavontae Turpin fired a 75-yard pass to Chris Fuller off a reverse to give the Tigers a first-and-goal at the Longview 5. Two plays later, JT Jackson connected with Fuller for a 7-yard touchdown, trimming Longview's lead to 19-7 just 1:05 into the half.

Longview picked up just one first down on the ensuing drive, and Neville proceeded to march 68 yards in 11 plays, scoring on a Turpin 24-yard run to pull the Tigers to within six at 19-13 with 3:04 remaining in the third.

Again, the Lobos' offense could only generate one first down on their next series, but the defense came up big by forcing Neville into a three-and-out. However, the good feeling was short-lived when Longview fumbled it back to Neville at the Tigers' 42.

Neville faced a fourth-and-2 from the Longview 29, but Longview linebacker Sean Hamm sacked Jackson to turn the ball over on downs with 6:34 to play.

Longview could not move the chains on the ensuing drive, so it called on its defense once more to come up with a big stop. On fourth-and-7 from the Longview 30, Lobos' defensive end Karbohn McAdoo sacked Jackson for a 9-yard loss with 2:20 remaining to effectively put the game away.

Longview FB Marquies Hunter. (Christopher R. Vinn, ETSN.fm)
Longview FB Marquies Hunter. (Christopher R. Vinn, ETSN.fm)
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Jackson led Neville, completing 15 of 27 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. Turpin led the Tigers in rushing with 52 yards and a touchdown on nine carries, while hauling in three catches for 55 yards. Fuller had a monster game for Neville as well, finishing with a game-high seven receptions for 130 yards and a score.

Longview received the game's opening kickoff and drew first blood when Chumley hooked up with Antonio Carter, who made a great adjustment on the ball in single coverage, for a 40-yard touchdown. The extra point try was unsuccessful, leaving Longview up 6-0 less than three minutes into the game.

The Lobos trekked 63 yards in 10 plays on their next series, going up 12-0 on a 1-yard QB sneak by Chumley, which was set up by his 34-yard completion Miller out of the backfield.

Longview extended its lead to 19-0 on its third possession of the game, using a 41-yard completion from Chumley to Jon Sorey to set up a Marquies Hunter 1-yard scoring run with 8:38 remaining in the second quarter.

Neville's next two drives ventured deep into Longview territory, but yielded no points after a field-goal misses of 32 and 33 yards.

Longview is off next week before opening up District 15-5A play on the road at crosstown foe Pine Tree on Sept. 26. Neville is back in action Friday night against Monroe Ouachita.

Longview 19, Monroe Neville 13

Battle on the Border High School Football Showcase
At Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La.

Neville                  0     0    13     0    --    13
Longview            12    7      0     0     --   19

First Quarter
LON--Antonio Carter 40 pass from Dezmond Chumley (kick failed), 9:05.
LON--Chumley 1 run (kick failed), 3:17.
Second Quarter
LON--Marquies Hunter 1 run (Andres Perez kick), 8:38.
Third Quarter
NEV--Chris Fuller 7 pass from JT Jackson (Charlie Barefoot kick), 10:55.
NEV--Kavontae Turpin 24 run (kick failed), 3:04.

                                                NEV                 LON
First Downs                                  17                   16
Total Yards                                 363                 308
Rushes-Yards                        36-126           42-148
Passing Yards                             237                 160
Comp.-Att.-Int.                     16-28-0            7-13-0
Punts-Avg.                              2-34.0            4-33.8
Fumbles-Lost                               1-0                 2-1
Penalties-Yards                          5-25               6-45

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Monroe Nevillle, Kavontae Turpin 9-52, Jaquarius Emerson 10-37, JT Jackson 12-27, Donald Jenkins 2-6, Josh Diarse 3-4. Longview, Tylan Miller 23-104, Marquies Hunter 10-43, Dezmond Chumley 9-1.
PASSING--Monroe Neville, Jackson 15-27-0--162, Turpin 1-1-0--75. Longview, Chumley 7-13-0--160.
RECEIVING--Monroe Neville, Chris Fuller 7-130, Turpin 3-55, Quinton Guice 3-35, Josh Diarse 2-12, Kemario Newton1-5. Longview, Jon Sorey 2-59, Miller 2-49, Antonio Carter 1-40, Emmanuel Gordon 1-6, Hunter 1-6.

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