Longview Looks to Remain Unbeaten in 11-6A Against North Mesquite

DISTRICT 11-6A

Longview Lobos (5-1, 3-0)

vs.

North Mesquite Stallions (3-3, 2-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday

Mesquite Memorial Stadium

Coaches

• Longview: John King
• North Mesquite: Mike Robinson

Last week

• Longview: idle
• North Mesquite: idle

Next week

• Longview: vs. John Tyler, Oct. 21
• North Mesquite: at Mesquite Horn, Oct. 21

Playmakers

Longview

• S Traveion Webster, Sr., 6-0, 202 (41 tackles, 2 INTs, 5 PBUs, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery, 1 blocked kick)
• RB Kendrevian White, Sr., 5-9, 215 (115 carries, 742 yards, 11 TDs)
• QB Gaylon Wiley, Sr., 6-4, 185 (38 of 74, 765 yards, 10 TDs, 2 INTs; 25 carries, 105, yards, 1 TD)
• OL Kendall Starling, Sr., 6-3, 310
• WR Eric Timberlake, Jr., 5-10, 165 (10 catches, 254 yards, 4 TDs)
• LB Ja'Quavion Faggins, Sr., 5-9, 185 (47 tackles, 4 for loss, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles)
• DL Jadarrion Blakemore, Jr., 6-0, 220 (38 tackles, 10 for loss, 2 sacks)
• RB D'Crayvan Polk, Sr., 5-9, 180 (69 carries, 551 yards, 6 TDs; 4 catches, 73 yards, 1 TD)

North Mesquite

• QB Ja'Quez Gooch, Sr., 5-8, 185 (52 of 73, 723 yards, 9 TDs, 0 INTs; 41 carries, 268 yards, 2 TDs)
• RB Dreshawn Minnieweather, Sr., 6-0, 205 (88 carries, 686 yards, 5 TDs; 5 catches, 43 yards)
• LB Dillon Owens, Sr., 6-0, 195
• DL Stephen Turner, Sr., 6-2, 230
• QB Alex Vigil, Jr. (32 of 64, 404 yards, 3 TDs, 4 INTs; 43 carries, 135 yards, 1 TD)
• WR Ja'marzayea Arvie, Jr., 5-8, 155 (25 catches, 333 yards, 4 TDs)
• WR Donte Howell, Sr., 6-3, 192 (12 catches, 176 yards, 2 TDs)
• WR Zavyar Swain, Sr., 5-8, 150 (32 catches, 309 yards, 3 TDs)

Just the facts

• Longview is 69-4 in district games under head coach John King.
• The Lobos are averaging 46.8 points and 461 yards per game -- 331.5 rushing and 129.5 passing.
• Longview is outscoring opponents by an average margin of 27 points during its current five-game winning streak.
• Lobos running back Kendrevian White is on pace to rush for 1,187 yards and 18 touchdowns during the regular season.
• North Mesquite is 7-3 in district games since 2015.
• The Stallions are averaging 31 points and 412.5 yards per game -- 225.2 rushing and 187.3 passing.
• North Mesquite has not defeated Longview since 2010.
• Stallions running back Dreshawn Minnieweather is on pace to rush for 1,098 yards and eight touchdowns during the regular season.

Key matchup: Longview rushing attack vs. North Mesquite defensive front. The Lobos, winners of five consecutive games, are on a roll, and the biggest reason for the success has been their dominant ground game. Entering Friday's contest, Longview is averaging more than 330 rushing yards per game. The combination of seniors Kendrevian White and D'Crayvan Poik have done the heavy lifting by combining for almost 1,300 yards and 17 touchdowns in only six games. The passing game has made steady improvement under the leadership of quarterback Gaylon Wiley and receivers like Eric Timberlake, who has made big catches during Longview's recent hot streak. But it's still the rushing attack that sets the tone for the Longview offense, which comes into Friday averaging 51.4 points per game during its five-game winning streak.

North Mesquite's run defense has had its fair share of struggles in 2016. Coming into Friday's game, the Stallions are surrendering an average of more than 230 rushing yards per game. In three district games, North Mesquite has been touched for more than 270 yards on average. On paper, the Stallions seem to be at a disadvantage going up against what many feel is the district's top rushing attack in Longview. North Mesquite must put forth its best defensive effort of the season against the run, because the Stallions may not have enough firepower on offense to keep up in a shootout with the Lobos.

Don't be surprised if: North Mesquite attempts to strike quickly with its passing attack. In the Stallions' last game, a 52-28 rout of Rockwall-Heath, North Mesquite's aerial assault was in top form. Quarterback Ja'Quez Gooch enjoyed a career night with 337 yards passing and two touchdowns on 21 of 29 completions. Receivers Azaveshe Daniyan and Zavyar Swain each had more than 100 receiving yards, and despite the Stallions allowing 336 rushing yards that night, North Mesquite's offense made that point moot. Look for the Stallions to try a similar philosophy against run-heavy Longview on Friday night.