Longview Secures District 12-5A’s Top D-II Playoff Seed in 40-7 Rout of Rockwall

[By Anthony Hawthorne, Special to ETSN.fm]

LONGVIEW -- It took longer than most Longview fans are accustomed to, but the Lobos are headed back to the playoffs for the 12^th consecutive season.

The Lobos punched their ticket to the postseason with a convincing 40-7 victory over Rockwall on senior night at Lobo Stadium on Friday.

The victory puts the Lobos in the playoffs as the top seed from District 12-5A in the Class 5A Divison II Region II bracket, where they will meet Rowlett in bi-district action next Saturday at 4 or 6 p.m. at Dallas' Kincaide Stadium.

Longview (7-3, 4-2) racked up 249 of its 283 total yards in a dominant first half. Friday's contest was the third consecutive game in which the Lobos have virtually ended the game before the break. Longview has outscored its last three opponents 103-6 in the first half.

Senior tailback Tory White returned from a concussion to score twice and gain 51 yards on nine carries while sophomore QB Dezmond Chumley was 3-for-8 for 93 yards and a score. Neither played after halftime.

Longview safety Corey Bartley’s sixth interception of the year -- the first of two turnovers forced on the night by the Lobos -- led to the Lobos' first score, a two-yard White run.

Longview ran the ball with success, spreading it around with five different players getting at least four carries. Sophomore J’Mycal Hasty took advantage of his only carry of the night, taking it 50 yards for a touchdown to give the Lobos a 14-0 lead.

Chumley, looking more comfortable behind center each week, completed all three of his passes on two drives late in the half, both contributing to scores. A 57-yard quick slant to Dorian Leonard went all the way to the Rockwall 1-yard line, where White punched it in a play later. Chumley's final completion of the night was a rollout on the next possession where he found Justinn Spady for a 29-yard score.

A heady play by Longview's Nakia Brown gave the Lobos their final touchdown of the night. Following a short punt that was touched by a Rockwall player but not downed, the senior cornerback picked up the ball near a group of Yellowjackets and ran untouched down the sidelines for a 43-yard touchdown, his third punt return TD of the year.

Rockwall (3-7, 2-4) scores its lone touchdown in the fourth quarter on an errant Longview option pitch. Rockwall's Daniel Roland scooped and scored for a 10-yard touchdown.

Rockwall standout sophomore tailback Chris Warren was held in check all night by a strong Lobo defensive front, running for just 25 yards on 12 carries.