PREVIEW: Longview Looks to Continue Dominance Against Tyler Lee

DISTRICT 11-6A

No. 4 Longview Lobos (8-0, 4-0)

vs.

Tyler Lee Red Raiders (2-6, 1-3)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Christus TMF Rose Stadium, Tyler

Coaches

Longview: John King
Lee: Kurt Traylor

Last week

Longview: def. North Mesquite, 63-3
Lee: lost to Rockwall, 66-0

Next week

Longview: vs. Mesquite, Nov. 9
Lee: at Mesquite Horn, Nov. 9

Players to watch

Longview

QB Haynes King, Jr., 6-2, 185 (104 of 149, 1,980 yards, 24 TDs, 0 INTs; 17 carries, 209 yards, 3 TDs; 1 catch, 20 yards, 1 TD)
WR Kamden Perry, Sr., 6-0, 180 (45 catches, 947 yards, 11 TDs)
RB Keilyn Williams, Sr., 5-5, 145 (111 carries, 772 yards, 4 TDs; 10 catches, 279 yards, 2 TDs)
S Jephaniah Lister, Sr., 5-9, 155 (49 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery, 3 PBUs)
LB Ja'Vontae Writt, Sr., 5-9, 190 (54 tackles, 7 for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 recoveries)
FB Jessie Anderson, Sr., 5-11, 225 (68 carries, 461 yards, 8 TDs; 10 catches, 160 yards, 2 TDs)
DE Jaylon Allen, Sr., 6-0, 225 (18 tackles, 8 for loss, 4 sacks, 1 blocked punt)
LB Tyshawn Taylor, Jr., 5-9, 195 (55 tackles, 3 for loss)

Lee

HB/DE Jamal Ligon, Jr., 6-2, 240 (10 catches, 123 yards, 1 TD; 51 tackles, 16 for loss, 6 sacks, 16 QB pressures)
OL Beaux Limmer, Sr., 6-5, 270 (committed to Arkansas)
RB Jamar Arceneaux, Jr., 5-7, 155 (109 carries, 627 yards, 9 TDs; 3 catches, 10 yards)
RB/LB Jordan Printers, Sr., 5-10, 193 (121 carries, 665 yards, 6 TDs; 19 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 QB pressure)
LB Devon't Bolton, Jr., 6-3, 185 (38 tackles, 11 for loss, 5 sacks, 4 QB pressures)
RB Jamarion Miller, Fr., 5-10, 170 (103 carries, 616 yards, 4 TDs; 4 catches, 43 yards)
S Elliott Davison, Jr., 5-11, 160 (29 tackles 1 INT, 6 PBUs, 1 fumble recovery)
QB Mark Patton, Jr., 6-5, 213 (56 of 126, 982 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs; 16 carries, 43 yards)

Just the facts

This is the 59th all-time meeting between Longview and Tyler Lee. Longview leads the series, 42-14-2.
The Lobos have won 14-straight meetings with Lee, whose last win over Longview came in 2003.
Longview is averaging 49.4 points and 524.2 yards per game -- 267.6 rushing and 256.6 passing.
Lobos junior quarterback Haynes King has not thrown an interception in 149 passing attempts this season.
Longview is allowing 16.8 points per game, has 16 sacks, and has forced 14 turnovers -- five interceptions and nine fumbles.
Lee is averaging 26.3 points and 384.3 yards per game -- 261.5 rushing and 122.8 passing
Red Raiders junior quarterback Mark Patton attempted 56 passes in the first two games of the season, but just 70 in the six games since.
Lee is allowing 44.3 points per game, has 15 sacks, and has forced six turnovers -- three interceptions and three fumbles.

Key matchup: Longview passing attack vs. Tyler Lee secondary. The Lobos, until last week, were averaging more passing yards per game than rushing, which is a stark contrast to past years. Not only is Longview one of the most explosive offenses in the state this season, it is also one of the most balanced. The Lobos average 268 yards rushing and 257 passing, so the going has been quite difficult for opposing defenses this season. Longview junior quarterback Haynes King has been outstanding with almost 2,000 passing yards with 24 touchdowns and no interceptions in 149 passing attempts in eight games. Senior receiver Kamden Perry has emerged as one of the area's most productive pass-catchers, averaging almost 120 receiving yards per game in 2018.

Lee has had its troubles on the defensive side of the ball, allowing opponents 44 points per game. The Red Raiders hit a low point last week in a 66-0 loss to Rockwall, which torched Lee for 558 total yards, including 390 though the air. In fact, Rockwall's 390 passing yards came on just 16 completions, which equates into 24.4 yards per reception. It will be hard enough containing Longview's rushing attack on Friday night, but if Lee surrenders big plays through the air like it did a week ago, the prospects of a competitive contest will go completely out the window.

Don't be surprised if: Lee runs the ball almost exclusively against Longview. That isn't too much of a stretch for the Red Raiders, who average just 16 passing attempts per game, and gets 68 percent of their offense on the ground. But Lee cannot afford to get involved in a shootout with Longview, which simply has too much firepower to overcome. The Red Raiders need their three-headed monster out of the backfield -- Jamar Arceneaux, Jordain Printers, and Jamarion Miller -- to do what it's done for most of the season. All three backs have gone for more than 600 rushing yards this year, and all three will need to have big games if Lee is to keep the game within reach.