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| LUFKIN - Longview jumped out to an early lead, and eventually held off Klein Collins' second half rally to earn a 42-28 UIL 6A Division II Region II semifinal victory at Lufkin's Abe Martin Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Lobos topped their 2023 UIL 5A Division I Region II playoff finish, improved their 2024 season record to 11-2, and will appear in their first regional final since 2022 when they match up with DeSoto. That game is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday at Baylor University's McLane Stadium in Waco. The Tigers, meanwhile, finished the year with a 7-6 mark. "It feels great," Longview athletic director and head football coach John King said of his team's advancement to the fourth round. "We kept the family together, and got a chance to play one more week." Longview jumped ahead during the game's opening drive because quarterback Johnny Hamilton completed all three of his pass attempts for 48 yards during the early offensive possession and his second four-yard carry resulted in a touchdown run to set up the team's 7-0 lead at the 7:34 mark of the first quarter. Hamilton eventually completed seven of his 11 pass attempts for 91 yards and carried the ball three times for 11 yards and one score in Longview's win. Longview running back Kelvin Washington started to become the game's difference maker because his 33-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and his 15-yard rushing score in the second period expanded Longview's advantage to 21-0 with 9:34 remaining in the first half. Washington eventually guided Longview to victory with 19 carries for 229 rushing yards and four touchdowns. In the process, he set the Lobo record for rushing yards in a season, passing both Fred Talley (2,053 yards in 1997) and Vondrell McGee (2,039 yards in 2004). Washington has carried 222 times for 2,136 yards and 28 touchdowns heading into next week's game. "It feels good, but the season is not over yet," Washington said of his performance on Saturday. "We still got some more, so we're going to keep it moving." Klein Collins finally snapped its drought when Braydon Schoggin called his own number on a one-yard touchdown run to cut Longview's lead to 21-7 with 5:02 remaining in the second quarter. Washington helped Longview respond during his 43-yard touchdown run to make it a 28-7 game with 2:42 remaining in the first half. Longview's defense then opened the second half with a scoring play because Kason Brooks' pick six off a Schoggin pass resulted in a 35-7 lead at the 11:17 mark of the third quarter. Klein Collins found its footing again because Ka'Juan Gathers' 71-yard touchdown run cut Longview's lead to 35-14 with 40 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Longview's offense provided a quick answer in the form of Washington's 55-yard touchdown run to earn its second 28-point advantage at a 42-14 score at the 11:13 mark of the fourth period. Klein Collins didn't give up because Schoggin heated up late. He contributed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Hutching and a three-yard touchdown run between the 7:35 and 2:20 marks of the fourth quarter, but the Tigers only had time to cut the gap to 42-28. Schoggin completed 15 of his 26 passes for 215 passing yards and finished with three total offensive touchdowns in Klein Collins' loss. |