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| ROCKWALL - With head coach and athletic director John King working from the press box in a return from a cancer diagnosis last month, the Longview Lobos opened District 10-6A play with a 35-21 win over the Rockwall Yellowjackets on Friday at Wilkerson-Sanders Stadium.
Rockwall, which entered the game ranked No. 17 in Class 6A, drops to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in district play. The Lobos, ranked No. 18 entering Friday's action, moved to 3-2 and 1-0. King made it known publicly the Monday before the Lobos' season opener back in August he had been diagnosed with mouth cancer, but intended to continue his coaching duties until a procedure was done. He coached the Lobos to a win over Lufkin, and has been sidelined since then while longtime Lobo assistant Oscar Wilson handled the job on an interim basis. Longview defeated Marshall, and then fell to South Oak Cliff and Ruston, Louisiana by a combined six points (20-17 and 38-35) before taking last week off. The Lobos built a 14-0 lead with a pair of long touchdowns on Friday, but Rockwall scored six seconds into the second quarter to make it a 14-0 contest. Longview scored twice in the second quarter and Rockwall added another TD to make it a 28-13 game at halftime. Rockwall scored with 9:59 left in the fourth quarter to make it 28-19, and later added 2 points to pull within a touchdown, but the Lobos put the game away with a TD at the 2:04 mark. Johnny Hamilton completed 6 of 10 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown for the Lobos, with Jaden Hurndon hauling in four of the passes for 145 yards and the TD. The Lobos pounded out 277 rushing yards, led by Mason Washington's 21 carries for 94 yards and a TD. Jacaiden Davis picked up 88 yards and scored once on five carries, and Hamilton added 43 yards and a TD on 10 carries. Lawson Tubb finished with 11 tackles and a tackle for loss. Jessier Hampton-Williams had eight tackles, two tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. Bradley Williams finished with five tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception, and T.J. Jackson recorded seven tackles to go along with a blocked kick. Rockwall's Brent Rickert passed for 198 yards and was picked off once. Kaydon Castro, Rickert and Ryan Wiley all scored rushing TDs for Rockwall. King is in his 22nd season as head coach of the Lobo football team. The Lobos are 236-50 with King on the sidelines (or in the press box), including a 119-9 record in district play. Longview has never missed the playoffs in King's 21 seasons, winning 17 district championships, playing in three state championship games and winning a state title with a spotless 16-0 record in 2018. King's first Lobo squad back in 2004 finished with a 12-1 record. The Lobos have never won fewer than eight games under King, that includes the 16-win season in 2018, 14 wins in 2009 and 2022, 13 wins in 2008 and 2017, 12 wins in 2004, 2007 and 2024, 11 wins in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2023 and 10 wins in 2005 and 2010. |