I had to take some days off from it all in order to write this. A lot of emotions overwhelm how I felt Saturday. I was angry, upset, disappointed; I was genuinely hurt. It's crazy how much a game impacts our lives, but when you love something the way I love this game it hurts like this. You all know how much I care about the program. It's been apart of my life since I was a 10 year old. As a coach, your knowledge of the logistics of running a program grows, your knowledge of why the head coach does what he does grows, and most importantly your love for your team grows. I absolutely loved this team. There was something special about this group of guys. We didn't have an exceptionally big team this year; we didn't have an exceptionally fast team this year. What we had were guys who were willing to play outside of their minds, outside of their bodies for everyone around them. They wanted to win. There was a will to win; a will so strong the last game seemed like a movie script. Pouring rain, improbable catches, hard runs, interceptions and forced fumbles. It was ideal and set up for a Hollywood ending. We came up short.
While the ending of the game is something that will bother me, probably for forever, I won't allow it to paint the picture of what these young men accomplished. This team overall fought so much adversity, more so than any other team.
The next week, junior offensive tackle Marcus Williams went down went a dislocated ankle and never returned for the season.
The fourth week of the season saw junior Kaylon Allen, the team's starting center, go down and sophomore Parker Cox step in for him. Parker earned his starting spot, forcing Kaylon Allen out to right tackle where he found a temporary home. Parker finished as a second team all district player.
In the seventh game of the season, after playing so well during the year, junior receiver Jacob Johnson went out with a broken fibula and dislocated ankle. Jacob finished the year with 17 catches and 236 yards and 1 TD through 7 games.
Senior Demarjai Dearion went down with a scary elbow injury middle of district, bounced back to when he suffered a concussion in practice that kept him out of Klein Collins. He battled back to face Lufkin and Midway, and finished as a 2nd team all district defensive tackle.
While the ending of the game is something that will bother me, probably for forever, I won't allow it to paint the picture of what these young men accomplished. This team overall fought so much adversity, more so than any other team.
1. Quarterback Controversy
At the beginning of the year, we started the year off with 3 legitimate contenders at the quarterback position. Jordan Lawson emerged as the starter through preseason camp, but all three were going to receive playtime. Carter played the best in the opener against Lufkin, going 4 for 4 for 55 yards, and rushing 4 times for 23 yards and 2 TDs. Carter seemed to have the edge leaving Lufkin, but Lawson stole the show in Marshall. Jordan threw for 132 yards on 5 for 8 passing. After such a strong showing, and Carter going 1 for 6 against Marshall, AC made the position change to WR. Lawson continued his strong showing going 10 for 17 for 195 yards and 2 TDs, while the sophomore Haynes King made his first meaningful experience throwing 5 for 10 with an interception. Carter made his first catches of the year, going 2 for 30.
The next week King made a statement in a loss to Mesquite Horn. After Lawson went 1 for 4 for 18 yards and interception, King took the handles of the offense. He threw for 250 yards on 15 for 31 passing, throwing 3 TDs and 2 interceptions. Although the turnover were alarming, King had proven to bring some pop and life to the team. Haynes finished the year as the Sophomore of the Year and District Newcomer for 11-6A. He finished the year 130 for 240 for 2,106 yards, throwing for 25 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions. During the playoffs, King threw for 874 on 58 for 97 passing. He threw 14 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions, while on 10 carries he rushed for 146 yards and 1 touchdown.
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| Haynes King |
2. Injury Bug
During the 2nd game of the year we took what we thought would be the biggest loss of the year. Junior tailback Jessie Anderson dislocated his wrist, sidelining him all the way until December 2nd. At the time, Dec. 2nd looked like it would never come.
The next week, junior offensive tackle Marcus Williams went down went a dislocated ankle and never returned for the season.
The fourth week of the season saw junior Kaylon Allen, the team's starting center, go down and sophomore Parker Cox step in for him. Parker earned his starting spot, forcing Kaylon Allen out to right tackle where he found a temporary home. Parker finished as a second team all district player.
In the seventh game of the season, after playing so well during the year, junior receiver Jacob Johnson went out with a broken fibula and dislocated ankle. Jacob finished the year with 17 catches and 236 yards and 1 TD through 7 games.
Senior Demarjai Dearion went down with a scary elbow injury middle of district, bounced back to when he suffered a concussion in practice that kept him out of Klein Collins. He battled back to face Lufkin and Midway, and finished as a 2nd team all district defensive tackle.
3. Defensive Turnaround
2016's defense was historically bad. The scare of the year was how would we respond to such a bad season. A lot of pressure was on coordinator Casey Pearce and how he would turn things around. He got tons of help from the defensive line as seniors Ke'Aundre Mauldin and JC Blakemore headlined a talented group this season. Both Mauldin and Blakemore battled all season to finish as first team all district spots. Seniors Montavion Reed, Trey Williams, and Dearion were the first three in a heavy rotation at defensive line. Reed finished as a 2nd teamer and Trey an honorable mention.
A huge improvement from 2016 and 2017 was the play at linebacker. Senior Kevion Bush and juniors Javonte' Writt and Cameron Starling saw minimal time last year, though all flashed this spring. All three, teamed with senior Tyler Wilder, became the heart of the defense. Bush was a first team all district member, Writt a 2nd teamer. Bush finished with 111 tackles, 6 for loss, a blocked punt return for a touchdown; Writt 102 tackles, 11 for loss, 2 interceptions and 6 fumble recoveries. Starling finished with 50 tackles and 8 for loss.
The biggest improvement from last year to the present is the play of the secondary. Junior Jephaniah Lister, Senior Kyle Johnson and Roshordrick Harmon were all starters on last year's team. They made it easy for Javodrick and Davotrick Dotrey to play in rotation, but nobody could've predicted the play from Jalen Carr this season.
In the team's first loss of the season to Mesquite Horn, Javodrick's man to man defense was exposed at the corner position. The next week, Casey Pearce and the defensive coaches decided to place Carr at corner and he responded mightily. At Rockwall, Carr intercepted their quarterback 3 times. 2 times this year Carr had multi interception games, and had a streak of 3 games of having an interception, 5 in total. Carr finished the year with 10 interceptions.
4. Same old offense?
How would the offense look after graduating 10 seniors? The Lobos had to replace 4 starting offensive lineman, and introduce an entire new backfield. Other than years prior, Longview relied on the pass more than ever. The one starter that was returning happened to be Jaylin Brown.
Brown, a 6'2 210 lbs tight end proved to be an even bigger play maker than the 13 catch 9 td performance from last year. Jaylin was a constant this year and produced in a major way catching 31 passes for 638 yards and 13 touchdowns. Brown finished with a school record 22 career touchdowns. He finished his career with 48 catches, dominating the tight ends in the stat book.
The production of the passing game wasn't just Jaylin. The team leader in receptions came from a man that made plays all year long, none no bigger than the catch in the 4th round versus Lufkin. Kamden Perry caught 46 passes for 661 yards and 4 tds. Jacob Johnson, through 7 games, had 17 catches for 236 yards and 1 td. A'Darius Carter had a huge senior season for us this year. Carter had 31 catches for 619 yards and 8 touchdowns after switching to wide receiver after week 3. Carter also had a big year as a short yardage quarterback, rushing 27 times for 150 and 12 touchdowns.
Although the offensive line wasn't nearly as huge as last year's, Gavin Roberts, a first team all district selection, led a group that was productive. Longview rushed for 3,284 yards and 51 touchdowns this season, and threw for 2,717 yards and 30 touchdowns.
5. Mighty Mites
While Carr deserves the title of MVP of the secondary, Lister deserves the title of best player. Lister is only 5'7 and 170 lbs, but plays like a 6'3 210 lbs safety. Playing on the weak side of the defense allows Lister to run things down from the backside, blitz off the edge and be a pure disruptive to the other team's plans. Lister put up a monster stat line this year and no doubt should be a first team all stater. With 144 tackles, 89 solo, 2 sacks, 1 ff, 4 interceptions and two blocked punts, Jeph established his self on legendary status without playing his senior season.
I've already stated my coach love for Keilyn Williams on here before. I've been watching Williams ball since he was a 4th grader. While his stature hasn't changed too much, his game has grown ever step of the way. At 5'4 135 lbs, Williams took over for Jessie Anderson as the starter and showcased his skill set. With 192 carries for 1,253 and 17 touchdowns plus his 13 catches for 174 yards and 1 touchdown, and his 21 kick returns for 477 yards and 1 touchdown, Keilyn amassed 1,904 yards 19 touchdowns on 226 touches, averaging 8.6 yards a touch.
Through it all, this is one of the most memorable seasons of all time, and these young men laid their hearts and bodies on the line every single week. It hurts to write this, especially since it'll be the day before state when you read this. The memory will sting for forever, but the light these kids shone on to the community of Longview will shine forever.
Best Stat Games of the Year
5. Jephaniah Lister against Dallas Jesuit
16 Tackles, 14 Solo, 2 ast, 1 interception for 25 yards.
Everyone was so alarmed about the defense against Jesuit, but those guys were loaded with offensive talent. The one defender who stood out among the group was Jeph. Lister was all over the field and came up with some key stops to shut down Jesuit and advance the Lobos.
4. Haynes King against Beaumont Westbrook
10/13 180 yards 2 Touchdowns, 1 rush 18 yards.
In a game that had so many emotions coming from the year before, the Lobos came out and dominated. Haynes played almost a perfect game, going 10/13 and connecting on deep balls to AC and Jaylin Brown.
3. A'Darius Carter against Tyler Lee
9 carries 85 yards, 5 TDs, 1 catch 20 yards.
Anytime a man breaks or ties a school record he deserves to make a list. With 5 rushing touchdowns Carter tied the school record for rushing touchdowns in a game. 4 of those runs came from within the 5, but Carter's first TD came from a 38 yard scat after breaking through the line of scrimmage.
2. Kamden Perry against Lufkin
8 Catches, 115 yards 2 Touchdowns
Kamden Perry probably made the biggest catch in program history when he burned the defense for the game winning score with less than a minute to play. The ball was placed where Kamden would have an opportunity to go up and make a snag, and for the first time on the varsity field, Kamden showed off his ridiculous concentration in bringing down the ball in dramatic fashion. Kamden also scored in the first quarter off of a post route after a great play action and well ran route. His other 6 catches continued to move chains throughout the game, but his last catch will be in the minds of fans for forever.
1. Jalen Carr against Rockwall
5 tackles, 3 interceptions
Carr's 3 interceptions against Rockwall was everything for the Lobos at that point in the season. The first real test after the first loss of the year against Horn, Carr made Rockwall's quarterback pay 3 times for attacking him. The great thing about his 10 interceptions this season is that one of them were gimmies. 9 out of his 10 picks, which all came from the corner, Jalen had to make a great adjustment and play on the ball. We only beat Rockwall by 10, so without that performance who knows if we get the win, and who knows where the season goes from there.
A huge improvement from 2016 and 2017 was the play at linebacker. Senior Kevion Bush and juniors Javonte' Writt and Cameron Starling saw minimal time last year, though all flashed this spring. All three, teamed with senior Tyler Wilder, became the heart of the defense. Bush was a first team all district member, Writt a 2nd teamer. Bush finished with 111 tackles, 6 for loss, a blocked punt return for a touchdown; Writt 102 tackles, 11 for loss, 2 interceptions and 6 fumble recoveries. Starling finished with 50 tackles and 8 for loss.
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| Kevion Bush |
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| Roshordrick Harmon |
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| The Dotrey Twins |
In the team's first loss of the season to Mesquite Horn, Javodrick's man to man defense was exposed at the corner position. The next week, Casey Pearce and the defensive coaches decided to place Carr at corner and he responded mightily. At Rockwall, Carr intercepted their quarterback 3 times. 2 times this year Carr had multi interception games, and had a streak of 3 games of having an interception, 5 in total. Carr finished the year with 10 interceptions.
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| Jalen Carr |
4. Same old offense?
How would the offense look after graduating 10 seniors? The Lobos had to replace 4 starting offensive lineman, and introduce an entire new backfield. Other than years prior, Longview relied on the pass more than ever. The one starter that was returning happened to be Jaylin Brown.
Brown, a 6'2 210 lbs tight end proved to be an even bigger play maker than the 13 catch 9 td performance from last year. Jaylin was a constant this year and produced in a major way catching 31 passes for 638 yards and 13 touchdowns. Brown finished with a school record 22 career touchdowns. He finished his career with 48 catches, dominating the tight ends in the stat book.
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| Jaylin Brown |
The production of the passing game wasn't just Jaylin. The team leader in receptions came from a man that made plays all year long, none no bigger than the catch in the 4th round versus Lufkin. Kamden Perry caught 46 passes for 661 yards and 4 tds. Jacob Johnson, through 7 games, had 17 catches for 236 yards and 1 td. A'Darius Carter had a huge senior season for us this year. Carter had 31 catches for 619 yards and 8 touchdowns after switching to wide receiver after week 3. Carter also had a big year as a short yardage quarterback, rushing 27 times for 150 and 12 touchdowns.
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| A'Darius Carter |
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| Kamden Perry |
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| Jacob Johnson |
Although the offensive line wasn't nearly as huge as last year's, Gavin Roberts, a first team all district selection, led a group that was productive. Longview rushed for 3,284 yards and 51 touchdowns this season, and threw for 2,717 yards and 30 touchdowns.
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| Gavin Roberts |
5. Mighty Mites
While Carr deserves the title of MVP of the secondary, Lister deserves the title of best player. Lister is only 5'7 and 170 lbs, but plays like a 6'3 210 lbs safety. Playing on the weak side of the defense allows Lister to run things down from the backside, blitz off the edge and be a pure disruptive to the other team's plans. Lister put up a monster stat line this year and no doubt should be a first team all stater. With 144 tackles, 89 solo, 2 sacks, 1 ff, 4 interceptions and two blocked punts, Jeph established his self on legendary status without playing his senior season.
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| Jephaniah Lister |
I've already stated my coach love for Keilyn Williams on here before. I've been watching Williams ball since he was a 4th grader. While his stature hasn't changed too much, his game has grown ever step of the way. At 5'4 135 lbs, Williams took over for Jessie Anderson as the starter and showcased his skill set. With 192 carries for 1,253 and 17 touchdowns plus his 13 catches for 174 yards and 1 touchdown, and his 21 kick returns for 477 yards and 1 touchdown, Keilyn amassed 1,904 yards 19 touchdowns on 226 touches, averaging 8.6 yards a touch.
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| Keilyn Williams |
Through it all, this is one of the most memorable seasons of all time, and these young men laid their hearts and bodies on the line every single week. It hurts to write this, especially since it'll be the day before state when you read this. The memory will sting for forever, but the light these kids shone on to the community of Longview will shine forever.
Best Stat Games of the Year
5. Jephaniah Lister against Dallas Jesuit
16 Tackles, 14 Solo, 2 ast, 1 interception for 25 yards.
Everyone was so alarmed about the defense against Jesuit, but those guys were loaded with offensive talent. The one defender who stood out among the group was Jeph. Lister was all over the field and came up with some key stops to shut down Jesuit and advance the Lobos.
4. Haynes King against Beaumont Westbrook
10/13 180 yards 2 Touchdowns, 1 rush 18 yards.
In a game that had so many emotions coming from the year before, the Lobos came out and dominated. Haynes played almost a perfect game, going 10/13 and connecting on deep balls to AC and Jaylin Brown.
3. A'Darius Carter against Tyler Lee
9 carries 85 yards, 5 TDs, 1 catch 20 yards.
Anytime a man breaks or ties a school record he deserves to make a list. With 5 rushing touchdowns Carter tied the school record for rushing touchdowns in a game. 4 of those runs came from within the 5, but Carter's first TD came from a 38 yard scat after breaking through the line of scrimmage.
2. Kamden Perry against Lufkin
8 Catches, 115 yards 2 Touchdowns
Kamden Perry probably made the biggest catch in program history when he burned the defense for the game winning score with less than a minute to play. The ball was placed where Kamden would have an opportunity to go up and make a snag, and for the first time on the varsity field, Kamden showed off his ridiculous concentration in bringing down the ball in dramatic fashion. Kamden also scored in the first quarter off of a post route after a great play action and well ran route. His other 6 catches continued to move chains throughout the game, but his last catch will be in the minds of fans for forever.
1. Jalen Carr against Rockwall
5 tackles, 3 interceptions
Carr's 3 interceptions against Rockwall was everything for the Lobos at that point in the season. The first real test after the first loss of the year against Horn, Carr made Rockwall's quarterback pay 3 times for attacking him. The great thing about his 10 interceptions this season is that one of them were gimmies. 9 out of his 10 picks, which all came from the corner, Jalen had to make a great adjustment and play on the ball. We only beat Rockwall by 10, so without that performance who knows if we get the win, and who knows where the season goes from there.
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