LONGVIEW, Texas (KETK/Fox 51) — The number one Longview Lobos have been on a roll this postseason, and have continued to live up to their preseason expectations.
Head coach John King credits their success to 40 returners and playing like a family.
“There is just so much maturity and focus, I have been really proud of them, great chemistry in the locker room. I think that’s the key, just a good bunch of kids that play hard and play together,” said King.
“A lot of us have been playing with each other since we were six or seven years old so over the years we’ve grown from being rivals and playing against each other to growing together as teammates,” explains senior quarterback Jordan Allen.
The Longview offense has been nearly unstoppable.
Allen has grown over the years since starting as a sophomore and credits his teammates for making plays and helping him stay calm under center.
“When you have guys on the field that can make plays for you like that you got a lot of trust in them, it gets me more comfortable with the game and makes it seem like everything is moving slower in a sense and I just get used to it and it becomes easy, declares Allen.
Although the offense is clicking, coach King says they play complementary football where the offense feeds off the defense.
“Just a bunch of hard-playing kids that play well together and very unselfish and not necessarily worried about who makes the tackle but whose executing their assignment so the team can get the tackle. and get the stop,” said coach King.
“They put in effort, 100 % effort every play and I know they’re not the biggest but at the end of the day they are going to put in the effort more than other teams,” adds Allen.
Now Longview takes on the Mansfield Timberview Wolves, a team they haven’t faced before, but coach King says there is always excitement in preparing for an unfamiliar opponent.
“You think you can judge it off of tape, the speed and physicality and things of that nature but playing a new opponent is always got its excitement and uncertainty,” says King.
The Lobos will look to bring that top-ranked effort against the Wolves on Friday, and get one step closer to AT&T Stadium.