LONGVIEW, Texas — The 2024-2025 Longview Lobos are being remembered for the wrong reasons.
Early in the season, the now 6A Lobos took on tough South Oak Cliff and Ruston squads. Both teams are contenders for their states' titles, and both teams left with victories. It was the first back-to-back home losses since 2001 for Longview, but a lot has changed since then.
"For a lot of people, and to some degree myself, I questioned how good was this team, considering everyone that they lost, and the way they lost against South Oak Cliff," Longview News-Journal reporter Thomas Bingham said. "But man, they've turned it around. They dominated some programs that were expected to be the district contenders, or district favorites like Rockwall."
While people were busy talking about the historic losses, the Lobos rattled off 7-straight wins including a round 1 playoff victory over the Naaman Forest Rangers on Nov. 15.
Against the Rangers, the Lobos turned the ball over 7 times, but found a way to win through a strong defensive effort. Longview gave up 13 points in the game. It is the first points they'd given up in November.
"It's hard to win with 7 turnovers, like they did, but they found a way to win," Bingham said. "They're still playing. Last week, you leave that in the past. You build on the good that came out of that, finding a way to pull out that victory, and now you go up against a team that, outside of the playoff matchup last year, Longview has dominated against Lancaster."
It's time to look at Longview as a contender as they enter round 2 of the playoffs.
Longview meets Lancaster again in the playoffs on Friday, in a matchup, in 2023 that left them packing their bags.
"They're playing their best ball of the season outside of last week," Bingham said. "I think they can win a couple more games in postseason."
Longview takes on Lancaster at Kincaide Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday.
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