But their dream season ended when the Katy Tigers unleashed all thread on the Lobos, rolling a 24-3 win in the Class 5A Division 1 Texas Bowl Championship at Houston's Astrodome.

Katy, making its second trip to the State Finals this decade - the last coming in 1994 when the Tigers lost to Plano - scored just five seconds to play in the first half to take a 14-3 lead into the lockeroom. Longview never recovered, giving up a pair of touchdowns in the second in the second half to suffer its first loss of the season.

The No. 1 ranked Lobos, seeking a State Football Championship for the first time since 1937, finished the season with a 14-1 record. Unranked Katy, winner of a Class A State Title in 1959, also closed out the year with a 14-1 record.

"Im proud of this team," Longivew head coach Robert Bero said. "We showed a lot of heart, a lot of character all year long. We beat a lot of good football teams getting to this point. We just cmae up short today."

Katy tailbacks Bronston Carroll and Rian Green, running behind an offensive line that featured two Division 1 college prospects and averaged 260 pounds per red jersey, combined to rush for nearly 2000 yards as Katy put together several long drives to keep the potent Lobo offense off the field.

Carroll, a junior who entered the game with 1,418 yards and 16 touchdowns, carried 26 times for 121 yards and one TD. Green, with 1,239 yards and 19 touchdowns heading into Saturyda's contest, finished with 63 yards on 14 carries.

Green did most of the damage on Katy's first scoring drive, picking up 51 yards on 10 carrieds as the Tigers marched 77 yards in 1 6 plays - using up more than six minutes of the game clock to take a 7-3 lead late in the second quarter.

Longview never led again, falling behind 14-3 at the half when Katy quarterback delivered a 38-yard pass to a diving Mason White for a touchdown with just three seconds showing on the clock.

The Lobos got on the board first, dirving 60 yards in six plays before settling for a 27-yard field goal by Erin Roerecke with 9:26 to play in the first half.

Longview took over in good shape at the Katy 26 after a 21-yard punt return by Dexter Daniels. Senior tailback Fred Talley, who rushed for 91 yards on teh day to top 2,000 for the season, did most of the damage on the drive with 50 rushing yards.

Katy answered with its 15-play drive, capped by Gore's 1-yard touchdown plunge, and then went on top for good with Gore's 38-yard scoring strike to White.

The Tigers added to the lead by taking its first drive of the second half 58 yards in nine plays to build a 17-3 cushion on Ryan Nugent's 38 yard field goal with 4:38 to play in the third. Carroll's 9-yard run with 3:41 remaining in the contest gave Katy its second state title and put an end to Longview's dream season.