Tradition has always been a hallmark of Longview's football program. Tradition for the Ruston Bearcats was equally apparent in the eight state championship banners that cover thee fence at James Field jut beyond the north end zone.

The Lobos had won a state crown in 1937, but that was long before the parents of the current team's players were even born.

Longview stepped onto the field at James Field unbeaten and ranked No. 4 in Class 5A of Texas. The Bearcats, likewise, were unblemished after four games and ranked 11th in Louisiana' top high school division.

Ruston's defense had given up only 14 points and had not allowed a single point to be scored in the first half. The Bearcats came in having outscored their opponents 141-14.

The Lobos quickly ended Ruston's scoreless first half streak as they put up two touchdowns in the opening quarter. Fred Talley ran in from eight and 26 yards as Longview built a 14-0 lead. His second touchdown was set up by linebacker Marcus Jordan's a 65-yard return of a fumble.

The Bearcats also brought out their running game and outgained the Lobos 248-193 yards on the ground. Torey Stinson scored on a 16-yard run to cut the halftime deficit to 14-7. He then opened the second half with the longest run from scrimmage this season against Longview, busting up the middle for 80 yards as Ruston rallied for the tie.

"They resemble John Tyler a bit on the offensive line - they've got a big offensive line," said Bero. "They run a conservative offense, it's not real hard to figure out where they're going. It's just a matter of stopping them."

But Longview's running game has always been its offensive bread-and-butter. Although the team has gone to a more multi-faceted game plan, Talley is still the featured performer. He finished with a hard-earned 118 yards, with 74 coming in the second half.

It was the junior's shortest carry of the night that lifted the Lobos to victory, a one-yard drive midway through the third quarter after Ruston had rallied to tie the contest. Leon Bell finished the scoring with a 2-yard run in the game's closing seconds.