By Larry Bowen
MIDLOTHIAN — A&M Consolidated senior Alex Arseneaux was recounting his stunning interception return for a touchdown when the defensive end wrapped up the Tigers’ 45-35 victory Saturday over Longview in a nice, neat maroon bow.
“I was so excited to even touch the ball, let alone go and score,” Arseneaux said. “It was absolutely phenomenal. I’m so blessed.”
Consol will experience the blessings of a December date in the Class 5A Division II state quarterfinals after beating the Lobos on a cool, windy night at Midlothian ISD Stadium. The Tigers (10-2) advanced to the fourth round for the first time since 2005, earning a matchup against Lake Travis (11-1) in the Region II football final at 2 p.m. Saturday at Temple.
The Tigers took the lead with three consecutive touchdowns in the opening half then got defensive scores from Arseneaux and junior linebacker Riley Garner in the third quarter to eliminate the Lobos, who finished the season 11-2.
Consol last reached the fourth round during its surprising run to the state semifinal in 2005. This year, the Tigers lost a nondistrict game against Austin Westlake and finished second in District 14-5A behind The Woodlands but have won seven consecutive games.
“We just quietly do our job,” Consol coach David Raffield said. “We don’t really care who we play: We put the onus on ourselves. We talk about this football team being a family, and we know it will end. The longest we can live is until Dec. 21. We want to hold together as long as we can.”
Longview saw its season end in the third round for the third consecutive year.
“We had a couple of turnovers that they had defensive touchdowns on, but we still fought back,” Longview coach John King said. “The kids kept fighting, trying to win the ballgame and that’s all you can ask them to do.”
Defensive improvement has been a key to Consol’s late-season surge, and Saturday’s third quarter was the stuff about which defenders dream. The Lobos scored late in the first half to pull within 28-21, and Longview moved into Tiger territory on the first drive after intermission.
But Arseneaux sacked quarterback Dezmond Chumley on first down and on the next play Arseneaux gobbled up a screen pass and thundered 43 yards for a momentum-swinging touchdown that gave Consol a 35-21 lead.
“They had some momentum,” Raffield said. “They were trying to come back, a good football team answering the call. The defense just took it right out of them.”
Longview answered with a 75-yard touchdown drive. JaMycal Hasty, who finished with 171 yards on 21 carries, scored on a 26-yard run to pull the Lobos back within a touchdown.
The Lobos recovered an onside kick and appeared to have everything going their way when they took possession at the Consol 44-yard line. Facing fourth-and-3, Longview put Hasty in the wildcat formation. The shotgun snap, about head-high, slipped through the running back’s hands and bounced toward midfield. Garner scooped up the ball at the 49 and carried it into the end zone to make it 42-28.
“Our defense has been on the down-low this entire season,” Arseneaux said. “I feel like my interception and Riley’s fumble recovery have proven to everyone else that our defense as a unit has improved far beyond anyone’s expectations.”
Consol forced the Lobos to punt on their next two possessions. Ryan Anderson kicked a 28-yard field goal to push the Tigers ahead 45-28 with 4 minutes, 12 seconds remaining.
“Our defense has become like the soul of our team,” Consol senior quarterback Kobe Miller said. “We can always depend on them to do their job. They did a great job tonight. It’s really amazing how great they’ve become this year.”
Longview got a time-consuming touchdown drive for a bit of hope, but Consol’s Derrick Dick recovered the onside kick with 2:56 remaining to end the Lobos’ rally.
Miller overcame a rough start to have another big performance. He completed 20 of 24 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns, bouncing back after a pair of first-half interceptions that led to Longview touchdowns.
“We knew they were going to make plays, and we just had to shake off our mistakes and keep going,” Miller said. “It’s a huge win. We knew it was going to be the most physical game we’ve played all year. They’re a great team, the best team we’ve played so far. We knew we had to play lights-out, and we came out and did it.”
The Tigers scored 21 consecutive points in the first half after the Lobos took a 14-7 lead. Miller threw touchdown passes to Dick (52 yards) and Kerry Thomas (22 yards) after reserve running back Tyri Merchant scored on a 7-yard run. Miller also had a 46-yard touchdown pass to Corey Dukes to cap the game’s opening drive.
Longview got a gift touchdown late in the half when Consol’s defensive back pulled up trying to avoid a pass interference penalty and turned receiver Chris Pellum loose for a 62-yard score that cut Consol’s lead to 28-21.
Story courtesy of brazossports.com