CLASS 6A DIVISION II
State Championship

Beaumont West Brook Bruins (13-2)

vs.

No. 4 Longview Lobos (15-0)

3 p.m. Saturday
AT&T Stadium, Arlington

Coaches

  • West Brook: Eric Peevey
  • Longview: John King

Road to Arlington

West Brook

  • Bi-district: def. Humble Kingwood, 56-14
  • Area: def. Houston Strake Jesuit, 54-43
  • Regional semifinals: def. Katy Tompkins, 49-45
  • Quarterfinals: def. Cypress Creek, 31-21
  • Semifinals: def. Austin Westlake, 35-30

Longview

Players to watch

West Brook

  • QB L’Ravien Elia, Sr., 6-0, 182 (124 of 222, 2,108 yards, 22 TDs, 6 INTs; 143 carries, 738 yards, 6 TDs)
  • RB Robert McGrue Jr., Sr., 5-9, 165 (205 carries, 1,929 yards, 33 TDs; 20 catches, 241 yards, 4 TDs)
  • WR Thaddeus Johnson, Jr., 5-8, 160 (56 catches, 1,181 yards, 11 TDs; 5 carries, 39 yards)
  • WR Deonte Simpson, Sr., 6-0, 192 (50 catches, 839 yards, 10 TDs; 21 carries, 215 yards, 2 TDs; committed to North Texas)
  • FS Darrell Hawkins, Sr., 5-11, 183 (158 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack, 4 QB pressures, 2 INTs, 8 PBUs, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery, 1 blocked kick)
  • CB Demarcus Coleman, Sr., 5-7, 160 (55 tackles, 1 QB pressure, 16 PBUs, 3 forced fumbles, 4 recoveries)
  • DE Jaydin Bell, Jr., 6-3, 190 (25 tackles, 22 for loss, 10 sacks, 10 QB pressures, 4 forced fumbles)
  • LB Markel Clark, Jr., 5-11, 180 (64 tackles, 17 for loss, 8 sacks, 10 QB pressures, 1 PBU, 3 forced fumbles, 1 recovery)
  • LB Daniel Coleman, Sr., 5-10, 170 (125 tackles, 8 for loss, 1 sack, 2 QB pressures, 9 PBUs, 4 forced fumbles, 6 recoveries, 1 blocked kick)
  • CB Drew Rawls, Sr., 6-2, 185 (42 tackles, 2 INTs, 17 PBUs, 1 defensive TD; committed to Tulsa)
  • LB Desmond Jackson, Jr., 5-10, 200 (83 tackles, 8 for loss, 3 sacks, 9 QB pressures, 1 PBU, 2 forced fumbles, 4 recoveries)
  • OL Donovan Edwards, Sr., 6-2, 285

Longview

  • QB Haynes King, Jr., 6-2, 185 (167 of 246, 3,240 yards, 39 TDs, 4 INTs; 59 carries, 503 yards, 7 TDs; 1 catch, 20 yards, 1 TD)
  • WR Kamden Perry, Sr., 6-0, 180 (79 catches, 1,644 yards, 17 TDs)
  • OT Marcus Williams, Sr., 6-6, 290 (committed to TCU)
  • S Jephaniah Lister, Sr., 5-9, 155 (121 tackles, 5 for loss, 1 sack, 5 PBUs, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery, 1 defensive TD)
  • RB Keilyn Williams, Sr., 5-5, 145 (199 carries, 1,449 yards, 13 TDs; 21 catches, 480 yards, 6 TDs)
  • RB Jessie Anderson, Sr., 5-11, 225 (141 carries, 1,047 yards, 24 TDs; 14 catches, 200 yards, 2 TDs; committed to Abilene Christian)
  • DE Jaylon Allen, Sr., 6-0, 235 (49 tackles, 16 for loss, 7 sacks, 1 blocked punt)
  • DE Sawyer Goram-Welch, Jr., 6-4, 270 (62 tackles, 15 for loss, 5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles)
  • LB Ja’Vontae Writt, Sr., 5-9, 190 (119 tackles, 15 for loss, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 recoveries)
  • LB Robert Pierce, Jr., 5-9, 190 (51 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 sack, 3 INTs, 2 PBUs, 1 fumble recovery, 4 blocked punts)
  • S Jacob Johnson, Sr., 6-0, 175 (49 tackles, 2 INTs, 5 PBUs, 1 fumble recovery)
  • CB Isaiah Rodgers, Sr., 5-11, 170 (54 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 INT, 9 PBUs, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery)

Just the facts

  • West Brook's last state championship came in 1982.
  • West Brook is averaging 44.7 points and 459.2 yards per game -- 253 rushing and 206.2 passing.
  • West Brook quarterback L'Ravien Elia has accounted for 2,846 yards of offense and 28 touchdowns.
  • West Brook running back Robert McGrue Jr. is averaging 128.6 rushing yards per game.
  • The cumulative record of West Brook's opponents is 96-67 (.589).
  • West Brook is allowing 24.9 points per game, has 46 sacks, and has forced 31 turnovers -- 10 interceptions and 21 fumbles.
  • Longview's last state championship came in 1937.
  • Longview is averaging 50.7 points and 496.7 yards per game -- 275.8 rushing and 220.9 passing.
  • Longview quarterback Haynes King has set school records for single-season passing yards and touchdowns.
  • Longview running backs Keilyn Williams and Jessie Anderson combined to average 166.4 rushing yards per game.
  • The cumulative record of Longview's opponents is 116-63 (.648).
  • Longview is allowing 18.7 points per game, has 30 sacks, and has forced 25 turnovers -- nine interceptions and 16 fumbles.
Longview RB Jessie Anderson. (© Clint Buckley, ETSN.fm)
Longview RB Jessie Anderson. (© Clint Buckley, ETSN.fm)
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Key matchup: Longview rushing attack vs. West Brook defensive front. The Lobos are among the most balanced offenses in the state, averaging more than 275 rushing yards and 220 passing yards per game. The balance has been the catalyst for an offense that averages more than 50 points per game. The duo of seniors Keilyn Williams and Jessie Anderson have combined for 2,496 yards and 37 touchdowns, and the two combine to average 7.3 yards per carry. It is important that Longview's running game have success on Saturday for two reasons. Firstly, it will allow the Lobos' passing game to have more of an impact. Junior quarterback Haynes King has passed for more than 3,200 yards and 39 touchdowns this season, while senior receiver Kamden Perry has 79 catches for 1,644 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Longview WR Kamden Perry. (© Clint Buckley, ETSN.fm)
Longview WR Kamden Perry. (© Clint Buckley, ETSN.fm)
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Longview also must be able to run the ball to keep West Brook's explosive offense off the field. The Bruins enter this week averaging almost 45 points and 460 yards per game, and the production comes from a variety of places. It starts with senior dual-threat quarterback L'Ravien Elia, who has accounted for more than 2,800 yards from scrimmage and 28 touchdowns. But he is far from the only superstar on the loaded West Brook offense. Senior running back Robert McGrue Jr. is closing in on 2,000 yards and has run for 33 touchdowns in 2018, while receivers Thaddeus Johnson and Deonte Simpson have combined to catch 106 passes for 2,020 yards and 21 touchdowns. Longview's best defense Saturday might be an offense that plays wth ball-control objectives.

Don't be surprised if: Both offenses put on a show in the title game. Longview's offense has been flying high all season long, and there have been few defenses that have been able to contain the Lobos. West Brook, meanwhile, is averaging 45 points per game in the playoffs, and the Bruins have a deep roster full of game-breakers. Defenses might be in for a long afternoon, but creating turnovers could end up being the great equalizer. Whichever offense protects the ball the best Saturday should be the one that comes away with a state title.

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