The Levelland Lobos kicked off their season with a tough loss to the Dalhart Golden Wolves, 55-27, Friday night at home.
Levelland would elect to put their offense on the field for the first drive of the game, however, the possession would result in a three-and-out.
Dalhart would put the first points on the board on the ensuing drive after a five-play sequence that overwhelmed the Lobo defense.
Trailing 7-0 in the opening minutes of the first quarter, the Lobos would find themselves in Dalhart territory.
Lobo quarterback Boston Windfield would find wide receiver Gage Potter on a inside slant for a touchdown.
The scoring drive came on the heels of a five-play drive which were strung together with a healthy combination of the run and pass game. A big question heading into the season was if the Lobos offensive unit could sustain drives.
Tied 7-7 with seven minutes in the first quarter, Dalhart would extend their lead with three scoring drives to cap off their first half of the game. Two touchdowns would be scored in the remainder of the first, one through the air for a 30-yard scoring pass and the other on a goal line run play for the other.
In the second quarter, the Wolves would put together a lengthy drive through the run game that would burn a majority of the clock and add another seven points to push their total to 28 before the half.
While the Lobo defense struggled with the long drives the Wolves put together, the Lobos would show glimpses of how dangerous the offensive unit could potentially be.
Winfield would find wide out Eryk Jones for a 70-yard touchdown off of a throw down the seam along with a 35-yard touchdown in similar fashion.
Before the half, the Lobos would have another chance at putting points on the board following Dalhart’s third touchdown but would stall resulting in a three-and-out.
Leading 28-19 after the first half, Dalhart would take the first possession in the third quarter which would result in a touchdown after marching down the field utilizing the run game for a 10-play drive.
On the ensuing possession, Winfield would be picked off on the first play of the drive with the Dalhart defensive back returning it for a touchdown. Dalhart would continue to capitalize on their offensive rhythm and score one more touchdown before the fourth quarter on a lengthy offensive drive. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Lobos trailed 48-19.
The Lobos would put together one more scoring drive in the fourth with a Winfield to Jones pass for 75-yards. The final points would be scored by Dalhart on a 30-yard pass connection to round out the game.
The Lobos would finish with a total of 334 yards with 68 yards coming from the running game and 266 yards coming from the pass game.
Dalhart controlled the run game with 217 yards and managed to balance their attack efficiently with 279 yards through the air for a total of 496.
Coming off of the loss, Levelland Lobo Head Coach Lyle Leong felt that there were some positives that could be taken away from the game.
“I think our special team’s unit did well compared to the special teams blunders we had last year to open the season. We had no turnovers and gave up no points on that end which is always nice,” said Coach Leong. “Offensively, we only gave up the one turnover which is still too many in competitive games, but at one point we averaged two to three a game.”
Defensively, Coach Leong acknowledged that things would need to be looked at as putting together stops are critical.
“We were in it for a bulk of the game, but that second half did us no favors and we have to put our kids in a better position to succeed,” explained Coach Leong.
Having the identity of an explosive offense, Coach Leong and his staff have the tall task of figuring out how to balance an offense that typically scores in a handful of plays which will result in a defense that is required to be on the field more. Additionally, depth is a critical area for the Lobos as they will be having several players seeing time on both sides of the ball.
Penalties will be another key aspect for the Lobos to maneuver as the season progresses.
Unsportsmanlike penalties, holding penalties, delay of game penalties and sideline warnings were among the flags thrown during the game against the Lobos.
Two touchdowns were called back for the Lobos as a result of penalties.
“I never condone penalties, but I also want my kids to be tough and not allow themselves to be bullied,” said Coach Leong.
Outsized against Dalhart, the Lobos will be pushing through a schedule that still has them pegged as the undersized unit. Lacking size across the board has been an issue for Levelland rosters for an extended period of time. Now, with an adjusted schedule to match numbers, size still remains an uphill battle.
“We have to be smarter, more disciplined and tough,” said Coach Leong. “I think that will happen as the season continues, but one aspect of the culture we have been trying to build is confidence and toughness. When I first arrived, I had kids getting pancaked and telling the other guy good job.”
Coach Leong praised his team for the continuous hard work throughout the game despite the outcome.
“These kids worked hard and played with everything they had for four quarters regardless of the score or outcome,” said Coach Leong. “We just have to get the penalties cleaned up and get our defense squared away.”
Depth of the roster was tested early last season following the first game against Plainview. Coach Leong is hopeful he will be getting a few starters back relatively soon as the Lobos had six players injured with five being starters.
With a film session completed following the loss, Coach Leong feels that his players are eager to correct themselves in areas they can control.
“I think they are seeing their mistakes and want to correct them because they understand that we were able to hang with Dalhart for the bulk of the game,” said Coach Leong. “The kids saw where they can improve, and it was also a chance for those filling in for our starters to see what they can improve upon.”
With those backups filling in, Coach Leong felt like the kids were able to learn and grow as some plays were made and in other instances they were not.
“This was kind of their wakeup call in regard to never knowing when your number will be called and they will be expected to make plays,” explained Coach Leong. “Some of the kids that stepped in had no regular game varsity experience, but I know we will continue to get better.”
Looking forward to their road game against the Pecos Eagles, Coach Leong believes his unit matches up well in regard to numbers and talent.
“They [Pecos] are a great team and well coached,” said Coach Leong. “They beat Snyder 41-7 this past Friday, but I still like how we match up with those guys. I am super excited to see how we handle our first road game with our young kids especially with it being a lengthy road trip.”
The Lobos will be playing at Eagle Stadium in Pecos on Friday, September 6, with kick off slated for 7 p.m.