Top Texas high school football rivalries — No. 2: Marshall vs. Longview

Previously:No. 10 — Harlingen vs. San Benito / No. 9 — El Campo vs. Bay City / No. 8 — Cuero vs. Yoakum / No. 7 — Stephenville vs. Brownwood / No. 6 — Abilene vs. Abilene Cooper / No. 5 — Ennis vs. Waxahachie / No. 4 — Midland Lee vs. Odessa Permian / No. 3 — Sherman vs. Denison When it comes to rivalries in Texas, few can match up with Longview-Marshall in terms of intensity. 2010 is the perfect example of just how quickly the game can get out of hand. That year, the game was played the first weekend of the season and marked the 100^th contest between the two schools. What began as a game marking a century of heated competition ended in an all out brawl just a few minutes into the third quarter. What makes the game so intense is a combination of the rivalry’s longevity as well as the tradition each program has. Both have a state championship to their name – Longview in 1937 and Marshall in 1990 – and the team’s have a rich history of producing extremely talented players who have gone on to put up big numbers in both college and the NFL. “The games are pretty intense relative to most rivalries, especially after more than 100 years of playing each other,” Scout.com’s Gabe Brooks said. “The two of them have produced a ton of talent over the years – there’s just so much history.” While the series was back-and-forth and almost dead even in the years leading up to 2000, Longview has dominated since the turn of the century and has now won 15 of the last 16 games. The game used to be an annual district matchup with major playoff implications, but has continued in the non-district portion of the schedule during years Longview competes in a classification higher than the Mavericks. [caption id="attachment_32342" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Photo by John Hamilton[/caption] It’s become almost an expectation in Longview for the Lobos to take home a win in the annual rivalry game under coach John King, which made 2015 that much sweeter in Marshall. In what was certainly one of the best games in recent memory, the Mavericks were able to overcome a second half deficit with a late fourth-quarter touchdown to give Marshall its first win over Longview since 2000. King and the Lobos bounced back with a resounding 56-7 win last season, but the Mavericks hope to have new life moving forward after hiring former DeSoto coach Claude Mathis to take over the program. Mathis spent the last two years on staff at SMU – first as the team’s running backs coach and then as the director of high school relations. He went 74-18 in seven years at DeSoto and will look to turn things around in Marshall. Mathis said he didn’t really know a whole lot about just how important the Longview game was coming into the job, but it didn’t take long for him to catch on. “I did not know about the rivalry coming in whatsoever,” Mathis said. “But from the moment I stepped foot here on campus, I’ve known about Longview – trust me. I promise you that.” Another win over Longview would go a long ways towards turning the tide in the rivalry matchup and would really mean a lot for the community after losses in 15 of the last 16 years. “The game is so competitive, and it’s one of the longest running rivalries in the state,” Mathis said. “We want to continue that for the community. It comes down to bragging rights, and if we can get a win, the community will have bragging rights for a whole year. That’s what you want – you want the bragging rights.” Quick hits for Marshall vs. Longview:  How many years has it been played?: 107 years (since 1909) Overall record: Longview leads the all-time series 59-42-5 and was won 15 of the last 16 games Distance between schools (in exact miles): 28.7 miles State titles won and/or appeared in for each team: Longview won the 1937 Class 1A title over Wichita Falls, lost the 1997 5A DI title to Katy, lost the 2008 and 2009 4A DI title game to Lake Travis. Marshall won the 1990 5A DI title over Judson, lost the 2004 4A DI title to Ennis and lost the 2005 4A DI title to Highland Park Average attendance: combined average of both stadiums’ capacities: Both stadiums seat close to 9,500, and the game used to routinely draw over 10,000 fans each year. Now, attendance usually depends on how good Marshall is each season. If both teams are good, it’s a packed house every year. How much animosity is there, really? Is it a fun rivalry, or does it always get chippy and cross the line? The game is one of the more heated rivalries in the state and is almost always a chippy matchup with a lot of trash talk. The brawl in 2010 was when it all came to blows. Does the game have a nickname? What’s the story behind it? While the game is one of the state’s longest rivalries, it hasn’t been given a nickname over the years. WHY do the schools dislike each other? What’s the town history? Nowadays, players grow up being taught the importance of the game because of its longevity. The rivalry began because of the proximity of the two schools sitting less than 30 miles apart, and it developed in the early years because a lack of schools similar in size in the area. How has the rivalry changed over the years? What use to be a back-and-forth series has now been dominated by Longview since the turn of the century. One of the main reasons for the change in balance is the town of Marshall leveling out at the Class 5A level. Longview has an enrollment routinely north of 2,000 students while Marshall sits closer to 1,400. Any famous alumni? Coaches? Longview – Trent Williams (OU, Redskins), Malcolm Kelly (OU, Redskins), James Street (Texas), Chris Ivory (NFL), Bobby Taylor (Notre Dame, NFL), Josh Scobee (NFL), Jeb Blount (NFL), coach Doug Cox. Marshall – Y.A. Tittle (NY Giants), Terrence Shaw (NFL), Odell Beckham Sr. (LSU, father of NY Giants Odell Beckham Jr.), coach Bill Harper. How’d the first-ever game go? What is known about that one? The first game between the two schools was in 1909, and set the tone for just how even the game would be over the next 90 years or so – it was a 0-0 tie. Greatest game ever? Marshall wins 35-28 in 2OT in 1998. Longview was ranked No. 1 in the state at the time and the Mavericks went on the road to knock off the state’s top team – and their biggest rival – in double overtime.