After losing to The Lufkin Panthers the last time they met, the Tyler Lions decided to demonstrate that turnabout is fair play. Tyler sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 23-20 win over Lufkin on Friday. The win made it back-to-back wins for Tyler.
Tyler got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Caden Granberry out in front who threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns. The team also got some help courtesy of Derrick Mcfall, who picked up 101 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Tyler, racking up 11 points in total. All those points came courtesy of Marvin Espinal: he added nine points with three field goals, and another two kicking extra points.
Tyler's win bumped their record up to 6-2. As for Lufkin, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-4 record this season.
Tyler will head out on the road to face off against Longview at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Longview will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak. As for Lufkin, they will be playing at home against West Mesquite at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. West Mesquite will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Texas Rankings (they are ranked 445th, while Lufkin is ranked 117th).
