PackAttack

Lufkin Purple A Freshmen 48 Port Arthur Memorial Freshmen 0

One thing about this game is PAM brings a physical presence, one thing for Lufkin's side is they have already experience the hit in the mouth scenario with Longview two weeks ago. As good as PAM is this year they won't bring any more than Longview did to the table, so I don't think there will any unexpected surprises for the Panthers. Maybe another dose of hard learning comes along for our young guys, but it won't be as if they don't know it's coming this time, as two weeks ago.

Won't need one he is not a main runner in the offense, he scrambles when he has too. Nothing more.

Well, our non district games are usually with Longview, Nacogdoches or Tyler High, a mix of the old East Texas 5A we use to be a part of 20+ years ago. So we are involved in the [Hidden Content] forum for at least the first part of the season. I've moderated the Lufkin forum for 25 years. [Hidden Content]

For only one more year. LOL

.....and I do have strong thoughts about my team and have a long long time, even played DE for them back in the day. Just saying I let sleeping dogs lie and let the predictors do what they do, that's the easy part, you still have to play the game. There will be crucial games in this district every week.

......because what can you say about a game where the home team is a 25 point underdog. It seems Lufkin should provide no road block to the PAM Titans journey through 9-5A.

Well, Lufkin played a veteran 6A Longview team who is currently 6A ranked #15, probably #5 or #6 in the 6A DII catagory. On the other hand, the Panthers had 27 talented sophomores seeing their first ever Varsity game. Lufkin was the only school in 9-5A DI to play a 6A team. There is not a team in 9-5A DI who could match the Lobos, I look for them to get close to a title this year. Lufkin will put things together, Coach Abseck will see to that starting this week.

Longview is ranked #18 in 6A, probably a Top 10 among the 6A Div II schools. They are good. Lufkin is young and building, so we'll see if the off season has paid off for Lufkin starting tomorrow night.

We'll certainly see about that matter when the time comes in a couple weeks. Right now only Longview matters for Lufkin..

My thoughts were better during and after the scrimmage because Huntville is a tough football program and Lufkin's sophomore loaded group represented well overall with both teams scoring twice each. Unfortunately a long lightning delay caused only the controlled scrimmage to be accomplished. No live quarters were played. However got to see all the depth play and was encourage by all the possibilities. Huntsville will be a very good playoff team in 5A DII, they have an exceptional QB and group of WRs and huge OL, they are a physically tough and talented group. Lufkin is going to be stout on D this year, on O the Panthers are young but you can see that group has great potential. Longview is coming to town Friday, it will be experience by fire, but that's how you grow up. The 6A Lobos will be the best team Lufkin plays in the regular season, my apologies to LaPorte, PAM and West Brook who are coming in as top rated 5A programs in 2026. Going to be a fun year.

Well, I think it's half interest.

Longview has not change at all.... double the steroids!

Yes, I've been a Lufkin Sideliner Booster for 30 years. We go up to the resturant and have our meeting with the coach, then stay to watch the coaches show while eating a chicken wing basket. Gary Ivins can get excited a bit, he has been a Lufkin sports broadcaster for 20 years.

Your a little more tactful than some of us Lufkin people would be...LOL I agree 100% with the last part of your statement and leave it at that.

The only two folks I know, besides Lufkin, from our current district to ever play Longview in recent years is Beaumont West Brook, they have played three times in 6A beating Longview 34-33 in the 2016 6A DII playoffs, then losing 42-17 in the 2017 playoffs, then lost a close 35-34 to the Lobos in the 2018 State 6A DII Championship game. Port Arthur Memorial and Longview have played one time, at Abe Martin /Lufkin in 2022 with Longview winning 51-7 in the 5A DI regional playoffs. I think Galveston Ball has a 5 game history with them between 1956 and 1989, Longview leads that series 4-1. Lufkin plays them practically every year either is a district or non district, we are about to open the season with them for our 89th meeting, it's a longtime traditional rivalry. Longview has had the upper hand on Lufkin as of late winning the last 9 meetings in a row, Lufkin won 11 in a row back in the early 2000s. There have been several years that we played Longview early in the year in non district then played them again the same year in the playoffs. They are 6A now so that won;t happen again anythime soon. My question to those from PAM or BWB, what was your take on the Lobo Nation as a whole, fans and team, compared to anyone else you may have played in the State. Just asking.

FREE to watch live and are usually archieved to watch after the season. All game highlights are posted on HUDL as most do. [Hidden Content]

Having a whole new stadium is something many have hoped to happen for years. Speaking of stadium steps, I've had my 6 season tickets on the top row 40, on one end of the press box since 1995. I'm hoping to be top row on the bottom level in the new digs in a couple years. No more climbing for us. LOL

With my district game discussion analysis I need to be careful to speak Lufkin each time when talking about the Panthers, because we are also LP (Lufkin Panthers) and La Porte is also LP. Things will be interesting when the two play at the end of district play with the LP LP LP LP stuff on both sides. It is interesting to sit here in Lufkin and read all the SETX fan analysis and predictions for 9-5A DI. I know many don't know a lot about Lufkin and that is okay, your not suppose to I guess. It's always interesting to read about the transfers to programs, Lufkin doesn't get many transfers, sometimes a kid from a 2A or 3A school will come in, the program is pretty much Lufkin kids. I know there were some in SETX that did not want Lufkin in this district, then again when the UIL tried to put Lufkin way out in a district near Cleburne and Burleson, that was unacceptable too. Who wants to travel 8 hour round trips to play district games, plus those the sub-varsity trips on Thursday?? No one here wanted that and none of those teams there wanted to come to Lufkin. The same thought probably exist for most SETX teams and fans coming up to Lufkin. The UIL has no easy job finding proper placement for the Panthers, but for as long as I can remember there's lots of travel involved no matter where we land, and if you didn't know, there are only two 5A DI schools in all of East Texas, Lufkin and Tyler High, only two 6A schools, Longview and Tyler Legacy, all three of those schools must travel to the Metroplex for district games. Lufkin has been in 6 different combinations of 5A and 6A districts the last 20+ years, either up North w/ (North and West Mesquite/Forney/McKinney North/Lancaster/Longview/Tyler, Ennis, Corsicana, Lindale, Jacksonville, Whitehouse) or South (THW, Conroe/Waller/West Brook/ Mongomery/Magnoila/New Caney/Klein/Porter/Willis/Kingwood Park/ Tomball/College Station/AMC/Bryan/Cleveland/Montgomery), that's a lot of different district opponents and now in Region III with you guys, back with West Brook and New Caney. Lufkin has more continuous familiarity with our non district opponents Longview, Nacogdoches and Tyler High usually than any school we have played in all those seasons. Lufkin now starts season three in Region III, hopefully there's more realighnment stability for the Panthers in future. As for 9-5A DI in 2026, it's going to be some competitive football and I'm looking forward to see Lufkin taking on each challenge. Going to be interesting to see what growth Lufkin has made in their rebuilding process. The SETX teams seem to have a lot of pairity between them, there will be a many hard fought games and whoever makes the playoffs will earn their spot.

Even us Lufkin folks understand where we are in our re- building process. When Quick was coaching here for 13 seasons after Outlaw passed away, everyone kept giving Lufkin a little of that recognition?? The fact is this program has not been passed the 4th round since 2005. Abseck will build something good here, but he is just in year 2, in fact Abseck was only hired 18 months ago. I'm not picking a place for Lufkin to finish, just going to see how this year plays out, because this is going to be one tough district. Some pretty good teams may have to stay home.

Thanks for the link. We like our anonymity up here in East Texas, but we know more about what is going on than many know.

I don't exactly disagree with your picks, but it would be nice to hear your analysis for how your top 4 choices fit your criteria.. From a Lufkin guys perspective, the Panthers are loaded on defense, however there are many unknowns on the offensive side with all the key skilled positions fielding all new starters. The OL will be pretty good. I believe Lufkin has much to prove this year, they will be really young, there were 38 Freshman who played on the Varsity in the Spring game who will be sophomores in August,. There are 27 Seniors and 34 juniors on the 2026 team. Several of those Sophomores and Juniors of course will be on JV. PAM only has 2 O starters returning, while WB has 7 and United has 6 and LaPorte 7. WB and United only return 4 starters on D each. PAM lost a couple key players but they still return 7 from that D who played in the Semi Finals last year. That is significant. LaPorte returns a potent offense. Your top two choices are solid. I think GC dropping down from 6A and after playing NS, SC and CE King will surprise this district, they return 6 on O and 9 on D. You can't tell me they won't find some advantages to that move down. Now Sterling also returns a ton of starters on both sides too (8 O/6 D) who will be looking to improve on last seasons success. Can't comment on NC or Ball, DCTF has picked them at the bottom of the district. Anyway, I look at returning starters and where they finished in 2025, head coaches and who they played last season. When you look at those factors you can see the makings of a competitive district. Although I've done analysis many years now, I'm still looking at this 9-5A district from afar, and with Lufkin located from 110-140 miles further North of our SETX opponents, it makes us a little isolated from that football corridor information.

They will begin the tear down process of the stadium immediately after the last Lufkin home game 2026. They will also move the one year old turf over to the Middle School field and are building a new track there at the same time to use in 2027 while new stadium is under construction at the HS. All Lufkin home games in 2027 will be played at SFA Homer Bryce Stadium. SFA may also be planning a stadium renovation in 2028, if this is so, then SFA will be offered to play their home games at the new Abe Martin Stadium in 2028.

Lufkin will have a truckload of sophomores and juniors playing this year. The Panthers get back the bulk of their defense from 2025, however just two or three starters return on offense, two on the OL and at TE. I honestly can't evaluate much from the three partial Spring practices I've looked in on. Lot of young guys and raw talent that needs to get a bunch of experience. If Abseck wasn't the coach I might look at this as a retooling year, we'll see. He is all about building and sure has them working hard.

Someone bumped me about mentioning penalties. It is costing PAM.