Before his first career start in the second round of the playoffs against Lancaster, Longview sophomore quarterback Johnny ‘Tre’ Hamilton was unknown to everybody except head coach John King.

King knew Tre before he was born. He coached his father, Longview assistant athletic director Johnny Hamilton II, at Ouachita Parish High School in Louisiana, then hired him in Texas. Tre grew up at the Longview field house, mentored by King’s son, current Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King. 

King knew the young quarterback would be nervous. Anyone with a pulse would be. But there wasn’t a kid more prepared for the moment.

“He’s seen the Lobos from when he was born to watching us win a state championship,” King said. “He knows what it takes.”

But movie moments are only created by overcoming adversity.

Hamilton ran three offensive plays before Lancaster, a team far more talented than its 4-6 regular season record in Texas’s toughest district, raced out to a 14-0 lead, using an onside kick to steal a possession.

The offense had one first down in its first three drives as Lancaster crowded the box to stop Longview’s running back tandem of Buster Mumphery and Kelvin Washington, daring the sophomore quarterback to beat them with his arm, which he did for the first time with under two minutes left in the half. 

Hamilton hit Mumphery on a 63-yard wheel route touchdown, then led another drive deep into Lancaster territory. But disaster struck with under 10 seconds left in the half when Hamilton’s screen pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Lancaster linebacker Ke’Breion Winston. Instead of a 14-14 halftime score, Longview went into the break down 21-7.

The game was a microcosm of Longview’s season. Plenty predicted a down year after losing 35 seniors, highlighted by star running back and Oklahoma commit Taylor Tatum, then wrote off the Lobos after back-to-back losses to South Oak Cliff and Louisiana’s Ruston High School in pre-district. 

But Longview bowed up at every moment it could’ve folded. Senior linebacker Kason Brooks returned a botched punt for a touchdown to make the score 21-14. Hamilton entered the fourth quarter having completed just 4-of-10 passes and down 28-14, yet had the confidence on a third-and-6 in the red zone to scramble right and throw a strike to Da’Morrion Williams in the back of the end zone. 

Yet Hamilton was on the sidelines, watching helplessly as Lancaster inched within a first down away from ending the game. Then, the Longview defense propped up their sophomore quarterback again, forcing a fumble on Lancaster’s side of the field to give the offense the ball back with under two minutes left.

Given a shot by his defense, Hamilton made a star for himself. With under a minute left in regulation, he threw the game-tying 42-yard touchdown pass to Washington. 

“He played big in the biggest moment,” King said.

So did Kason Brooks.

Up 35-28 in overtime, the senior linebacker sacked Lancaster quarterback Carter Jones on back-to-back plays to seal the comeback victory and get revenge for his team’s defeat last season. Longview blew the 21-7 lead to Lancaster in the second round last season, and Brooks’s heroics reversed the fortunes. 

“I want to win so badly, I’ve got to make this play,” Brooks said. “I fired off the ball. Got to the edge and made the play. That’s what Lobo football is about.”

And none know what Lobo football is about more than Hamilton, who grew up in the program he’ll now lead.