‘Southeast Season’ Begins With Southeast Win

[August 29, 2015]  SPRINGFIELD -- With about a minute left in the first quarter, the Lincoln Railers had the ball inside the Southeast High School 20 yard line and had just picked-up eight yards.

But two penalties and four minutes later, Southeast quarterback Isaiah Timms scampered more than 40 yards for the Spartans’ third unanswered touchdown of the first half.

“It's just a lot of execution problems,” junior safety Alex Linares said after the Railers' 37-0 loss. “We have a lot of young guys on our defense who have no varsity experience.”

The Railers notched their first loss of the season Friday.

Though Southeast did do everything they could to help Lincoln.

The Spartans committed ten first half penalties, most of them 15 yards or more.

But the Railer defense was no match for Southeast’s speed and play-making ability.

“I know they came out and scored on the first play, but after that we hit them a few times,” senior linebacker Ryan Rutschke said. “A couple times, third or fourth down, they got out and scored deep on us.”

Not that the Splitters did themselves any favors.

The team struggled all night with Coach Seth Bass’ new formations.

And senior quarterback Garrett Aelits tossed an interception to scuttle Lincoln’s most promising drive of the second half.

“It's the first game, so we had to work some things through,” Aeilts said after Friday's game.

Aeilts lead all ball carriers with 37 yards. Junior h-back Andrew Yount gained 23 yards on 14 carriers, and junior Nathan Podunajec caught six passes for 33 yards.

But while the scoreboard looked like 2014, the team on the field in the second half did not.

Railer teams of the past would wilt about three or four plays into the third quarter.

On Friday, the 2015 Lincoln squad fought on.

“I'm proud how we responded after halftime,” Bass said. “We had a little bit of fight in us and we battled mostly to the end.”

Bass said his new scheme to play players on just one side of the ball paid off.

“Our guys, we asked them, 'Are they tired, are they gassed, are they worn out?' and they all said 'No',” Bass added. “We're on the right track of where we need to be.”

But any track in the Central State Eight is a tough one.

The conference is the best football conference in the state of Illinois. Sacred Heart Griffin is seeking its third straight state championship, and Rochester High School is hunting its sixth straight.

Four other teams (Chatham Glenwood, Jacksonville, Decatur MacArthur, Southeast,) are all expected to make the playoffs.

The Railers are looking for their first win since 2012.

Lincoln will host Chatham Glenwood next Friday at Handlin Field. The Titans easily defeated Decatur MacArthur 49-7 Friday night.

[Benjamin Yount]