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 Did the Railers score? No, the Cyclone defense played a masterful
game.
But did the Railers improve? Yes, the Splitter offense finally found
its groove in the passing game and Lincoln's inside, offensive
linesmen moved SHG's defenders off the ball.
“I can look at the 70 points tonight and point-out that just about
everybody in the conference, outside of Rochester, gives up 70 to
them,” Lincoln Head Coach Seth Bass said after the game.
Bass told his team heading into this week to focus on themselves.
Maybe it was that message, or maybe it was that Lincoln which is now
0-5 on the season, literally had nothing to lose against the
back-to-back Class 5A State Champions.
The Railers came out Friday night loose and ready play.
Lincoln on-sided the opening kickoff and recovered.
SHG's stout defense forced a three and out, but the Railers for the
first time this season looked relaxed as a team.
The offense, which has been run focused all season, shifted Friday
night.
Senior Garrett Aeilts threw the ball 15 times for 43 yards.
“We just tried to pass a little bit more,” Aeilts said. “(We wanted
to) work on my reads as a quarterback and work on routes as wide
receivers.”
Aeilts completed six of his 15 passing attempts, but Coach Bass said
that statistic is a bit misleading.
“Garrett threw some nice balls tonight,” Bass noted. “I feel really,
really bad for him...if you look at the statistics his numbers are
terrible, but most of those incompletions have been drops.”
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Bass figures if Railer receivers would catch the balls that hit them
in the hands, Aeilts would be about a 65-percent passer.
“If we don't have the drops, he's toward the top of the conference
statistically,” Bass added.
Friday night Aeilts' favorite target was junior Nathan Podunajec.
“I like the passing game,” Podunajec said after the game. “Taking
the ball to the outside gets us some yards.”
The Railers lost nearly 30-yards on the ground Friday but gained
more than 40 through the air.
But as Podunajec became Aeilts target, he also became the target for
the very fast, very tough SHG defense.
“I make sure I catch the ball first,” Podunajec said he try not to
think too much as the man on the island for the Railsplitter
offense. “Then I turn and see if anyone is coming for me. I just
figure out what to do after that.”
SHG improves to 5-0 after their win, Lincoln falls to 0-5.
The Railsplitters are home next week against the Central State
Eight's other defending state champion, the Rochester Rockets.
That's Lincoln's Homecoming game.
[Benjamin Yount]
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