Lady Railers win regional
championship on Coach Farmer's birthday
[February 20, 2026]
The Lincoln Lady Railers won the IHSA Class 3A Regional
Championship 50-39 over Mount Zion on Thursday night at Roy S.
Anderson Gymnasium and it just happened to be Coach Cory Farmer’s
birthday. The little Farmer fans and their friends in the crowd even
sang “Happy Birthday” as the game was ending.
In this case, a regional championship for the first-year head coach
has to be the real icing on the cake.
Add sprinkles too for this guy because it was sweet revenge from an
earlier loss to Mount Zion.
Lincoln lost to the Braves in overtime back on January 20, 2026 by a
final score of 50-47.
On Thursday night the Lady Railers overcame a really rough first
quarter and a not-too-pretty second quarter to come storming back in
the second half to claim the regional plaque.
The trio of Lily Holmes, Grace Schneider and Mia Clark led Lincoln
in scoring.
Lily Holmes finished with 12 points. She was 6-for-8 from the free
throw line and pulled down five rebounds. Lily never gives up under
the basket. She was a key factor in swinging the momentum Lincoln’s
way with her bucket to end the third quarter.
Grace Schneider also had 12 points and went 6-for-8 from the free
throw line. She was clutch at the of the game, going 4-for-4 from
the line. Grace is little and fast and she led the team with six
rebounds and had five steals. Pound for pound - do not get in her
way.
Mia Clark finished with 10 points and she had a block and a couple
steals. Mia is the steady presence who scores consistently and keeps
the defense flowing.
Paisley Holmes earns a special mention here, too, because she played
so far above her eight points, four rebounds and six steals. She
scored seven of her points in the fourth quarter. She made some
phenomenal drives to the basket to score in the fourth quarter. With
6:49 left in the game she drove all the way down the middle of the
lane, just like Moses parting the Red Sea, and she left the Braves
defenders at a standstill, admiring her work. It was only two points
but it was a game changer.
One final shout-out here goes to Grace Bivin. Bivin had some early
foul trouble but she still had four points, five rebounds, a block
and a steal. She only played fifteen and a half minutes of the game
but had a huge impact. Bivin did foul out in the fourth quarter with
two minutes left but by then Lincoln had the game well in control.
First quarter
The first quarter no one was in control. There were 14 fouls called
and even Jay Hardin declared the game was just wild to start.
Lincoln went up 7-2 early and all of those seven points came from
the free throw line. Maddie Austin led a little comeback by the
Braves and her three put them on top 9-8. Buckets by Grace Schneider
and Mia Clark put Lincoln up 12-9 with just under a minute to go but
Ava Anderson tied the game on a three. After Sage Gilbert gave
Lincoln the lead again, it was short-lived with Austin hitting
another three. Mount Zion was on top 16-14 after the first brutal
eight minutes was over.
Second quarter
This was a very low scoring quarter with both teams just mustering
up seven points each. Thank goodness Mesa McCloud scored on a layup,
Schneider hit a bucket in the lane, Clark drove the lane for two and
Paisley Holmes made one measly free throw. The Braves missed a
chance to score at the buzzer and that was a good thing as the score
was a tense 23-21 going into the locker rooms. Mount Zion was on top
and Lincoln was lucky to be that close.
Third quarter
The fans had waited patiently for things to turn around and finally
in the third quarter it happened. Schneider scored first by
splitting the defenders and taking it to the basket all on her own.
That very important bucket tied the game and seemed to give the
girls a boost. After a drive by Lily Holmes off the inbounds play
Lincoln was on top 25-23 and it was about time. That lead lasted
about thirty-five seconds. Lily fought again to give Lincoln another
two-point lead about twenty seconds later. After Mount Zion was
called for a travel, Lincoln played hot potato with the ball in the
next possession and finally Bivin saw the opportunity to score. Her
basket gave Lincoln a 29-25 advantage. The Braves gave Lincoln one
more brief scare when Austin hoisted a long three and it sailed
through the net, cutting the lead to one. Following Austin’s long
shot, Bivin got fouled in the lane for Lincoln and her two free
throws were up, up and in each time. Lily Holmes increased the lead
to 33-28 when she darted around her defender, grabbed the inbounds
pass from McCloud and used that backboard for help in getting two
points. That was the end to a wild and wonderful third quarter.
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The 2026 Class 3A Regional Champion Lincoln Community High School
Lady Railers. Photo by Teena Lowery
Fourth quarter
Mia Clark’s drive set the tone early for the fourth quarter.
Twenty-five seconds later Paisley Holmes showed she could do that,
too. This was her moment to shine. She very confidently drove all
the way down the middle of the lane and it was like a parting of the
Red Sea. It was beautiful. The immediate result was a 37-28 Lincoln
lead followed by a Braves timeout.
The Braves got a bucket after the timeout but then Paisley decided
the first time was so fun, she’d do it again. Same drive, same two
points but this time she got fouled. She did not get the extra point
but Lincoln was still on top 39-30. Schneider did get an extra point
on a free throw shortly thereafter and the Lincoln lead was a solid
ten points with 3:30 left in the game.
This group was determined not to let that lead disappear.
Lincoln ended the game like they started it: at the free throw line.
The last eleven points went through the net at the line and that was
just fine.
The 50-39 win gave the Lady Railers even more reason to celebrate
Coach Farmer’s birthday.
Lincoln improves to 24-8 on the season.
Lincoln will play Bloomington at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24,
2026 in the sectional tournament at Normal West High School in
Normal.
Last but not least, it’s time to recognize something very special on
this Lady Railer team. There are three sets of sisters who have been
fortunate enough to share the court with one another this season and
make an impact.
Sister Act starring the Lincoln Lady Railers. Ella
and Grace Schneider, Paisley and Lily Holmes and Sage and Grey
Gilbert. Photo by Teena Lowery
Two of those girls with younger siblings are seniors.
Lily Holmes is the older sister of Paisley and Grace Schneider is
the older sister of Ella.
Grey Gilbert will still have one more year to play basketball with
her sister, Sage.
It has really been fun each and every time to see siblings on the
court together and no doubt when it’s all said and done, they will
look back at those moments and treasure them.
Lincoln 50
L. Holmes 12
Schneider 12
Clark 10
P. Holmes 8
Bivin 4
McCloud 2
S. Gilbert 2
Mount Zion 39
Wisher 14
Anderson 9
Austin 9
Rotz 2
Durbin 2
Cully 2
Jenkins 1
[Teena Lowery]
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