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 “They kicked
the ball, I got it at the ten,” Cook explained after Lincoln’s 46-8
loss to Springfield’s Southeast High School. “As I was running up
the sideline I stiff-armed a kid. Then another came at my legs, so I
just hurdled over him.”
Cook’s leap
added about five yards to his kick return, but more importantly,
gave the Railers a spark that lead to their first score of season.
“Cam…set the
momentum with that jump. And I told (the team) in the huddle ‘We
gotta capitalize on the play’,” junior quarterback Garrett Aeilts
said.
Lincoln then
quickly moved the ball against a fast, athletic, and aggressive
Spartan defense.
Just a few
plays later, Aeilts connected with senior wide receiver Will Cook
for a touchdown pass.
“We came out of
the huddle…Their outside linebacker was staying back. As we snapped
(the ball) their outside guy came in,” Aeilts said. “I tried to get
around him. As soon as I did, they jumped up, so I just dumped it
over the top.”
The touchdown
pass was the Railers’ only score of the game, but not the only
bright spot.
Lincoln head
coach Andy McDonald said the Railers showed flashes of a team that
played better than the lopsided score reflected.
“I thought our
running backs ran the ball very well,” McDonald said after the game.
“There were a lot of things we saw that we did well.”
McDonald added
that Railer defenders were often in the right place to make a play
Friday night, but the Southeast Spartans just overwhelmed the
undersized and outnumbered Lincoln team.
“Give credit to
Southeast,” McDonald said. “They were very fast as a team. They were
very aggressive and physical.”
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Southeast High
School’s first year head coach Matt Lauber said his team came out
ready for his first game in the Central State Eight.
“We don’t take
anyone lightly in the CS8,” Lauber said. “I know coach (McDonald)
has them ready to play hard for all 48 minutes. That’s how we
prepare.”
Friday’s game
at Handlin Field was also the first varsity game for a number of
Lincoln sophomores.
Alex Linares, a
sophomore, started at outside linebacker and made several runs out
of the backfield.
“I was really
scared before the game,” Linares admitted. “People were telling me
about the difference between junior varsity (last year) and
varsity.”
But Linares
threw his body into the scrum, delivering a number of punishing
blows to Spartan ball carriers.
“The first time
I made contact with someone who had the ball. That was an eye
opener,” Linares said about his stout defensive play.
Linares hopes
to play as much next week, he said he thinks he showed the coaches
the skills he brings to the field.
But that will
depend on some off-the-field factors.
Lincoln will
soon get back some of the 12 starters who were either injured or
sidelined for others reasons on Friday night.
The next test
for the Railers will be the Chatham Glenwood Titans who lost in
overtime to Decatur MacArthur 20-17.
Southeast’s
week two opponent will be the Jacksonville Crimsons.
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