Young Railers Learn Against SHG

[September 10, 2016]  By Benjamin Yount, photos by Sherry Sparrow

LINCOLN – Former Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green said it. And it applied to Lincoln's Friday night game against Sacred Heart Griffin High School as well.

“They are who we thought they were,” Green said years ago.

SHG was exactly who Lincoln thought they'd be.

It took the Cyclones about 25 seconds to score their first touchdown Friday night. SHG would go on to score nine touchdowns, winning 62-0.

But as lopsided as the scoreboard was, the game wasn't the same blow-out as last year.

Lincoln didn't allow a kick return touchdown. And the Railslitter defense fought, as well as it could, against one of the eight best teams in all of Illinois.

“Our three goals for our team this week were; Score, get some tackles for a loss, and don't allow a touchdown off the kicking game,” Lincoln coach Matt Silkowski explained. “We accomplished two of the three goals.”

Silkowski said SHG is exactly who he thought they'd be.

“The flew to the football,” Silkowski praised the SHG squad. “They are a very well coached football team. They are exactly what we thought.”

But there is a freedom in losing to one of the best teams in the state.

Lincoln's next crop of prime-time players played most of three quarters Friday night.

“It's an eye opener,” junior quarterback Josh Linares said after the game. “Not playing the first two games and coming in there against the best team in the state, I had to get used to the speed.”

Linares played from the middle of the second quarter til the end of the game.

He wasn't the only underclassmen to rack-up some serious varsity minutes.

Sophomore offensive lineman Brandon Smith also logged three quarters for the Railsplitters.

“I've had a lot of varsity time (this year), and I can't wait for the next two years,” Smith said.

Coach Silkowski said he wants to win this year, and he's dedicated to making this year special for the seniors.

But he admits the next few years could be big years for Railer football.

“When they come out next year, as juniors and seniors, when the game is slower. It's just going to make them better players,” Silkowski added.

Sophomore running back Matthew Yount was tasked with the yeoman's job of running into the teeth of the SHG defense. But he said the varsity playing time is an investment for the next class of Lincoln football players

“It's a great learning experience,” Yount said. “We'll get bigger. We'll learn more. And we'll be ready for the Apollo Conference.”

Lincoln is changing conferences next year. The Railsplitters are leaving the Central State Eight for the Apollo.

With Friday's loss, Lincoln falls to 0-3. Sacred Heart is now 3-0 and atop the CS8.

The Splitters schedule doesn't get any easier. Lincoln travels to the Central State Eight's other state championship powerhouse Rochester next week.