Railers Eye Fourth Win

[October 20, 2017]  By Benjamin Yount

LINCOLN – The Lincoln Railsplitters aren't 'playing for pride' Friday night.

The final game of the season, in years past, has been the end of the marathon. One more loss to cap a winless, or nearly winless season.

The pride of finishing the job was all that the Railsplitters were playing for.

Not this year.

Lincoln is closing in on its fourth win of the season Friday night against Freeburg High School.

“We want to end this season the way we started. With a win,” Lincoln coach Matt Silkowski said Thursday. “We want to carry some momentum into the off season and into week one next year by ending it on a high note.”

In all honesty, the Railers are disappointed with the chance for four wins.

That may sound strange after winning just one game over the last four years. But Silkowski said his team knows they could just as easily be playing for their fifth or sixth win of the season Friday night.

A crowd of Railers try and wrestle a loose ball away from a Mattoon defender in Lincoln's week three match up against Mattoon. 

“In the summer we set the goal of six wins,” Coach Silky explained. “We were a couple of plays in a couple of different games away from accomplishing that goal.”

If the Railers win, and end the season 4-5, it will be the first time since 2008 that Lincoln's football team has won four games.

Friday night is also senior night. And it will be emotional.

“We will miss this senior class,” Silkowski said.

 

Isaac Dewberry runs for the corner in Lincoln's first game against Macomb. Coach Matt Silkowski said he wants to end the 2017 season like he started, with a win. 

There are four seniors still with the team. Braden Tisdale, Issac Dueringer, Isaiah Bowers, and Titus Cannon.

“Everybody knows about the on the field stuff. But these guys are leaders off the field as well,” Silkowski said of his seniors. “Titus Cannon is a class act, the kind of kid you want in your program. Isaiah (Bowers) is a great leader. We're going to try and send the while class out with a bang.”
 

Freeburg has just one win this season. But that doesn't mean they are a pushover.

The Midgets, yes that is their team name, are averaging 32 points a game this season. But their opponents are averaging just under 42 points each game.

Lincoln's scoring average through eight games is just 17 points per game.

“Freeburg can do some things that can give us a hard time,” Silkowski said. “They have some skill guys that, if they get them in space, they can really do some things. We have to be ready.”

Lincoln has lived on the run this season, so don't expect that to change.

Cannon needs just two touchdowns to set a new LCHS single season touchdown record with 18.

But coach Silkowski said he hopes to get sophomore quarterback Dreyden Pozsgai more time to throw. And he's hoping for the Railer defense to stiffen.

Lincoln High School hosts Freeburg High School at Handlin Field, kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

[by Benjamin Yount]