Lincoln Comeback Falls Short Against Mattoon

[September 09, 2017]  By Benjamin Yount; pictures by Sherri Sparrow

LINCOLN – Lincoln lost in the first half. The Railsplitters ran out of time in the second half Friday night against Mattoon. But Lincoln's football team clearly lost in the first half.

“For the past two weeks, opponents have been running the ball at will on us,” Lincoln Head Coach Matt Silkowski said after Friday night's 34-27 loss. “We're just not going to be very successful if that continues.”

Mattoon ran the ball at will in the first half Friday night. The Green Wave's Julian Gittens rushed for 279 yards on the night. Gittens carried Mattoon down the field in the first and second quarters. Mattoon scored their first touchdown with about 6:30 left to play in the first quarter. They tacked on a second one on the first play of the second quarter.

While Mattoon was running with ease, Lincoln was sputtering.

The Railers ran just four offensive plays in the first quarter.

The second quarter saw Lincoln within the shadow of the goal line twice, but penalties and failed fourth down conversions sent the Railers away empty handed. Lincoln trailed 14-0 at halftime.

“I just feel that we're not one machine right now,” senior Isaiah Bowers said Friday night. “I feel that we have a couple of different parts of this team that are working at different paces. If we can get everything tuned-up, and working together, we can be a team to reckon with.”

That team took the field in the second half.

Lincoln came alive in the third quarter.

Sophomore quarterback Dreyden Pozsgai started throwing the ball.

Pozsgai tossed the ball to Issac Dewberry for a 30 yard gain. Then Pozsgai connected with Jayden Pollice for a 20 yard completion to put the Railers in scoring position.

A few plays later Titus Cannon scampered into the end zone. Lincoln trailed 21-7.

On the very next play, Mattoon miffed the kickoff, Cannon bolted down field and recovered the fumble.

One play later, Cannon had his second touchdown of the game.

“The second half we came and brought it to them,” Cannon said.

But the cheering from the Lincoln crowd quickly turned to boos, as a series of questionable calls helped move Mattoon back down the field.

The Green Wave's fast back, Gittens, scored his second touchdown of the night.

Mattoon lead 28-14.

But Lincoln answered.

Pozgai hit Bowers on a 15 yard pass to the flat that tuned into an 88 yard gain.

“I got the ball, I saw a hole, and my line blocked for me, and I went for it” Bowers said with an aw-shucks grin. “That's all I can I do. I gotta thank God for the body that he gave me.”

Bowers gave the Railers a glimmer of hope when he muscled the ball into the end zone for a touchdown with about 8:20 left in the game.

Lincoln trailed 28-21.

Again Mattoon turned to their workhorse, Gittens managed to break free for a 49-yard run, Mattoon extended their lead to 34-21.

But Lincoln wasn't done yet.

“I'm really proud of the kids,” Coach Silkowski said. “They could've folded at halftime. But they found a way to rise.”

Once again Pozsgai's arm carried the Railers down the field. A 40 yard completion to Pollice put the Railers inside the 20 with plenty of time left in the game.

Finally, Lincoln got a break from the referees. A pass interference call put Lincoln on the nine yard line.

Cannon took it from there. Lincoln pulled to within a touchdown, 34-27.

Then, they ran out out of time.

Lincoln stopped Mattoon's final drive. But had to burn its time outs.

Lincoln got the ball back with 1:15 left in the game.

Pozsgai tried to rush the Railers down the field, but was run out of bounds with no time on the clock at about midfield.

“We made some big plays, late in the game when we had to,” Silkowski said looking back on the feverish fourth quarter. “We just ran out of time. It's a growing step. We took another step (Friday night). But we gotta find a way to get more physical, get tougher.”

Lincoln will need to be tough next week. The Railsplitters will face a 3-0 Effingham team next week in Effingham.

[by Benjamin Yount; pictures by Sherri Sparrow]