Lincoln Defense Plays Tough, Falls Short On Senior Night

[October 13, 2018]  By Benjamin Yount

LINCOLN – There are always two parts to senior night.

Before the game, the players are focused. Steely eyed and impatient with mom and dad, who are emotional and doting.

Then there's the last two minutes of the game.

That's when it hits seniors, this is their last game at Handlin Field.

Friday night was no different for Lincoln's latest senior class.

Before the game against Mahomet Seymour, the Class of 2019 posed for some photos, walked on the track, and went out to play their final home game.

It was a slow, soggy, chilly game. Mahomet Seymour struck first, using a short field to score on their first drive of the second quarter.

Lincoln's offense showed flashes, but couldn't sustain on Friday night.

The first half ended 7-0 Mahomet Seymour.

The second half was pretty much a carbon copy of the first.

One Mahomet Seymour touchdown, a lot of sloppy play, and a Lincoln offense that just could get the ball moving.

The Lincoln defense did hold tough.

Senior Dustyn Gaston made two big tackles, including snuffing out a bad-snap-punt that pushed Mahomet Seymour out of scoring position.

Then came the fourth quarter.

“It hit me in the last quarter,” senior Justin Nguyen said after the game. “I didn't think it would come so quick, and then when the clock went down, I didn't realize it was over. But it was.”

Nguyen was one of several seniors fighting back tears after Friday's game.

The Railsplitters take the field Friday night against Mahomet Seymour.  [picture by Sherri Sparrow]

Senior Andrew Schmidt was the last player off the field. He didn't want his time at Handlin Field to end.

“It didn't hit me till the last quarter,” Schmidt said. “I couldn't have asked for anything better than this squad.”

Most of Lincoln's senior class played all four years together.

Matthew Yount, who the players took to calling 'Coach Yount' said the team had a chemistry that only comes from years of playing together.

“Most of us have been playing together for six years,” Yount said after Friday night's game. “I am going to miss these guys. We've got one more week, but this was out last home game.”

Senior linebacker Austin Sparrow said what matters most, is that the senior class left everything they had out on the field.

“Everyone out here, seniors included, we played out hearts out,” Sparrow said. “It didn't end up how we wanted. But it's been great playing here for the past four years.”

Lincoln has one more game this season, against Freeburg High School .

The Midgets, yes that's Freeburg's mascot, have won six games on the season. If they beat Lincoln, they will have seven wins and a share of the Cahokia Conference title.

Lincoln travels to Freeburg next Friday, kickoff is set for 7 p.m.