Lincoln College Prep has used a team-first approach to dominate its opponents through the first two weeks of the 2019 season.
The Blue Tigers, 2-0 overall and 1-0 in Interscholastic League play, walloped league foe Southeast 43-6 in a Week 2 romp. The tilt was the 6th annual Push for Excellence Rivalry Game.
Lincoln Prep is led offensively by a bevy of skilled playmakers including quarterback Howard Brown, wide receivers Darryl Williams and Rico Gilliam and running back Israel Gentry.
Brown had 376 total yards and three touchdowns against Hogan. Williams had five catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns against the Rams, and Gentry carried the ball 12 times for 136 yards and four touchdowns in the Week 1 win.
Defensively, middle linebacker Jermaine Hamilton-Jordan leads a high-flying and hard-hitting unit that stymied Southeast and limited Hogan Prep (0-2) to 24 points in a convincing 47-24 Week 1 win.
Hamilton-Jordan, the reigning IL Defensive Player of the Year has tallied 26 total tackles with 11 assists, 3.5 sacks and five tackles behind the line of scrimmage in two games. He recorded 11 tackles, six assists, two sacks and three tackles for loss against the Knights (0-2, 0-1).
Despite some impressive individual performances on both sides of the ball, Lincoln Prep head coach William Lowe says the focus has and will remain on the team.
“In this age of a ‘me’ first society we are really trying to get the kids to buy into a team concept and put the team and winning above individual accolades,” Lowe said this week. “I’m extremely proud of their effort and I hope we can keep it going.”
Lincoln Prep will host winless Northeast in a Week 3 IL contest. The Vikings (0-2, 0-1) were doubled up by Kansas City Central 32-16 in a Week 2 loss. The victory was the first for Central first-year head coach DJ Pittel.
The Blue Eagles are 1-1 on the season and share first place in the IL with Lincoln.
East will try to nab its first victory of the year in a Week 3 contest against Hogan. The Bears (0-2) lost in overtime to Van Horn (2-0) to open the season and came up short in Week 2 on the road against Cameron (2-0).
The Bears’ 34-21 loss to the Dragons was aided by a host of penalties and turnovers.
“We had too many mistakes in the first quarter (two interceptions and four fumbles) and didn’t capitalize on the turnovers that we created (four forced fumbles),” East head coach Greg Smith said. “If we would have limited our mistakes early and continue to play through all the flags that we received than we would have been in great shape to win the game.”
Junior wide receiver and defensive back Chris Thornton played another solid game against Cameron, catching a touchdown pass and returning an interception for a touchdown for the second week in a row.
Against Van Horn, Thornton had two touchdowns, two interceptions – including a pick-6 – and recovered a fumble.
