As far as season finales go, Friday’s crosstown matchup between Center and Lincoln College Prep should be a good one.
Center, led by head coach Bryan DeLong, is 5-2 and finished 3-1 in Missouri River Valley Conference West play. The Yellowjackets have won 26 of their last 37 games and have proved a formidable foe.
Lincoln Prep is 8-0 and trying to finish the regular season undefeated for the second time in three years. William Lowe’s 2019 Lincoln squad ran off 11 consecutive wins before its first loss. The Blue Tigers have won 26 of their last 30 ball games and sport a record of 32-8 since 2018.
Spectrum Sports will televise the game. The cross-town rivalry is being hyped as one of the biggest games of the season. And deservedly so. Both programs have sustained success over the years. Players from either side have played with or against each other since youth football. Buckle up, bragging rights are at stake in the latest DiPasquale-Moore Law Metro Matchup of the Week.
“We have a great group of kids that are young and have worked hard together for the past two years; the majority of them are juniors and sophomores as we only have three seniors,” DeLong said. “They care about the team and one another, they compete at practice and challenge one another but then after practice hang and eat together and build that trust and camaraderie.”
Center was originally scheduled to play Clinton, a league opponent, but the school canceled varsity football a week before the season started. Lincoln’s proposed Week 9 opponent, Southeast, canceled its season as well.
The two coaches talked and agreed to play.
“We are excited for the opportunity to play a quality opponent directly before playoffs to sharpen our swords,” DeLong said. “I am sure it will be an emotionally-charged game.”
Lincoln Prep is focused on closing another regular season without a loss. The playoffs await, but the Blue Tigers will be ready for their guest from Center.
“We know it’s a big game for bragging rights in the city but we’ve tried to stay focused on the fact that it’s our last regular season game and our last chance to get prepared for the playoffs,” Lowe said.
Friday can’t come soon enough for the Yellowjackets and Blue Tigers.
