While it wasn't a pretty first half, the Lincoln Cardinals came out fast in the second half to defeat Willow Springs, 32-13 at home in first game of the 2024 season.
After a scoreless first quarter, senior Cam Everhart, the heart and soul of the Cardinal squad, scored on a pass from QB Riley Sanders that saw the Cardinals draw first blood. Everhart was also on the receiving end of a short pass for the 2-point conversation.
Good pressure on the ball from the front line led by Matthew Cook, Ben Eckhoff, Myles Harms and Ethan Goosen held Willow Springs scoreless in the first half as the Cards led, 8-0.
Coach Brad Drehle must have had a good locker room speech as the Cardinals came out flying in the second half of play.
Coach Drehle commented, "We shot ourselves in the foot in the first half. We turned the ball over but we made some adjustments and the kids did a great job coming out in the second half."
At the 10:15 mark of the third quarter, lightning struck as Sanders hit a leaping Dawson Parrott with a 19-yard bomb in the endzone. Parrott was injured during the summer playing baseball and had been rehabbing and showing up to every practice over the summer months. He played sparingly in-and-out for about a quarter of the plays.Parrott made a couple of good defensive plays on long passes that prevented the Bears from getting things turned around and back into the game.
After the TD, a rifle pass to Everhart made it 16-0 and the Cardinals were on their way.
Everhart would score on a short run at the 5:48 mark for the 22-0 score. A nice pass to Cade Rutherford for the 2-point conversion made it 24 to zip in the final minute of the third, Everhart would rambled in again for the touchdown and Elijah Smith raced in for the PAT. It was 32-0 and the fat lady was ready to sing.
In the fourth, Lincoln wore down and the Bears scored on a nice run by freshman QB Caden Lee at the 6:59 mark to make it 32-7 with the added successful kick through the uprights.
The Bears scored again on a nice run by Tucker Bryan with just minutes left in the contest. The kick was blocked.
Coach Dehle said, "We tired late in game and lost focus a little bit."
Elijah Smith was 6 for 134 yards rushing. Everhart was 17 for 146 rushing with a TD and 3 of 26 receiving with 1 TD and 2 PAT's. He also led Lincoln with 13 tackles.
Up next at Lincoln will be Tipton, who defeated California 40-7 at home last week. Should be a huge challenge.
To Willow Springs credit, they left their home at two in the afternoon to make the three hour journey. Winless a year ago, they have a new coaching staff and some 47 athletes. Like most teams, they should improve as the season wears on.
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On a side note-Senior Gabe Mehrens, former star lineman at Lincoln, playing for NAIA highly ranked Morningside out of Sioux City, Iowa, went up against #19 ranked Benedictine (KS), at home losing 48-45 on Saturday, August 31. Benedictine also had a local flavor with the two Witherspoon brothers from Windsor on their squad.
