It’s a brand-new season, and the Lincoln football team has just one goal in mind — winning.
The Railsplitters started the squad’s journey back to a city championship on Sept. 9, cruising to a 58–28 victory over South Shore in the season opener.
It was a statement victory for Lincoln — after its two-year title run snapped last season — and the kind of performance this year’s squad expects every time it steps onto the field.
“If [South Shore] scored, we responded,” Lincoln coach Shawn O’Connor said. “It was exciting to see how [this team] responded.”
It wasn’t smooth sailing early for Lincoln. South Shore’s Sydney Jackson hauled in a 16-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jason Martin early in the first quarter, and the Vikings converted the two-point attempt to jump out to an 8–0 lead.
That early cushion didn’t last long.
Lincoln senior running back Naim Coakley ran the ensuing kickoff back 85 yards for a touchdown. The Railsplitters didn’t convert on the two-point attempt, but the team had effectively grabbed the momentum right back.
Lincoln added another touchdown as senior receiver Dayquan Audain hauled in an 18-yard pass from quarterback Faruq Shittu. Coakley then added his second touchdown of the night on an 11-yard catch — putting Lincoln up 20–8 with just over eight minutes to go in the first half.
“We’ve been working each other for the past three weeks, and it’s all paid off,” senior Romello Martin said.
South Shore’s Giovanni Denard kept the Vikings in the game — closing the gap to six — with a long touchdown reception and, for a moment, the team looked like it was about to stage a rally.
Railsplitter Jahir Rodriguez changed that, however, when he picked off Martin late in the first half. Audain made good on the defensive play with his second receiving touchdown as time expired in the second quarter, giving Lincoln a 28–14 lead at the break.
The Railsplitters’ offense continued to pile it on in the second half — led by Coakley’s four-touchdown performance — while the defense held steady.
Ricky Forde led the charge — forcing a fumble — while senior tackle Jaeveon Lessy consistently found his way into the backfield, bringing pressure on every snap.
“Great team’s have great defenses, and we felt that was the statement we needed to come out and make tonight,” Lessy said.
Jordan Jones — another senior standout — also had a big game on both sides of the ball. He delivered a number of hard hits on defense, and helped wrap up the win with a late-game touchdown reception.
“I wanted to make a play for my team,” Jones said. “And running down that sideline I thought, ‘I need to get in the end zone.’ ”
The Railsplitters know one win doesn’t secure a championship, but the week-one win is more than enough to boost the squad’s confidence. If Lincoln can continue to play like this, the squad is certain it’s going to be a fun season.
“We all did a fantastic job,” Coakley said. “The [offensive] line got it pushing in the second half and the strategy was excellent.”
