Valdosta Lincoln Recap

The game was billed as a big battle between two storied programs until the referees came in and stole the show. "Pass Interference" was the name of this movie. Reggie Davis streaking down the side line with tons of contact by the defender? Offensive Pass Intereference against Lincoln. A pass that may have been caught but as Taj Williams begins his leap he gets pushed out of bounds and away from making a play while the ball is in the air? No Pass Interference. A pass thrown into the end zone while their receiver is at the 12 yard line and as the Lincoln defender watches the ball sail out of reach he bumps the receiver in the back? You guessed it, Pass Interference! One other thing that was glaringly wrong was the ball spotting by one particular official on punts kicked out of bounds. The first occurence the head official had to make a 9 yard correction on this guy's call, but he can't watch everything. Later in the game a punt by Valdosta from deep in their territory bounces at the 42 yard line. The ball takes a backwards bounce towards the 46 yard line. That official marks the ball dead at the Lincoln 35 yard line. I'm not saying that Lincoln should of had the ball at the 46, but anywhere between 42 and 46 is clearly acceptable based on any judgment, but the 35?  I do not want to sound bitter about the officiating, but to put it mildly I would have to call it ATROCIOUS!

Now on to the game itself. This game was a defensive battle. Valdosta DE Michael Wakefield looked like a very underrated player. The kid is a beast. He must of had 5 sacks.... in the first half alone! Lincoln would also shut down Valdosta most of the first half. Big hits by James Hearns, and tackles in the trenches made by Eric Childs showed off the Line Backing corps. The Trojan front four were not taking it easy on the Wildcats either. Sacks, tackles for loss, no gain, one yard gain was definately on their menu for the evening. It was well into the first quarter (3:27 left), when Lincoln gave Valdosta a fraction of a second too long to complete a pass to a receiver about 15 yards down field who would then break a tackle pick up some blocks and set up the first score of the game. In the second half, the battle continued and Valdosta (penalty-aided) added a field goal to make it 10-0. With time running down, Lincoln would put up it's only points of the night when Ronald Butler hit Myron Mebane and he dove hitting the pylon for the score. The final onside kick was recovered by Valdosta who needed to run off the final :23 seconds to seal the victory. Valdosta is a solid team and deserves it's share of the credit. Lincoln made a few mistakes and just maybe a Home and Home series is better suited for this type of rivalry.

LINCOLN TRAVELS TO VALDOSTA - PREVIEW

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LINCOLN TROJANS

            

              

             VS

VALDOSTA WILDCATS

It's Florida vs Georgia in the battle of two of the top programs in the country. Tallahassee Lincoln the 2010 Class 4A State Champion (FL) goes up against the Valdosta (GA) Wildcats the winningest program in High School Football history.

VALDOSTA - This team comes in with a record of 2-0 after defeating Brooks County by a score of 20-11 and Hardaway 37-7. It is no secret that the Wildcats can move the ball and score. This team comes in ranked #26 in the state (MaxPreps), but don't let that suck you in, the team is better than its ranking. The Wildcats are a football team that is coached by Rance Gillespie so they will be disciplined, ready and up to the task. Defensive End Mike Wakefield #96 is a top area player. At 6'3" 225 he brings quickness off the edge, surprising strength, pop, and aggressiveness. Willie Barrett is a 6'3" 290 OL that plays big down in the trenches. The quick strike offensive attack is lead by Junior QB Alex Stephenson, and the ground game has been shared by Senior Charlie Albritton, and Sophomores Malcolm Joseph and Nelson Herring. Against Hardaway, Valdosta led 37-0 at the half and let their second team play the remainder of the game.

LINCOLN - The Trojans come in 1-0 after a hard fought win at Pensacola High. If the Trojans are to win, they must stop the quick strike offense of the Wildcats. Offensively, Lincoln needs to establish the running game period! At Pensacola the Trojans rushed 32 times for 63 yards... that's less than 2 yards per carry. The O-line needs to more efficient for Ronald Butler and DJ Abnar to be effective.

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