LINCOLN TROJANS DESTROYS GAINESVILLE BUCHHOLZ

If you blinked, you missed it, as the Lincoln Trojans made quick work of the Gainesville Buchholz Bobcats. On the first possession, Lincoln ran two plays and scored on a 60 yard pass from Ronald Butler to Myron Mebane making the score 6-0 after the kick failed. On the ensuing possession, Butler and Mebane hooked up again for the second score of the game, and the rout was on. DJ Abnar would run one in on the on the third possession, just before Butler would hook up with his favorite target Raphael Andrades, for a 5 yard score. Reggie Davis would add to the fun with a score from Butler, and Andrades would close out the perfect first half with a 22 yards grab. The Trojans scored everytime that they touched the ball in the first half, Butler was 11 for 11, with 182 yards & a game tying record 5 TDs in the first half.

At the half, the 1999 and 2001 Championship teams were honored including some key administrators like then principal, Martha Bunche and key players like Mike Gilliam who still holds records for rushing at Lincoln.

Buchholz hosts Gainesville next week, while Lincoln goes up against cross town rival Leon.

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.

One of the Top Receiving Corps in the State!



From left to right Coach Jacquez Green, Reggie Davis, Taj Williams, and Raphael Andrades

 



   Many articles have been written on the 2011 Tallahassee Lincoln football team. However, time and again you see the top players divided into one of two groups, the Senior leaders (Ron Butler, Raphael Andrades, and DJ Abnar) or the future stars of the class of 2013 (James Hearns, Taj Williams, and Reggie Davis). Rarely, if ever do you see a discussion of their receiving corp together as one group. Raphael Andrades is the Senior leader of the bunch. He is a well rounded receiver that is solid in all areas and led the team in every receiving statistical category last season. Reggie Davis is the Speedster of the bunch. He returned four kickoffs for touchdowns last season, and has teams trying to kick the ball away from him. Taj Williams is the tallest of the bunch. His combination of height and athleticism allows him to make catches that most receivers just can't make. According to Elite Scouting Services, Williams could be the number #1 receiver coming out of the state of Florida next year. Together they form what is one of the best receiving corps in the State of Florida.  However, just like those infomercials... Wait! There is more! Myron Mebane and Myles Gaines could be starters on just about any other team in Leon County. Gaines, as a sophomore last season, was a starter at Chiles High School and their leading receiver before moving over to Lincoln. Mebane has the best hands of ANY of the aforementioned receivers. The Mastermind of the group is none other than former University of Florida All-American & Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft pick Jacquez Green who doubles as the team's Offensive Coordinator and receivers coach.

Raphael Andrades 6'1' 190 is a well built receiver who has a college body already. Strong very solid hands that will impress you with a simple hand shake. He always catches the ball with his hands not his body. Runs good routes and knows where he needs to be on the field to be open. Has no problem getting off of the line of scrimmage, and gets behind the defenses with incredible ease. Had 40 catches for 700+ yards and 12 touchdowns as a Junior, while sporting a 3.67 GPA. Currently holds offers from Illinois, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Florida International. Ranked by Rivals as the #99 receiver in the country with a 3 Star rating.

Taj Williams 6'4" 175 is a tall very athletic receiver who who can go up and get to any pass thrown. Adjusts very well to the ball when it is in the air. Very aggressive in getting to the ball, which helps him when he plays safety. Williams possesses solid hands and very good speed which allowed him to perform very well during 7 on 7 camps this summer. Taj currently holds offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisville, Mississippi State, Mississippi, Florida State, South Florida. Look for him to have a solid Junior campaign and a big Senior year.

Reggie Davis 6'0" 170 can flat out fly. Davis is a threat to return any kickoff or punt for a score. The battle of field position is lost when you allow Davis to field a kick. As a receiver he has really good hands, and is a deep weapon due to his speed. He runs good routes and had a key catch in the 2010 Class 4A Championship game to set up a score. He currently holds offers from Notre Dame, Florida, and Georgia. Look for Davis to have a big year as a receiver this season as teams will shy away from him in the return game.

Myles Gaines 5'11" 170 "Myles Gaines is a WR with excellent leaping ability, timing, and anticipation. Myles is an expert route runner with great hands, he knows how to get open, and is as reliable as they come." Tom Lemming 08/11
He was the leading receiver for Chiles High School a year ago as a sophomore with 41 catches, 500 yards, and 4TDs. Gaines has attended numerous camps around the country earning top MVP awards in several such as FBU, Top Gun 200, University of Oregon WR MVP, All-World Challenge WR MVP, Natl Underclassmen Combine WR MVP in Jacksonville, and again in Orlando. Gaines is receiving attention from Oregon, Princeton, Auburn, Duke, and Syracuse.

                                                                                                             

Myron Mebane 5'7" 150 is a very crafty receiver who knows how to play the game. Runs excellent routes, catches the ball with his hands and makes every catch look effortless. If you had a dollar for every one of his drops you would be broke. Do not let the package fool you, Mebane is a tough receiver who isn't afraid of contact or the middle.