GAME RECAP: Lincoln upsets Pittsburg in Tight One to Win the CIF State Division 1-AA Final

By: Isabella Lyons

The D1-AA North champions, the Pittsburg Pirates, and the D1-AA South champions, the Lincoln Hornets met tonight at Saddleback College Stadium in Mission Viejo at 8pm. The 12-2 Pirates, whose only two losses came to St. John Bosco, and De La Salle, took the visiting side while the 11-2 Hornets stayed as the home team.

The game started off with Lincoln in possession of the ball where they continued to run the ball. Donald Reed ran the ball for a 1st down to set the Hornets for a 2nd & goal. After a failed attempt for a touchdown, Lincoln’s kick was no good with 8 minutes left in the 1st quarter, turning the ball over to Pittsburg at their own 20 yard line.

After a false start penalty, Pittsburg is unable to score, punting to Lincoln on the Pirate’s own 46 yard line. Junior Curtis and Donald Reed continued to run the ball to the 4th & 1 for the Hornets. Curtis saves the drive by taking the ball down to the 5 yard line for a 1st & goal for Lincoln. With 3rd & goal, Timothy Edwards interveins, causing the intended pass from Akili Smith Jr. to Ty Olsen incomplete. 

Tyree Shine finds the endzone for the Hornets to put the first score of the game with Lincoln in the lead, 7-0 with 11 plays and 46 yards. Pittsburg finds themselves at 1st & goal but the Pirates are intercepted in the endzone by Lincoln’s Ameer Thompson, turning possession back over to the Hornets. The score stays with Lincoln in the lead, 7-0, at the end of the 1st quarter.

Things started to speed up for Pittsburg Elijah Bow’s sack keeping Lincoln at their own 20 yard line. Lincoln punted the ball to Pittsburg, where they had the ball at the Hornets 48 yard line. Shortly after, Jamar Searcy ran the ball in with a 47 yard rushing touchdown to tie things up.

Donald Reed carries the ball to the 50 yard line to give Lincoln a 1st down before being brought down. Meanwhile, Lincoln’s Jordan Roa subs in for starting quarterback, Akili Smith Jr. after a hard hit in the start of the 2nd quarter. Reed takes it for a Lincoln 1st down, but shortly after, the Hornets’ ball is picked off by Jadyn Hudson to turn the ball back over to Pittsburg. 

With Akili Smith Jr. back at quarterback for the Hornets, Lincoln comes in strong with a 42 yard pass to Isaiah Grant. Smith’s pass to Ty Olsen is good for a 13 yard Lincoln touchdown to bring the Hornets ahead to 14-7 with 5 yards and 62 yards. With the ball back in the Pirates’ possession, they were able to make multiple 1st downs, however encountered quite a few penalties, holding and false start being some. At 1st & goal, Jamar Searcy finds the endzone late in the 4th quarter. The ball is punted back to Lincoln but the clock runs out before a score can be made. 

At the start of the 3rd, Lincoln kicked off to Pittsburg and had the ball at their own 20 yard line, but were unable to come up with a 1st down. The possession is turned over once more with a punt to Lincoln. Things speed up quickly with a 77 yard touchdown pass from Smith Jr. to Isaiah Grant after 5 plays and 92 yards. 

It’s 3rd & 1 for Pittburg, but after a 1st down run by Searcy, the Pirates have the ball at the Lincoln 35. After a Lincoln timeout, a false start call on Pittsburg makes it 3rd & 15. Not long after, Jamar Searcy meets the ball at the one yard line, followed by a 1 yard rushing touchdown, the total drive summary is 14 plays and 73 yards. 

Pittsburgh kicks off the ball to Lincoln, which will land Lincoln at their own 14 yard line. Lincoln with the ball, Smith Jr. takes a long pass to Ty Olsen has the ball at their own 38 yard line. But at 3rd down with 10 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, Smith Jr.’s pass to Olsen is incomplete, followed by a holding penalty which results in another 3rd down for the Hornets.

The 4th quarter begins, Lincoln shortly finds themselves at 3rd and 38 after another holding penalty. But with 3:44 to go, Smith Jr. had the 7 yard rush to the endzone to push Lincoln to 28. Pittsburg’s Jamar Searcy rushes in the endzone for 4 yards, but the 2 point conversion attempt following the Pirates’ final touchdown of the game is no good. Lincoln high school comes out on top as the D1-AA state champions, 28-26.