Lightening Opened Door To Week Three Lincoln Success

LINCOLN -- Prior to a weather delay on the road at Mansfield in week three, Lincoln had been outscored 105-27 by their opponents, including Mansfield which was ahead 17-7.

Prolonged game delays, this one lasted one hour and 45 minutes, sometimes change the complexion of a game. In Lincoln's case, their varsity performed better afterwards. Mansfield was having their way, prior to the delay. The Tigers scored first to take a 7-0 lead. Then Braden Umberson (4 receptions, 74 yards) hauled in a 25-yard touchdown pass from Harrison Swayne that tied the game with Luis Vivanco's extra-point kick. Mansfield answered with a field goal to move in front, 10-7. The Wolves drove across mid-field but turned the ball over on downs and Mansfield took advantage, running what Lincoln head coach Don Harrison described as a "good play" to score on a long option run.

"They jumped out on us 17-7," Harrison said, describing an abrupt stoppage of play. "We got a good kick return to get into Mansfield territory. Jason Swain returned the kick to the Mansfield 42. We had great field position."

Then, the game was halted. Lightening, which caused delays in games across the region, can have different effects. My friend Gary Lee Chee grew up on the Navaho Indian Reservation in the southwest with his family herding sheep and raising crops.

"You need lightening," Chee recalled his grandmother telling him growing up.

Lightening, Chee's grandmother said energizes the soil, activating nutrients in the ground and causes things to grow. Chee could hardly contain his excitement when a university professor told him the same thing as an adult.

During the delay, Harrison and the Lincoln staff made adjustments on defense. Speaking into the fertile soil of the hearts of a group of teenage athletes, they found a team eager to turn the game and their football season around.

Lincoln volunteer assistant coach Perry Philpot said this is one of the trademarks of a Harrison-coached team.

"This guy gives it his all," Philpot said. "The kids listen to what he is saying. It soaks in. When he's coaching, his guys, you don't usually have to question the effort."

From the 8:58 mark of the second quarter, Lincoln didn't give up any points until they had the game well in hand with a 51-17 lead in the fourth quarter. Mansfield scored a late touchdown to trim the final margin to 51-24, but was kept from putting any more points on the board while the game was still contested. Harrison admitted the Wolves' performance was above his expectations.

"I didn't think we'd come out and score 44 unanswered points," Harrison said. "Everybody reacted well. One thing that really helped us was that they did calm down."

When play resumed, Lincoln scored on the first play from scrimmage with Swayne breaking a 42-yard touchdown run. Vivanco's kick narrowed Mansfield's lead to 17-14 and the tide had turned. The Wolves tallied 558 yards of total offense. The rushing attack piled up 398 yards on 47 runs for an average of 8.6-yards-per-rush and scored 5 touchdowns.

Swayne set up Lincoln's go-ahead score by picking off a Mansfield pass. Sophomore tailback Caleb Lloyd averaged 6.8 yards-per-carry on 22 rushes for 150 yards, scored the first of his two rushing touchdowns. Lloyd also had two catches for 21 yards. The kick failed, but Lincoln had moved in front, 20-14. They would not trail again. The Wolves led 26-17 at halftime.

Lincoln scored on a three-play drive to start the third quarter. Swayne (11 carries, 139 yards) ran the final 25 yards to push Lincoln's lead to 32-17. Lloyd then came up with a take-away. Harrison praised the sophomore for anticipating and intercepting a pass that he turned into a defensive touchdown. Lloyd read the play, held back and was in position to make the pick.

On the next series, Lincoln stopped Mansfield on fourth and six, then drove the other way for a touchdown. Swayne completed 10 of 25 throws for 160 yards and found Dalton Lee ( 4 receptions, 65 yards) for a 12-yard touchdown. Vivanco booted the P.A.T. and Lincoln was up big, 45-17. Lincoln reserves: Jacob Anderson (8 rushes, 80 yards), Sterling Morphis (3 rushes, 19 yards), and Christian Crittenden (2 rushes, 13 yards), contributed to a scoring drive capped by Morphis 2-yard touchdown run.

Lincoln may need another diversion or act of providence this week. Rapid rejuvenation and healing would help. Five starters aren't expected to play in Friday's away game against Pea Ridge. Circumstances didn't look good prior to the weather delay at Mansfield, yet all things are possible to those who believe. Lincoln celebrates Homecoming Oct. 7 versus Berryville and the Wolves might at least one more miracle in their season. That couldn't happen at a more opportune time.