Gentry Blanks Junior Wolves

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Lincoln runningback Caleb Matthews carries the football during a 20-0 loss for the junior Wolves at home to Gentry on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018.
MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Lincoln runningback Caleb Matthews carries the football during a 20-0 loss for the junior Wolves at home to Gentry on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018.

LINCOLN -- The junior Wolves suffered a 20-0 home-field loss to Gentry on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018.

"We've got to be better offensively," said Lincoln coach Reed Mendoza. "Defensively, we played great, we stopped them. We just got to be better offensively."

An offensive mistake allowed Gentry to get on the scoreboard while Lincoln's defense was not on the field.

Gentry defensive end Garrison Jackson intercepted a Lincoln pass near the goal line and scored easily.

"He made an interception and just walked in, that's about two strides for him, he's about 6-5," said Gentry coach Daniel Ramsey. "Our defense played great. We had four or five interceptions. We just kind of shut them down."

In addition to Jackson, who was all over the field for Gentry on defense, Ramsey singled out the play of co-defensive end Jordan Kay, whom Ramsey noted had sacks and several tackles; Hays with a pair of picks, and linebacker Jonah Summers, who had an interception.

Gentry's second touchdown of the first half came off a sustained drive capped by quarterback Ty Hays' run. Hays ran in a 2-point conversion to give the junior Pioneers a 14-0 halftime lead.

"He had pretty much all of our offense tonight," Ramsey said of the eighth-grade signal caller. "We were missing two runningbacks."

Hays picked off a Lincoln pass to start the third quarter, but Gentry's offense went in reverse and Lincoln forced a punt gaining 23 yards of field position on the exchange. Gentry batted down a pass on fourth down causing possession to revert to them at Lincoln's 46.

The score remained 14-0 throughout three quarters, but Gentry was able to seal the game with a late fourth-quarter rushing touchdown to extend the final to 20-0.

The junior Pioneers are now 5-1 overall and 3-0 in conference games.

Sports on 10/31/2018