LINCOLN -- The Lincoln Wolves experienced many shining moments over the last 35 years of the school's football history.
The Enterprise-Leader compiled some of the highlights.
June, 1986 – Pat Summers represents Lincoln in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association annual All-Star football game as a member of the West All-Stars.
Nov. 4, 1994 – Lincoln defeats Prairie Grove 14-0 during the second year of Danny Abshier's tenure as Prairie Grove head coach in week 10. After turning the ball over on downs to end their first two possessions, Lincoln capped a 70-yard drive with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Bobby Osburn to Tony Lee with five seconds remaining in the first half. Jason Stanfill, who gained 83 yards on 25 carries, added the 2-point conversion giving the Wolves an 8-0 halftime lead. Osborn scored on a 1-yard quarterback keeper at the 1:52 mark of the third and Lincoln's defense pitched a shutout keyed by holding Tiger runningback Bart Orr to 39 yards on 9 carries before he left with an injured shoulder late in the third quarter. Lincoln will lose the next 19 games in the series.
October 20, 1995 – Lincoln coached by Kevin Johnson with assistants, Jim Mallet and Jeff Ferguson, qualifies for school's first-ever playoff berth by going 7-3 in the regular season with a 20-19 win over Huntsville in week eight, despite losing its final two regular season games to Gentry (22-8) and Prairie Grove (21-6). The Wolves started the season 5-0 best in school history for 11-man football with Dax Moreton playing quarterback.
Nov. 10, 1995 – Lincoln appears in its first-ever state football playoff game on the road at Atkins.
"There is special excitement when you step out onto the field for a playoff game," said Lincoln head coach Kevin Johnson. "Your chest just kind of swells out ... and our kids got a taste of that."
Jeremy Cagle exploded for a 72-yard carry on the Wolves' second play from scrimmage and the Wolves reached the Atkins 10-yard-line, but couldn't punch the ball into the end zone. A fumble botched a field goal attempt. The Wolves finish finished 7-4. Johnson lamented at least three drives inside the Red Devils' 10 which came away with no points in the 31-0 loss.
May 22, 2008 – Lincoln wraps up spring practice under new head coach Brad Harris, who previously was the head coach at Arkadelphia. The Wolves are coming off an 0-10 season under previous coach Jonathan Johnson, who led the Wolves' baseball team to District and Regional titles in 3A with an appearance at state.
Sept. 4, 2009 – Sophomore Cheyenne Vaughn becomes the first of three underclassmen to earn the starting quarterback job at Lincoln. Coach Brad Harris and the Wolves break a 29-game losing streak, the longest in the state in football with a 9-7 win against border rival, Westville, Okla., but don't win again throughout 2009.
Sept. 17, 2010 – Lincoln records a second-consecutive win, 36-0, over Haileyville, Okla., after beating Cedarville, 28-21, on Sept. 10; marking the first time back-to-back victories have been accomplished on the gridiron since Oct., 2005.
Sept. 30, 2011 – Lincoln wins 19-14 on the road at Mountain View to begin season 5-0 tying the school record for the best start in 11-man football.
Nov. 11, 2011 – Lincoln qualifies for its second state playoff football game in school history but loses, 48-12, at Smackover in the 3A first-round. Coach Brad Harris guides the Wolves to a 7-4 record with a 4-3 record in the 3A-1.
May 2012 – Two-time All-State quarterback Cheyenne Vaughn transfers after the end of his junior season.
Aug. 31, 2012 – All-Conference runningback Tyler Cummings sustains season-ending knee injury during Lincoln's 37-0 win over Westville, Okla. Sophomore Drew Harris earns starting quarterback role.
Sept. 21, 2012 – Lincoln wins first-ever football competition at 4A level by defeating Berryville, 37-6, on the road to record a 4A-1 Conference-opening victory.
Nov. 2, 2012 – Lincoln season ends with a 5-5 record and no playoffs after a 40-26 home loss to Farmington.
Aug. 22, 2013 – Lincoln hosts Meet the Wolves at the old Lincoln football field drawing 800 fans, and considerable donations according to athletic director Deon Birkes, who said, "Donations were awesome tonight ... We have a truckload of towels and soap that's been donated to the football program."
Sept. 13, 2013 – School board member Kendra Moore cuts the ribbon celebrating the opening of Wolfpack Stadium. Lincoln defeats Stilwell, Okla., quarterbacked by Jaron Vaughn, younger brother of former Wolf star Cheyenne Vaughn, by a 47-6 margin. Jaron Vaughn and Stilwell's receivers consistently test Lincoln's cornerbacks, Danny Calvillo, Alec Pitts, and Patrick Haynes playing 1-on-1 on deep routes. The defensive backs hold their own, which will prove extremely valuable and strategic as coach Brad Harris formulates game plans in the playoffs.
Sept. 20, 2013 – Lincoln sets school record for most points in an 11-man football game with a 71-0 win at Dover. During the 1955 season Lincoln played 6-man football and defeated Greenland, 72-0, and Decatur, 64-0. The Wolves amass 501 yards of total offense behind the pin-point passing of junior quarterback Drew Harris, who was 13-of-18 for 320 yards and 5 touchdowns -- all in the first half. Senior Ryan Holcomb, who overcame Autism to play football, ends the game with an interception and 20-yard runback.
Oct. 4, 2013 – Lincoln defeats Pea Ridge, 37-7, keeping the Blackhawks winless in their brand new stadium. The Wolves' 5-0 start matches the best in school history.
Nov. 8, 2013 – Lincoln earns right to host school's first-ever home football playoff game with a 28-7 road win at Farmington. The Wolves finish as conference runner-up to Prairie Grove after going 6-1 in the 4A-1.
Nov. 15, 2013 – The heavy underdog Wolves secure first-ever playoff win in three playoff games by defeating Nashville, 27-14, at home stunning Nashville coach Billy Dawson and the Arkansas high school football world. Lincoln cornerbacks Alec Pitts and Danny Calvillo come up big defending the Scrappers. Pitts is particularly effective containing future Razorback and Iowa State Cyclone LaMichael Pettway with help from middle linebacker Colton Barnum and others.
Nov. 22, 2013 – Wolves lock in school's first-ever road playoff win. Senior tailback Tyler Cummings rushes for 415 yards and six touchdowns on 34 carries during 41-21 win at Malvern as Lincoln sets new school record for most wins in a season with 11. All-State middle linebacker Colton Barnum helps the defense adjust to Malvern junior tailback Montae Hernandez (6-0, 201) whose cutbacks caused pursuit to over-run him. Hernandez gained 277 rushing yards, but the Wolves came up with key fourth-down stops.
Nov. 29, 2013 – The Wolves make their first-ever quarterfinal state playoff appearance losing 35-0 to eventual State 4A champion Booneville after suffering injuries to the heart and soul of their team with Colton Barnum (190 total tackles) and Tyler Cummins (2,058 rushing yards) both leaving the game in the first half. Lincoln finishes with a school best record of 11-2.
April 21, 2014 – Lincoln school board accepts head coach Brad Harris' resignation after six seasons having compiled a 26-38 overall record with two playoff appearances and a 2-2 playoff record. Harris' son, Drew, a two-year starter and All-Conference selection also will not return at quarterback for his senior year. Bruising freshman runningback/linebacker Brayden Harris, the coach's younger son, also transfers with his family.
May 19, 2014 – Former Razorback Scott Davenport hired as new Lincoln head football coach.
June 27, 2014 – Tyler Cummins, of Lincoln, is among 10 players choosing not to participate and for whom coaches must find alternates to fill out the West All-Star football roster. The East had seven players decline the All-Star opportunity. When the game is played the West defeats the East 23-14. Cummins was voted Outstanding Back for the 4A-1 Conference.
"He opted out. I wished he would have played. I think he would have done well," said his high school coach Brad Harris.
Sept. 1, 2014 – Lincoln (4A-1) plays Hot Springs Lakeside (5A South) at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, losing 36-0. This marks the first of 30 starts Harrison Swayne, then a sophomore, will make at quarterback.
May 1, 2015 – Former Razorback Scott Davenport dismissed as Lincoln head football coach after going 2-8 in 2014. He was criticized for changing offenses in mid-season switching from a spread to a Wing-T.
May 9, 2015 – Arkansas Activity Association tweets that Lincoln intends to hire Newport head coach Don Harrison as its new head football coach. Fearless Friday reports a head coaching vacancy exists at Newport.
May 18, 2015 – Lincoln school board votes to hire Don Harrison as head football coach.
Sept. 4, 2015 – Head coach Don Harrison starts freshman Caleb Loyd at tailback.
Oct. 30, 2015 – Lincoln defeats Gentry, 33-12, to secure fourth playoff berth in school history; and second at the 4A level.
Nov. 13, 2015 – Dardanelle hosts a first-round playoff game and defeats 4A-1 No. 5 seed Lincoln, 42-0. The Wolves finished 4-7 overall, and 3-4 in conference under first-year head coach Don Harrison.
Nov. 4, 2016 – Lincoln becomes first opponent during 2016 season to hold conference champion Prairie Grove (12-1, 7-0 4A-1) scoreless in the first quarter. The Wolves force six turnovers before eventually losing, 33-20. Lincoln ends the season (3-7, 2-5 4A-1) sixth among league teams. With the imminent graduation of two-time All-Conference quarterback Harrison Swayne looming on the horizon, coach Don Harrison switches runningback Caleb Loyd to quarterback after the season.
June 18, 2017 – Approval is granted and funds allocated for installation of turf at Wolfpack Stadium along with completion of a new fieldhouse with coaches' offices, weight room and turfed indoor training facility during Lincoln school board meeting.
July, 2017 – Lincoln athletic director Deon Birkes initiates "Alpha Week" for Lincoln athletes with all-sports combined training in a mandatory week-long two-hour workout sessions. The "Alpha Week" workout reflected a unification effort by Birkes to build school spirit across the playing field of each sport.
July 17, 2017 – Work begins on new fieldhouse and Lincoln football players under the direction of head coach Don Harrison and the Wolves staff provide much of the labor during turf installation at Wolfpack Stadium.
Sept. 5, 2017 – Lincoln staged an open house to showcase the Wolves' brand new Football Fieldhouse. "The weight room we had over there (at the old fieldhouse on the junior high campus) was small and condensed," said Strength and Conditioning coach Stan Karber. "We went from 1,500-square-feet tops over there to 4,000 square feet with new weights. It's going to be awesome."
Sept. 8, 2017 – A halftime dedication ceremony celebrated the new turf but the Wolves lost their first game on the new playing surface, 34-16, to Keys, Okla. Braden Umberson scores Lincoln's first touchdown on the turf on a pass reception from quarterback Caleb Loyd.
Oct. 13, 2017 – Lincoln wins for the first time on its new turf with a 35-28 conference victory over Huntsville during 4A-1 play.
Aug. 31, 2018 – Lincoln wins first football trophy in school history with 48-6 defeat of border rival, Westville, Okla., during first annual "State Line Standoff," with the winning team taking home the trophy to display until the next year. The "State Line Standoff" name and traveling trophy concept was agreed upon by Lincoln coach Don Harrison and former Westville head coach Tyler Dorton, who served from 2015-2017 as Lincoln's offensive coordinator and head junior high football coach.
Sept. 7, 2018 – Lincoln gets first football win over Keys, Okla., with 40-7 rout to push the Wolves to 2-0 for the first time since 2013.
Sept. 21, 2018 – Lincoln Head coach Don Harrison gets first win over Gravette, 19-7, with the contest played in a downpour as the Wolves begin the season 4-0.
Oct. 12, 2018 – Lincoln defeats Green Forest, 50-0, on the road securing the largest margin of victory by the Wolves in Harrison's tenure.
Nov. 2, 2018 – Lincoln defeats Prairie Grove, 59-48, in a wild shootout at Wolfpack Stadium breaking a 19-game losing streak in the series dating back to 1994. Lincoln sets a school record for most points ever scored at Wolfpack Stadium and against Prairie Grove. The teams combine for more than 1,200 yards of total offense. Lincoln generates 687 while Prairie Grove's output is 547. Lincoln finishes the regular season 8-2 overall and 5-2 in conference.
Nov. 9, 2018 – Lincoln obtains fifth playoff berth in school history and second under coach Don Harrison, losing 31-20 at Hamburg after a day filled with challenges including a window breaking on a bus near the junction of U.S. 62 and I-49 at Fayetteville; then a second bus mishap with an airbag deploying while traveling east on I-40. Lincoln athletic director Deon Birkes called Clarksville athletic director Michael Banning and arranged to borrow a bus to complete the 310 mile trip to Hamburg. Power went out during the football game which caused another delay for the Wolves.
June 22, 2019 – Lincoln 2019 graduate Caleb Loyd selected by West head coach Brad Harris to fill a vacancy on the All-Star football roster, completes 11-of-15 passes for 190 yards and 3 touchdowns with one interception during a 34-28 loss to the East at Estes Stadium on the University of Central Arkansas campus at Conway.
Jan. 6, 2020 – Don Harrison dismissed as head football coach at Lincoln after compiling a five-year record of 23-29 with two playoff appearances. Almost two months later, Harrison accepts a head coaching position at Stilwell, Okla.
Feb. 10, 2020 – Former offensive coordinator Reed Mendoza, who coached at Lincoln from 2017-2019, hired as head football coach.