LINCOLN -- Elkins (1-0) dished out a 46-8 defeat to Lincoln (0-1) on Aug. 28. Class 4A Elkins, which hasn't lost to Class 3A Lincoln the last nine times the teams have met, racked up five touchdowns taking a 34-8 halftime lead in the season opener for both teams.
Elkins quarterback Kain Johnson (5-11, 175), who garnered All-State honors in 2019, finished with 256 all-purpose yards -- throwing for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns and added 126 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. Runningback Trevor Shumate (6-3, 185) racked up 120 yards rushing with 2 touchdowns, and intercepted a pass on defense.
Lincoln began the game by attempting an onside kick, which Elkins recovered and turned a short field into an early lead with 18 seconds elapsed when Shumate ran the ball 51 yards for a touchdown. He found pay dirt again less than three-and-a-half minutes later snaring a 20-yard touchdown pass from Johnson.
Lincoln rallied with senior quarterback Tyler Brewer (6-5, 210) hitting wide receiver Daytin Davis (6-3, 175) for a 47-yard touchdown and all-purpose back Levi Wright (6-4, 240) busting his way into the end zone for a 2-point conversion narrowing the deficit to 14-8 at the 1:11 mark of the first quarter.
However, Johnson lit up the scoreboard in the second quarter accounting for three touchdowns on runs of 2 and 75 yards plus a 27-yard pass to returning All-Conference receiver Josh Allen (5-8, 135) with 58 seconds left in the first half.
The Elks' other returning All-Conference wide-out, senior Cody Drummond (5-10, 170), used his 4.7 speed to run for touchdowns of 27 and 16 yards to invoke the mercy rule and establish a running clock with 4:42 remaining in the third quarter. The rout was aided by two failed fourth-down conversions. One was an interception in the end zone ending a promising Lincoln drive.
Elkins' win broke a six-game nonconference winning streak for Lincoln, which outscored opponents 287-60 in nonconference games from 2018-2019. The Wolves' last win in the series occurred Sept. 5, 1997, by an 18-10 score to cap a three-game Lincoln win-streak beginning with the Class 2A playoff team of 1995 which won 20-0 on Sept. 1, 1995, followed by a 20-6 win on Sept. 6, 1996, Lincoln's last road win at Elkins.
The 46 points scored by Elkins represents the Elks' highest output over the last 30 years against Lincoln, and the 38-point differential is the biggest margin of victory for the Elks over that time span exceeding both a 30-6 home win on Sept. 4, 1998, and a 36-13 win in 1991.
Elkins owns an 11-3 advantage in the series since 1990 and has scored 30 or more points in five of the last seven contests. The closest Lincoln has come to winning were a 31-28 home loss on Oct. 7, 2011, the Wolves' last year as a member of the 3A-1 until this season; and a 30-24 setback on the road at Elkins on Oct. 8, 2010.
In addition to breaking in a brand new coaching staff with only one coach returning from last season, the Wolves are without two stand-out senior athletes, Eli Rich, who missed the last two seasons with injuries that carried over into winter and spring sports.
"Eli has decided not to play. We support Eli," said first year Lincoln head coach Reed Mendoza. "Eli's a great kid. We do wish we had him out here, but I see where he's coming from, too. He hasn't got to play a healthy basketball season yet or track so we support Eli."
Senior Noe Avellanda (5-8, 190), who started at quarterback in week five, last season and led the team in all-purpose yardage posing a threat as a runningback, receiver or signal caller, transferred to Stilwell, Okla. where former Lincoln head coach Don Harrison, who was dismissed Jan. 6, now coaches.
ELKINS 46, LINCOLN 8
Lincoln^8^0^0^0^--^8
Elkins^14^20^12^0^--^46
First Quarter
Elkins -- Trevor Shumate 51-yard run (run failed), 11:42
Elkins -- Trevor Shumate 20-yard pass from Kain Johnson (pass), 8:20
Lincoln -- Daytin Davis 47-yard pass from Tyler Brewer (Levi Wright run), 1:11
Second Quarter
Elkins -- Kain Johnson 2-yard run (pass failed), 10:28
Elkins -- Kain Johnson 75-yard run (pass failed), 6:48
Elkins -- Josh Allen 27-yard pass from Kain Johnson (Shumate run), 0:58
Third Quarter
Elkins -- Cody Drummond 27-yard run (pass failed), 8:48
Elkins -- Cody Drummond 16-yard run (run failed), 4:42