STOCKTON – The best cure for the bad taste of Lincoln’s bitter loss to St. Mary’s in the regular season final a week earlier was to score quickly in the playoffs against the Titans.
A touchdown from Jonah Coleman less than three minutes into the Trojans’ matchup against Chavez immediately turned that defeat into a faded memory when No. 6 Lincoln beat the No. 11 Titans 56-6 in the first round of Sac-Joaquin scored the playoffs of the Division I section on Friday evening in the festive Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
High School Soccer in San Joaquin County:First round playoff kick-off times, scores, and more
Lincoln will next travel against No. 3 Folsom in the second round of the postseason on November 12th at 7pm
The Trojans offensive fired from all cylinders on Friday and the defense had a shutout in sight until shortly before the end, even if the second and third stringers got a good playing time – like the entire second half – against Chavez’s starters.
Coleman rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns while teammate Kenyon Nelson threw three touchdown passes and ran for another – all in the first half – as the duo helped Lincoln (7-3) to a 42-0 halftime advantage over Chavez (4 – 6).
Coleman nearly scored a third touchdown after tumbling 64 yards through and around the Titans defenders until a mob eventually dropped him at the one-yard line.
“We had to have a good show and go out with a bang,” said Coleman, who only had five carries in the win. “It was our last time that we played on this field as seniors. It’s been an amazing journey. The fans are amazing, and the community and school all showed love.
“I was kind of tired after (the long run),” said Coleman, who overran several defenders in the long run. “I probably ran a total of a hundred meters (one piece). I did what I had to do to score. “
Nelson went into the end zone in the very next game to make it 21-0 towards the end of the first quarter.
Nelson completed 6-of-11 passes for 131 yards, including 21- and 26-yard scoring strikes for senior Ezriel Vasquez and a 7-yard touchdown for junior Damien Amaru Jordan Boozer for the first-half final result.
‘Rudy’ shines in defensive performance
Lincoln senior defenseman Jomarion Briggs had another quality game as he blocked bookend interceptions from Titans quarterback Luis Rodriguez by picking up the caller’s first pass of the game and his last first half pass to stop Chavez Drives.
The defense also stopped the Chavez offensive twice on downs, forcing three punts in the dominant win.
But the highlight game Lincoln players may remember as the “Rudy” moment of the season was when Trojans senior Mathias Fuentes picked up a Rodriguez pass in his own end zone on the Titans’ opening move of the second half and returned him to 16 before tripping over.
“It was his first ever interception and you could see from the reaction from the players and staff on the sidelines that we were really looking forward to him,” said Lincoln coach Natello Howard. “That was a great lifelong moment for him.”
Fuentes bullied the entire sideline, slapping him on his shoulder pads and his helmet, while he kept shouting cheerfully: “16, 16, 16”, which the senior wears on his jersey when he left the field.
“(Fuentes) is like a second or third string and it was amazing to see the smile on this boy’s face,” Coleman said. “He hadn’t caught a ball in training all year and that was the greatest thing to see him catch. It was fantastic. Everyone showed him some love. “
Fuentes said he knew he was in position when he saw the ball come.
“The quarterback was looking at the receiver the whole time and I just stayed in it and made the game,” said Fuentes, who almost got a second interception on a long Rodriguez pass, but the ball was taken through his hand intended recipient. “(The receiver) played defense in that game. I almost had it (too).”
Lincoln coaches called several sophomores and freshmen for the postseason run and the players outperformed Chavez 14-6 in the second half that ended with a clock running.
Chavez Senior Reuben Hooks had a 10-yard touchdown towards the end of the game and ended the game 32 yards on nine carries in a loss.
