Lincoln Gets the Message, Wins ‘War’ With Morse

SAN DIEGO —  Vic Player, Lincoln football coach, called them bonehead mistakes. Of course he was talking about fumbles, interceptions--turnovers.

Because the first half of Saturday night’s Lincoln-Morse war--and it was a war--was filled with turnovers, the halftime score was only 6-3, Lincoln.

But then something happened in the Lincoln dressing room and the Hornets came out sure of themselves and, better yet, sure-handed. They parlayed three third-quarter touchdowns into an eventual victory, 26-10.

Just what was said at halftime?

“That’s a professional secret,” Player insisted. “And besides, if I told you I’d probably get fired.”

But, really, what was said.?

“Pretty much the same thing I always say at halftime,” Player relented. “And I told them to stop making those bonehead mistakes.”

One player in particular heeded Player’s instructions.

That would be wide receiver Dwayne McAfee, who caught the only touchdown pass of the first half, then came back and caught another late in the third quarter.

McAfee’s first touchdown came on a 60-yard pass play from Mike Temple, but the ball actually traveled only 25 yards in the air, McAfee’s leg work brought it the rest of the way.

McAfee, a 5-foot-7, 150-pound senior flanker, caught the pass at the Morse 35 on the left sideline, but quickly changed directions and headed for the right sideline.

“Morse plays very aggressive defense,” McAfee said of his decision to head toward the opposite sideline. “They pursue very quickly and I knew if I caught the ball and cut, they might over pursue in the other direction.”

The Tiger defense did just that as McAfee ran into the right corner of the end zone.

McAfee’s second TD came with 3:31 left in the third quarter on a one-yard timing pass from Temple that again caught the Morse defense unprepared.

“With three great backs, Charlie Brown, Doug Boyd and Terrell Davis, defenses try to key on them too much--and that’s when the passing game gets clicking,” McAfee said.

Clicking indeed. It was Lincoln’s third touchdown in five minutes, the second on a short pass play.

Davis scored the first of the three from one yard out. Just two and a half minutes later, and after Brown and Davis chipped away 29 yards on four consecutive running plays on a drive that began after Morse fumbled the ball to Lincoln on the 30, Victor Dean grabbed a one-yard pass for the second TD.

The flurry of touchdowns effectively knocked Morse (2-3 and ranked third in the section) out of the game. The Tigers did not get into the end zone until five minutes had elapsed in the fourth quarter. Glen Steele scored that one by recovering a Jessie Campbell fumble behind the goal line to make it 26-10.

The victory was costly for Lincoln (4-1, ranked fourth) as four starters were lost to injuries. Davis sustained a dislocated shoulder, Boyd reinjured an ankle, and Donald Anderson (cornerback/punter) and Thomas Baker (linebacker/tight end) went down with back injuries. Player said all are doubtful for next week’s City Central opener against Crawford.