San Diego Section Football Playoffs : 2A: Lincoln Wins, but Has to Fight Hard for It

As most everyone expected, the Lincoln High School moved into the San Diego Section 2-A football championship game with a victory Saturday night.

But, as almost nobody expected, the Grossmont Foothiller defense made the top-seeded Hornets work for every bit of their 19-6 semifinal victory at Mesa College.

Grossmont had come into the game saying its defense, ranked sixth in the county, would be able to stop the high-flying Lincoln offense. And, despite being holed up in its own territory most of the night, it did an admirable job, limiting a team that averaged 44.8 points per game this season to only three scores.

As Lincoln Coach Vic Player said: “They did as good of a job stopping us as anyone has.”

Some Lincoln players, however, blamed the wet surface at Mesa College for their offensive problems.

“The rain and slippery turf made it hard on us,” running back Kevin Key said. “I don’t like to give any team credit.”

But credit was due.

Grossmont held Lincoln to a scoreless tie throughout most of the first half. However, the Foothillers could not get a handle on Lincoln’s all-county wide receiver, Patrick Rowe.

Rowe gathered in a 37-yard pass from quarterback Freddie Stokes late in the half to set up the Hornets’ first score. Stokes flipped a one-yard pass to Rowe with 29 seconds remaining to make it 7-0.

On Lincoln’s first drive of the second half, Rowe burned Grossmont again. Stokes, playing in place of Keith Mitchell who injured an ankle early in the second quarter, avoided an all-out blitz and threw deep down the right sideline to Rowe. The Lincoln sprinter out-raced a single defender to score a 50-yard touchdown.

Grossmont’s offense, held to just one first down in the first half, took wing in the third quarter spurred on by a trick play. Foothiller guard Gene Fontana took an inside handoff from quarterback Mark Stillwell and ran 20 yards to set up Grossmont’s touchdown, a 10-yard pass from Stillwell to Rusty Beatty.

On Lincoln’s next series, Jerry Brewer recovered a fumble at the Lincoln 20. But the Foothillers could not move and Eric Webb missed a 35-yard field-goal attempt, keeping Lincoln ahead, 13-6.