HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP : USDHS Routs Lincoln

It was billed as a high school football game, but the Lincoln Hornets looked more like they were preparing for the arrival of the Pope.

All they could do was lay out the red carpet.

And bow to USDHS as the Dons tromped to a 37-6 victory.

It was 30-0 at halftime, which might lead to suspicions that No. 8-ranked Lincoln (1-1) mustered a defensive effort in the second 24 minutes.

Even Don Coach Ron Hamamoto thought so.

“The second half, Lincoln shut us down pretty good,” he said.

That’s not entirely accurate, though. Hamamoto had his second- and third-stringers in by that time.

USDHS (2-0) had its shutout intact with just over two minutes remaining and with Lincoln facing a fourth-and-12 from the USDHS 12.

But the Hornets spoiled the bid by running a reverse to wide receiver Scott Hammond, who took the ball at the right hash marks and raced to the left sideline before turning the corner and stomping into the end zone untouched.

But six points were hardly consolation at that point.

“Mistakes just killed us,” Hammond said afterward. “It seemed like we were never in it from the beginning of the first quarter and then we just couldn’t get anything going after that.”

USDHS began the game by eating up eight minutes and 45 seconds on a 70-yard drive finished off by Brady Walker, who followed a block from his right guard two yards into the end zone.

Just over two minutes later it was 14-0 as Chris Lewis broke through the middle of the line, then turned right and ran around Lincoln’s defense for a 32-yard score.

Lewis finished with two touchdowns and 112 yards on 16 carries. Walker also had two touchdowns.

But the two big blows came courtesy of the special teams.

Down 14-0 midway through the second quarter, but still in it, Lincoln was forced to punt from its end zone. But punter Alex Davis muffed the snap and USDHS’s Richard Arellano recovered the ball in the end zone to make it 21-0.

A minute and a half later, Davis was attempting to punt from his five-yard line when Walker blitzed in from the outside, blocked the kick and deflected it through the end zone for a safety to make it 23-0.

“We have some attitude problems to deal with,” Hammond continued in assessing his team’s effort. “And it’s only our second game, so we’ll get back on track.”