San Pasqual Repels Lincoln Comeback for 2-A Victory

Lincoln’s Scott Hammond tried to fight back the tears, but it was no use. All Hammond could think about was how close his team came to winning after being down 28 points.

“I just can’t believe it,” Hammond muttered over and over after his team fell to San Pasqual, 28-22, in the first round of the 2-A Section football playoffs Friday night at Balboa Stadium.

Hammond was not alone in his grief. Lincoln players were strewn all over the field several minutes after the game wondering how they could have lost.

Lincoln’s emotions were quite different just two years ago in the Section playoffs after Victor Dean returned a kickoff on the game’s last play to beat San Pasqual.

But San Pasqual’s defensive line made sure that scene was not repeated. It stopped Lincoln twice in the final five minutes as the Hornets drove for the winning touchdown.

But San Pasqual Coach Mike Dolan admitted he flashed back to two years ago.

“I was thinking about it, but I knew we’d have the ball last this time,” Dolan said.

Lincoln’s first drive ended with five minutes remaining when Lincoln running back Marlon Scott fumbled into the hands of San Pasqual linebacker Daryl Hawkins. The Eagles then ran all but 1:01 off the clock, ending the drive on a missed Cory Whyte field goal.

Lincoln (7-4) moved it 32 yards to the San Pasqual 48 on two pass plays, but the Hornets had no timeouts. After a six-yard pass to Scott, Lincoln quarterback Akili Scott was sacked by defensive lineman Jason Ponchetti and Jeff Moss at midfield.

By the time Lincoln scrambled to the line, all Scott could do was throw the ball down. By then, San Pasqual players were dancing on the field.

In the first half, it appeared as though San Pasqual (7-4) would be dancing all night. It scored on four its first five possessions. Hawkins (19 for 106) scored the last three on runs of four, two and two yards during an eight-minute span of the second quarter. Mike Walters scored the first from a yard. Two of the scores came off Lincoln fumbles.

“I thought we were ready to play, but we obviously weren’t,” Lincoln Coach Vic Player said.

But Lincoln began to turn it around in the last minute of the half, driving 72 yards in four plays and scoring on a six-yard pass from Smith to Hammond with no time left.

The momentum shifted more radically when Hammond took the second-half kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Ricky Brown’s conversion run made it 28-14.

Lincoln sliced it to 28-22 on an Alex Davis 12-yard pass from Smith with 1:41 left in the third quarter.