September 26, 2010
Lincoln cruises to 3-0 start
Lincoln's Tyron Stevens had his third straight game of three or more touchdowns.
Click Here for more photos from Lincoln at Hudson Catholic.
By Jason Bernstein
Editorial Director
JERSEY CITY – One of the goals Lincoln running back Tyron Stevens had before the season was to rush for 20 touchdowns. As lofty as those goals looked back in August, it appears that he might have underestimated himself.
Stevens added three more touchdowns as the Lions rolled past Hudson Catholic 50-0 yesterday at Caven Point.
“Last year I was dealing with a lot of injuries,” said Stevens who now has 11 touchdowns in three games. “This year I feel like I’m 100-percent and I got a lot faster, working in the summer time. I just feel like I have a lot more longer runs this season.”
“All summer he told me he’d be better and he’s shown it,” quarterback Ronald Butler said.
A faster and healthier Stevens was on display right from the start. He would find the end zone on just his second carry of the game, giving Lincoln (3-0) a quick 8-0 lead with 24-yard touchdown.
After forcing a three-and-out on defense, Stevens struck for the second time in less than three minutes. This time it was a 12-yard score and make it 14-0 just six minutes into the game.
“We knew deep down inside we had to come out fast because of the heat,” Lions head coach Robert Hampton said. “We knew because of the weather and how hot it was going to get, we wanted to impose our will early.”
Lincoln did just that, scoring on each of its first five possessions of the game. Stevens would add his third touchdown of the afternoon just 1:21 into the second quarter when he rushed 37 yards to make it 30-0.
The senior standout finished with 175 yards rushing on just 15 carries in a stellar performance. In just three games, Stevens has already accumulated a season’s worth of stats for some guys, racking up more than 500 yards and 11 touchdowns.
“I’m really surprised (at the start),” Stevens said. “But my line’s playing really well right now. I’ve got to give credit to my line. They’re blocking everything that’s moving and I’m just running behind them. That’s all I can do.”
That offensive line helped make it an easy afternoon for Stevens and the rest of Lincoln’s stable of runners. Butler rushed for 94 yards on just seven carries, highlighted by a 57-yard score in the second quarter. Senior Deshawn Goodwin added 43 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
As a team, the Lions rushed for 362 yards and averaged a staggering 12 yards per carry.
Lincoln was equally dominant on the defensive side of the ball, limiting the Hawks (1-2) to just 33 yards of total offense.
“Going into this thing I felt like these kids were ready to go,” Hudson Catholic head coach Leonard Marshall said. “I felt like we had a good week of practice. The dedication was there. But let’s face facts, Lincoln athletically is a better football team than us. Bottom line.”
Elusive running back Oscar Torres was held to just 23 yards rushing on 16 carries for the Hawks.
Hudson Catholic looks to rebound from back-to-back losses and even their record at .500 Friday night at Kearny. The high-flying Lions seek their fourth-straight win on Saturday afternoon at home against Marist.
QB Matt McMonagle and the Hawks look to bounce back on Friday against Kearny.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Lions (3-0) | 22 |
16 |
6 |
6 |
50 |
| Hudson Catholic Hawks (1-2) | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Lin: Tyron Stevens, 24 run (Anthony Jackson pass from Ronald Butler) | |||||
| Lin: Stevens, 12 run (run failed) | |||||
| Lin: Deshawn Goodwin, 22 run (Kashawn Fuller pass from Butler) | |||||
| Lin: Stevens, 37 run (Steven Jones pass from Butler) | |||||
| Lin: Butler, 57 run (Stevens run) | |||||
| Lin: Tyrell Wilks, 6 run (run failed) | |||||
| Lin: Goodwin, 22 run (run failed) | |||||