Competition For Spots Sharpens Wolves

LINCOLN 2021 VARSITY FOOTBALL PREVIEW

LINCOLN — In his second year as head coach at Lincoln, third year overall functioning in that capacity, Reed Mendoza is growing in confidence.

“I think that each year you learn and you try to grow. I feel like I’ve done that, just excited about the upcoming year,” Mendoza said.

Lincoln’s secondary and linebacking corps probably have the least amount of experience on the defensive side of the ball and a lot of those guys are still fighting it out.

“We probably won’t name starters until the Wednesday or Thursday coming into that [ Aug. 27] Elkins’ game,” Mendoza said.

Sophomore Drew Moore ( 6-2, 185) has battled senior Kyler Calvin ( 5- 9, 150) for the starting quarterback job.

“At quarterback it’s looking like it will either be Drew Moore or Kyler Calvin. We’ll see how that shakes out. Both offer different qualities,” Mendoza said.

Runningback

Senior Caleb Matthews ( 5-10, 180), sophomore Nick Martinez ( 6- 0, 190), junior Eugene Hill ( 5- 10, 150), and senior Layne Sellers ( 5-9, 160) are all getting looks.

“At runningback it will definitely be by committee. We’ve got three or four guys we’ve been working out. Caleb Matthews, Nick Martinez, Eugene Hill, and Layne Sellers have all taken reps. In the nonconference part of the schedule we’ll probably give them all reps and we’ll see the two that separate themselves,” Mendoza said.

Receivers

Lincoln spreads the field and operates at times with four wide outs. Slot receivers senior Lincoln Morphis ( 6-1, 160) and junior Rafeal Pena ( 5- 6, 145) both guys have a lot of Friday night experience and Mendoza says Rafael offers big play ability.

At the outside receiver spots, the Wolves have a lot of guys getting as many reps as they can. Similar to the runningback competition, Mendoza plans to utilize the nonconference schedule to see who separates themselves and who makes it happen on game nights.

Seniors Tristan Gilbreath ( 5- 9, 150), Brennin Davis ( 6- 1, 180), and A. J. Garner ( 6-2, 155) compete with sophomores Paxton Price ( 5- 8, 125), Ty Burks ( 5- 4, 110), and Jace Birkes ( 5-9, 130) fighting for those couple of positions and are making each other better through pushing one another.

“You see the guys kind of step up who really want it and compete for it every day and it’s good to see that because they’re just getting better while that’s going on,” Mendoza said.

Offensive Line

Senior Dakoda Christianson ( 6- 0, 250) has accepted and asserted himself into a leadership role at left tackle.

“Dakoda’s another three year starter for us. He’ll anchor it for us, very smart, knows the playbook inside and out can help with making adjustments and communicate with the rest of the line at the line of scrimmage. He is going to be surrounded by guys who don’t have much Friday night experience and then some youth as well,” Mendoza said.

Other guys flexing muscle on the offensive line include sophomore center Kaleb Roy (5-11, 185), junior Kevin Lee ( 5- 6, 215), junior guard Lucas Adkins ( 5- 10, 225), junior Grant King (5-8, 230), sophomore Ryan Provence ( 6- 1 200), sophomore Demetrius Self ( 5-4, 160), sophomore Bryce Bradley (5-9, 200), they could all factor in and coaches are evaluating to will see who emerges as the starting five.

“Lot of competition, we don’t have a ton of depth, but we have just enough and just a lack of experience at a lot of spots that we’re going to let them fight it out and see who produces on Friday nights,” Mendoza said.

“Lucas Adkins is another big kid for us, who didn’t play as a sophomore, played every year. I think covid kind of affected his decision [ not to play last year], but it’s great to have Lucas out. He’s a program type guy, a kid that you want to have as a part of your team.”

DEFENSE Defensive Line

King didn’t play last year as a sophomore but he’s back and ready to make an impact as a defensive end.

“He’s just strong, got a motor and he’ll do anything you ask him to. He can just play, knows how to use his body well, shorter guy, low center of gravity, can get leverage on people,” Mendoza said.

Christianson will play nose guard. Mendoza touts his big play capability, penchant for sacks and tackles for loss.

“[When] he gets his hands on you, you’re going to the ground,” Mendoza said.

The Wolves will do a little bit by committee at the other defensive end. Roy and Adkins will factor in and Mendoza says there could be a few others as well, maybe even Martinez.

Linebackers

Lincoln’s linebacking corps will be led by identical twins Blake Bowen (5-11, 170) and Brodey Bowen (5-11, 170). Morphis has bounced back and forth between linebacker and cornerback in the spring and summer. Matthews will be a factor at linebacker and Sellers is another one who will get a lot of snaps at outside linebacker.

“Even though he’s kind of slighter built Layne has no problem sticking his nose in there,” Mendoza said.

Martinez will also factor in at linebacker along with Hill. Sophomore Chris West (5-7, 135) is a kid that bounces back and forth between linebacker and safety.

Secondary

At the safeties Lincoln lines up with Pena and Davis both capable defenders.

“Brennin Davis will be more than likely starting for his second year. He was huge for us last year, just a big play guy, always around the football, willing tackler especially for his size. He’s pretty amazing to watch, pound for pound I don’t know that I’ve ever coached a better football player,” Mendoza said.

Cornerback is deep with Paxton Price, Burks, Garner, Morphis, Birkes and Kellar Price and Mendoza says a lot of those guys will bounce back to safety as well.

SPECIAL TEAMS Kicking Game

The kicking prowess of junior Tsimtxhua Vang (5-9, 145) proved a real asset for the Wolves last season and it’s looking like he will play football again this year.

“He was a big weapon for us late in the year last year. Any time you have a kid who can [kick deep], he didn’t consistently last year put it in the end zone, but at the worst we were able to pin them inside their 25 [on kickoffs]. That’s a huge help. We feel like teams have to drive it 80 [yards] on us consistently and it gives our defense a leg up for sure,” Mendoza said.

Vang also presents a field goal possibility for the offense and can kick extra points. According to Mendoza, Vang is capable of hitting anything inside the 30 and in practice he’s booted field goals up to 52 yards.

“We feel very, very confident about 30-to-40 yard range. We’ll probably run him out there if the situation calls for it,” Mendoza said.

Last year Lincoln punted out of kind of an offensive set and likely will use the same type of setup this season.

“We just let the quarterback do it. That’s probably similar to what we’ll do this year,” Mendoza said.

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Friday, Aug. 27 at Lincoln’s 2021 varsity football team tuned up for the upcoming season with a scrimmage against Lamar on Friday. The Wolves open the season this home in Wolfpack Stadium against Elkins in a nonconference game. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.