Lincoln’s historic high school football run ends with heartbreaking loss to Manteca
You could see it on the faces of nearly every Lincoln player Friday night.
One sat away from his teammates on the sideline, eyes welled up. Another was pacing, yelling in frustration. Others shared a similar look of sadness and disbelief. It was setting in.
Manteca was deep in Lincoln territory near the end of Friday night’s CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division III semifinal between the Buffaloes and upstart Lincoln Fighting Zebras. Manteca took control of the game in the second half, and Lincoln’s inspiring, season-long run was ending.
The Buffaloes scored one final touchdown to cap off a 28-3 win. It was a Buffalo victory that meant the end of the road for many Lincoln seniors, including defensive lineman Kyle Morrison, who didn’t need many words to express the feeling he shared with his teammates.
“It’s just heartbreaking,” Morrison said. “We’ve been together for all these years, and it’s just it. It’s over now. It’s tough on everyone.”
Friday night’s defeat to a No. 3 seed came a week after a magical win in which Lincoln came from a two-touchdown deficit to stun Christian Brothers, ensuring the Fighting Zebras would go further into the postseason than any point in their 114-year history. This second-seeded Lincoln team made other history, winning their conference title for the first time in 12 seasons.
Running on a high, they expected to last beyond Friday night. But Manteca was the wrong opponent, especially with playmaking tandem Blake Nichelson (who scored three touchdowns) and Lyon Colon back on the field after missing time earlier in the season with injuries.
Lincoln didn’t have answers for Manteca’s powerful rushing attack, with Nichelson, listed as a receiver, used heavily in the running game, while Colon’s speed was apparent, particularly in the second half. Lincoln’s defense was emotionally ready for the Buffaloes’ physical style, evident by their first half-performance. But the defense wore down over time while the offense was unable to score points beyond a first-half field goal.
The two teams hit the locker room locked in a defensive slugfest, with Manteca leading 6-3. But then the road team reached deep into the playbook, with a double pass from receiver James Dennis to tight end Garrison Reis. That made it 14-3 before Nichelson added his second and third touchdowns coming on an 8-yard run and a fade route reception with 25 seconds remaining, respectively.
Lincoln’s postgame huddle included sobbing, players embracing and a few standing alone in their thoughts. Senior quarterback Johnny Bauser addressed the team with an emotional message. Then head coach Allen Berg showed his appreciation.
“Thank you for letting me be a part of this,” Berg said he told his players. “This was something that I did not envision doing this year. ... But I knew it was a special group. To come and be a part of this and to get us as far as we did — even though I was hoping we’d go farther — I’m thankful to be a part of it.”
Berg said the close-nit nature of the roster was apparent when the season began. Players who had been in the program, whether they were on varsity or JV in previous seasons, developed a chemistry that fueled their unexpected run, the first since the pandemic overshadowed the 2020 campaign.
“You could just tell they had a really tight bond,” Berg said. “It’s a real family atmosphere with these guys. Something I’ve never seen before as a coach.”
Lincoln finished the season 8-3, including an impressive 5-0 run in the Foothill Valley league. Their year included a 28-0 win over second-place Placer and 51-0 romp over third-place Nevada Union.
This season was Berg’s third season at the helm after getting hired in 2019. Berg, who played linebacker at Sacramento State and attended Foothill High, was awed by the bond of his players and how much the season meant to them, particularly because the roster could look so different next year, with so many seniors moving on.
“They are devastated right now,” Berg said. “That’s the way it is. It’s frustrating. You just got to live with it and move on and hopefully some of these seniors can continue to play because I think they should.”
Sac-Joaquin Section
Division I
Rocklin 51, St. Mary’s 48
Folsom at Jesuit, 1 p.m., Saturday
Championship
No. 1 Rocklin vs. Folsom/Jesuit
Friday, 7 p.m.
At Sacramento City College
Division II
Central Catholic 35, Antelope 0
Monterey Trail 27, Elk Grove 23
Championship
No. 1 Central Catholic vs. No. 11 Monterey Trail
Saturday, 6 p.m.
At Sacramento City College
Division III
Oakdale 33, Patterson 7
Manteca 27, Lincoln 3
Championship
No. 1 Oakdale vs. No. 3 Manteca
Friday, 7 p.m.
At St. Mary’s High School
Division IV
Merced 51, Kimball 50
Vanden 67, Vista del Lago 27
Championship
No. 2 Vanden vs. No. 4 Merced
Saturday, 1 p.m.
At St. Mary’s High School
Division V
Escalon 34, Ripon 10
Hilmar 41, Casa Roble 8
Championship
No. 6 Hilmar at No. 1 Escalon
Saturday, 6 p.m.
At St. Mary’s High School
Division VI
Rosemont 18, Bradshaw Christian 13
Argonaut 37, Livingston 24
Championship
No. 2 Argonaut vs. No. 5 Rosemont
Saturday, 1 p.m.
At Sacramento City College
Division VI
Woodland Chrisitian 36, Esparto 32
Championship
No. 1 Woodland Christian vs. No. 3 Le Grand
Friday, 2 p.m.
At Sacramento City College
