Prep football: A tale of two halves, Lincoln shocks Yuba City with big rally
It was a tale of two halves Friday for the Lincoln High School Fighting Zebras. After a slow start, Lincoln somehow managed to pull off an unlikely comeback against Yuba City in one of the best games the Sac-Joaquin Section will see this season.
In the first half, the Honkers came out aggressive and dominated Lincoln in every aspect of the game. They led 21-0 before a furious rally gave Lincoln a 28-27 win.
The Honkers were coming off of a loss to Vanden last week and made it known they did not want to start the season 0-2. Led by senior quarterback and linebacker Nick Afato, Yuba City looked strong, with a 21-0 lead to end the first half. Afato and the rest of the Honkers were fast, physical and hungry. The Zebras and their fans looked demoralized as the teams went to their locker rooms.
“We weren’t happy,” said Lincoln head coach Allen Berg. “They came out and punched us in the mouth. We were frustrated because we thought we were a different team and they came out and just dominated that first half.”
Yuba City’s domination wouldn’t last long. Whatever was said in Lincoln’s locker room at the half changed everything. The demoralized Lincoln student section, known as The Zoo, looked like a pack of rabid animals in the second half. When the Zebras took the field, the energy in the stadium did a complete 180. Not only did their offense start to click, but their defense looked ferocious. Led by senior linebacker Peyton Raper, Lincoln held Yuba City to just six points.
“He was everywhere,” said coach Berg. “Everywhere. He has developed into an incredible linebacker. I’m very happy with his progress and who he is. His leadership. He’s been doing all the right things and I’m very proud of him.”
Raper, who has played football for six seasons, said he models his style of play after NFL star Khalil Mack.
“I like his energy, his tempo, the fight in him. He’s a dog,” said Raper.
Not only did he make countless plays throughout the night, but Raper was the life force of his team. When he made plays and passionately celebrated afterward, it made his teammates play the same way. His impact directly led to senior wide receiver and defensive back Hayden Dotson blocking a PAT that would give them the opportunity to complete their comeback. But he wasn’t the only player impacting Lincoln’s sideline. Senior defensive back and wide receiver Isaac Gomez played a crucial role.
“The first half he was the only one making plays,” said Berg. “I knew Gomez wanted to ball out. Any challenge I had to the rest of the team was back to him because he was the only one doing anything it felt like. So I knew he had it and I knew he was going to be there and fight to play the whole game like that. That’s who he is, that’s who he was last year so no surprise to us. Other people may see him and think he’s small or whatever, but he’s a baller and he brings it.”
Not only did Gomez make numerous clutch plays, he was also extremely effective on the offensive side of the ball. He hauled in a pair of touchdowns including the eventual game-winner with just under a minute left in the fourth quarter.
Gomez, who has played football since he was 8 years old, has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Many people underestimate him because of his small stature, much like the player he models himself after, NFL safety Tyrann Mathieu. A player known for proving size doesn’t mean anything.
Though Raper and Gomez stood out, there were plenty of other players that played tremendously well including Dotson, senior lineman Jayce Ordiway, and senior wide receiver Dylan Fear. The Zebras have a lot of talent and hope to carry the momentum they created in the second half into their matchup next Friday against the Casa Roble Rams.
This story was originally published August 27, 2022 at 6:37 AM.