In his preseason reflection, first-year Lincoln head coach Jeremy Bane said he thought his team could win at least four games this season. One down, three to go.
The Eagles traveled to Liberty on Friday, Aug. 30, to face the Union County Patriots in a Tri-Eastern Conference game. The Eagles dominated on both sides of the ball, taking a 45-0 win over the Pats. The victory margin was the largest for an Eagle team in 19 years and ended a seven-game Eagle losing streak.
Adding a Hawk to a flock of Eagles was more than the Patriot defense could handle. Senior Carson Hawk returned to the football program this season for the first time since he was in junior high and scored four touchdowns for Lincoln in the rout.
The Eagles picked up 238 yards through the air. Noah Patterson was 12-19 for 205 yards and four touchdowns. Evan Stuckey only passed one time in the game, and he connected for a touchdown. Hawk caught four passes for 75 yards. Dustin Lunsford and Jack Patton each caught two passes for 70 yards. The Eagles also gained 128 yards on the ground; Patterson led with 81 yards on five carries.
The Lincoln defense did not allow the Patriots to score. Gage Sherwood had nine tackles, Hunter Strait had seven tackles and Evan Stuckey had five tackles.
The Eagles will try to make it two wins in a row on Friday, Sept. 6, when they host the Tri High Titans in another Tri-Eastern Conference game.
Lincoln (1-1, 1-1 TEC) 18 20 0 7 45
Union County (0-2, 0-2 TEC) 0 0 0 0 0
A version of this article appeared in the September 4 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.