No. 2 Lincoln holds off Harrisburg for fifth straight win

Argus Leader

Lincoln coach Jared Fredenburg had a blunt assessment of his team’s defensive effort after giving up 148 passing yards and nine first downs in Friday’s first half against Harrisburg.

“I thought our defense played horrible in the first half,” said Fredenburg, whose second-ranked Patriots trailed 7-6 at the intermission at Howard Wood Field. “We came in at halftime and made some adjustments and just settled down and took a deep breath. Things went better after that.”

More:South Dakota high school football scores, roundup

The second-ranked Patriots (6-1) stopped giving up big plays and converted a few of their own, pulling out an 18-15 victory over No. 3 Harrisburg in a cold and windy battle between Class 11AAA contenders.

Senior running back Leo Kayee found daylight in the second half behind his offensive line, finishing with 87 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries to help move the sticks down the stretch and keep the ball away from the Harrisburg offense.

Sioux Falls Lincoln quarterback Tommy Thompson runs around the edge during the varsity matchup against Harrisburg on Friday night at Howard Wood Field.

“Whenever they start moving people up front, it means more opportunities,” said Kayee, whose 5-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave Lincoln an 18-7 advantage. “The coaches at the end were telling me to stay in bounds to keep the clock running, and we finished it out.”

Harrisburg’s air attack was a problem for Lincoln early on, and quarterback Jack Teigen finished with 10 of 29 passing for 178 yards and two scores. Teigen hit Jhei Roewart for a 15-yard scoring strike and then ran in a two-point conversion to cut the lead to 18-15 late in the third quarter, but the Lincoln defense stiffened the rest of the way.

The Pats were playing without star defensive end and SDSU recruit Mitch Eichacker, who is battling a shoulder injury. But they were able to generate enough of a pass rush to produce five sacks and keep the Tigers (5-2) from finding a rhythm in the second half.

“We like to preach next man up,” said defensive back Sam Siegel, who helped solidify the secondary. “We knew we’d be ready for the challenge.”

Lincoln receiver Ty Schafer leaps for a catch during the Class 11 AAA matchup against Harrisburg on Friday night at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls.

TURNING POINT: The Pats were on their heels and trailing 7-0 late in the first quarter as Harrisburg drove confidently into Lincoln territory, using several penalty calls to their advantage.

That’s when linebacker Ayden Sand shot the gap and leveled the quarterback, who coughed the ball up into the waiting arms of 6-foot-4, 200-pound defensive end Isaac Sarbacker.

Suddenly, it was Sarbacker charging downfield and outracing several pursuers for a 61-yard touchdown that turned the tide for the Patriots, cutting the lead to 7-6 after a botched PAT.

“Sometimes you get lucky like that and the blitz comes home,” said Fredenburg. “Not only did the ball pop into the arms of a defensive end, but a defensive end who can run. We needed it at that time, because we were sort of on skates and had just given up a score.”

Lincoln quarterback Tommy Thompson gets tackled by Harrisburg defender Ayden Viox during a Class 11 AAA matchup Friday night at Howard Wood Field.

KEY DRIVE: After forcing a Harrisburg punt, the Patriots got the ball on their own 45 leading 18-15 with 5:09 remaining in the game.

They never relinquished possession, converting a crucial fourth-and-1 on a sneak by quarterback Tommy Thompson and then riding the legs of Kayee and a resilient offensive line the rest of the way to earn their fifth consecutive win.

BY THE NUMBERS: Kayee helped Lincoln finish with 148 rushing yards as a team, including 109 in the second half. …Thompson ran 13 times for 50 yards and a touchdown and completed 12 of 19 passes for 102 yards…Sam Christensen caught five passes for 102 yards for Harrisburg, while Ethyn Rollinger added five receptions for 82 yards and a score. …The Tigers were held to minus-44 yards rushing for the game…There were 16 penalties called on the night, eight for each side.

Sioux Falls Lincoln running back Isaiah Robinson looks for running room during the varsity matchup against Harrisburg on Friday night at Howard Wood Field.

QUOTABLE: “It feels good to have success like this, especially as a senior. The seniors have gone through some tough times and to finally have a winning mentality, that’s what we’ve been working for. The key is to keep it going.” Sam Siegel, Lincoln

UP NEXT: The Pats will hit the road next week to play Rapid City Stevens, while Harrisburg returns home to face defending champion Brandon Valley.