Northeast defense stymies Lincoln High

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BY GENE COTTER / For the Lincoln Journal Star

Normally when a defense is on the field for too long it’s a bad thing. For Lincoln Northeast on Friday night, too much defense was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Tyler Collier ran for 92 yards and a score and Jordan Burt threw for 120 yards and a touchdown, while also running for another.

But it was the Rockets’ defense that held Lincoln High to  minus 3  yards on the ground, allowed the Links across midfield just three times and propelled the Rockets (3-2) to a 31-6 win at Seacrest Field.

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Northeast's Tyler Collier (28) tries to run through the defense of Cody McCarthy-Fultz (34) of Lincoln High in the Rockets' game against the Links on Friday night at Seacrest Field. (Jill Peitzmeier)

“The one thing we wanted to do tonight was bring a little pressure. We were able to do that,” Northeast coach Dave Svehla said. “I really thought our guys attacked the ball. We tackled better. We took care of our responsibilities.”

The Links had their backs against the wall from the beginning and never were able to find a way out.

Lincoln High’s average starting field position was its 22-yard line. The Northeast defensive pressure made sure it didn’t get much better.

The Links managed just 48 yards of total offense in the first half, 31 of which came on the final drive of the half and marked just one of two times over the first two periods Lincoln High crossed midfield.

Punter Jerry Garza picked up 22 of the yards by scrambling on two separate occasions to escape the onrushing block attempts.

The deepest penetration Lincoln High was able to manage — aside from an 88-yard Dylan Flinn- to-Lonnie Temple touchdown pass late in the game  — was the Rockets’ 34, as time expired in the first half.

And eventually the Northeast offense made the most of its myriad opportunities.

Although Lincoln High slowed Collier, Burt threw for all 120 of his yards in the first half, finding his favorite receiver Kayle Henderson five times for 96 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown.

Throw in a pair of 1-yard scoring runs by Burt and Tyson Greve and a 27-yard field goal by Curt Adams,  and Northeast was firmly in control 24-0 at the break.

Northeast racked up 185 yards of offense in the first half and had an average starting position of  the Links’ 38. They finished with 296 yards of offense, 171 on the ground.

And it never did get much better for the Links.

Collier opened the second half with a 41-yard run for a score.

The Rockets’ defense followed suit by forcing Lincoln High backward 11 yards on its opening possession of the second half. Throw out the long touchdown pass and LHS amassed just 32 yards after the half.

“You can look at offensive and defensive yards, but football coaches will tell you that field position is one of the biggest factors in winning and losing,” Svehla said. “It takes some pressure off your offense when you play in their end of the field.”