Undefeated amid adversity: They’ve already won more games this year than last.
After winning its first three games by scoring 50 or more points each time, it might seem like things come easy to Lincoln County.
But the Patriots know adversity. They went 3-8 last season. Three of those losses came in overtime.
They had a COVID-19 quarantine on their campus this week, sidelining a few players due to contact tracing.
One of their best players dislocated his thumb midway through the second quarter Friday night and their starting quarterback and leading scorer rolled his ankle in the third. He did not return.
No, Lincoln County didn’t score 50 points this week. But they did come away with a hard-fought, roller-coaster 26-14 victory on the road against Madison Central.
Nursing a 20-14 fourth quarter lead over the Indians, backup quarterback Sawyer Horton saw his pass into the right flat picked off by Jayden West and returned 44 yards to the Lincoln County 25 with more than enough time (2:45) for their opponents to push to victory.
But two plays after West’s interception, Lincoln County defensive back Skyler Quinn returned the favor and one-upped the return, breaking away for 75 yards and a game-clinching touchdown.
“I just saw the ball go up, and we needed to make a big play,” Quinn said. “My man just cut inside, the ball tipped off his fingers and I was right behind him and caught it.”
Until Quinn’s heroics with under two minutes to play, Madison Central (1-2) stayed in contact with the Patriots despite a couple of turnovers.
“I told our kids all week it was going to take four quarters for us to come out and compete,” Lincoln County Coach Spencer Crutchfield said. “We got lucky a couple of times. They laid the ball on the ground, but you’ve got to give our guys a lot of credit. We didn’t execute perfectly, but we were out there competing. That’s what it’s all about.”
Lee Amon, a two-way player at running back and linebacker, was the one who popped his own thumb back in place after dislocating it on defense. He finished with 93 yards rushing, 48 yards receiving, a fumble recovery and three touchdowns.
“Lee’s just a monster. He leaves it all on the field every time we play,” Crutchfield said. “When Clayton went down. He tried to put us on his back.”
Amon scored on a 49-yard run midway through the second quarter, a 2-yard run just before half and another 2-yarder midway through the third quarter. He took no credit.
“My O-line got me three touchdowns. That’s not me, sir,” Amon said when asked about his scores. “They’re my brothers. We go out to eat every week. That’s my trench brothers, man. You’ve got to love them”
Amon was also stoked about the defensive play that won the game.
“Defense wins football games and that proved it right there,” Amon said. “We got that long pick-six. I love defense, man.”
Madison Central’s Kenyatta Hardge scored both of the Indians’ touchdowns.
Before his injury, Lincoln County starting quarterback Clayton Davis completed one pass for 33 yards and ran for 93 yards, including a 26-yard run on a fourth-and-11 play to the 2-yard line that set up Lincoln County’s go-ahead score. Crutchfield said Davis probably could have returned, but he held him out as a precaution because, next up, the Patriots play district foe Wayne County, a team that beat them twice last year.
“We’ve got to put this one behind us and come into practice Monday like we lost,” Amon said.
This story was originally published October 3, 2020 at 1:04 AM.
