BOWIE, MD. (October 4, 2008) – Freshman Daron Jones (Baltimore, Md./Cardinal Gibbons HS) (Baltimore, MD/Cardinal Gibbons) earned team MVP honors for the Lincoln University of Pennsylvania football team following a 28-2 loss to Bowie State University Saturday afternoon at Bulldogs Stadium in the Fifth Annual Prince Georges Classic. (BOXSCORE)
Jones finished with a game-high 14 tackles for the Lions (1-5 overall). Four of Jones' tackles went for losses and he was also credited with a half-sack. Freshman Bruce-Lee Sterile (Miami, FL/North Miami Beach) added 11 tackles for Lincoln, which limited host Bowie State to 58 passing yards.
Freshman Gerald Foster (Temple Hills, MD) had an interception for the Lions during the fourth quarter. Freshman Terrell Lewis (Baltimore, MD/Dunbar) (Baltimore, MD/Dunbar) recovered a fumble that stopped a potential Bowie State scoring drive at the Lincoln 4-yard line. Also for the Lincoln defense, freshman Joseph Billups (Philadelphia, PA/Glen Mills) (Philadelphia, PA/Glen Mills) had a sack that resulted in a 15-yard loss.
Offensively, sophomore wide receiver Shawn Bethea (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway HS) (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) and freshman D'Ante Smith (Bowie. Md./Riverdale Baptist HS) (Bowie, MD/Riverdale Baptist) each caught a game-high five passes for Lincoln. Bethea finished with a game-high 47 receiving yards, including a 15-yard catch during the second half that gave Lincoln a first down. Freshman punter Ameer Allen (Newark, NJ/Marist) had a season-high 38 yard punt.
The Lions scored the opening points of the game for the first time this season. Lincoln jumped to a quick 2-0 lead following a safety. After Lincoln's defense forced a three-and-out on the Bulldogs' opening possession of the game, Bowie State punter Michael Gagne kicked the ball out of the end zone following a bad snap.
Lincoln's defense did not allow a first down until the Bulldogs' fourth possession. Bowie State game MVP Rodney Webb gave Bowie State the lead for good when he scored on a 40-yard touchdown run with 1:56 remaining in the first quarter. Webb led the Bulldogs with a game-high 91 yards on nine carries. Issac Redman also added 87 yards on 22 carries for Bowie State. His 1-yard touchdown following a Lincoln fumble helped the Bulldogs take a 14-2 lead with 12:39 remaining in the second quarter.
Bowie State, playing its home opener, improved to 2-1 all-time in the Prince George's Classic.
Lincoln returns to action next week when it travels to Virginia Union University for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff. The game can be heard live on www.brandywineradio.com. Bowie State hosts Elizabeth City State in a nationally televised contest next week beginning at 1:05 p.m.
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