Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Lincoln University Athletics

Scoreboard

Randle
Bill Rudick

Football Chris Weeden, Director of Sports Information and Marketing

Game notes week 10: Elizabeth City State

Game Notes

ON TAP: Lincoln concludes 2010 with Senior Day as Elizabeth City State comes to Avon Grove High School for the 1 p.m. kickoff. For Lincoln, this represents the last time that eight seniors will done the orange blue. They are: Jairon Bailey (Compton, Calif./Locke) (21), Dameion Butler (Oakland, Calif./) (13), Shawn Hart (Bronx, NY/Harry S. Truman) (72), Eugene Lancaster (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial HS) (92), John Mason (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) (46), Jared Randle (Kanakee, IL/Kanakee) (81), Ben Smith (Miami, FL/) (31) and Domonic Wright (New Hempstead, NY/St. Joe's Regional) (89). This group hopes to end their collegiate career with a victory, snapping a stretch of eight-straight loses. To do so, they will have to derail the Vikings (5-4, 4-2 CIAA) and their strong running game.

BROADCAST: This game can be streamed live on www.BrandyWineRadio.com. Jacob Wilkins has the action at 12:45 p.m.

THE SERIES: The Lions and Vikings had not met until Lincoln brought back football in 2008, and ECSU, a CIAA powerhouse, has taken both meetings. Last year, the Lions fell, 54-18. The Vikings started quickly, recording the game's first 27 points before the defense forced a safety. Both of LU's touchdowns came in the third quarter. Laquan Williams (Philadelphia, Pa./John Bartram HS) found Trey Thomas (Canton, GA/Woodstock) for a 13-yard strike, and the second was a 30-yarder from Williams to Kareem Dennis (Philadelphia, PA/Lincoln).

All-Time Results
Oct. 18, 2008 (H)    0-70, La
Oct. 17, 2009 (A)    18-54, L

THE COACHES: Lincoln is lead by head coach O.J. Abanishe. In 2009, the Kansas City, Kan., native guided Lincoln to a three-win season, a two-game improvement from the program's inaugural campaign in 2008. Overall, his record is 5-24. Waverly Tillar spearheads the Vikings' program, and he sits at 40-43.

ABOUT ELIZABETH CITY STATE: The season began with the loftiest of expectations. Predicted to finish first in the CIAA North, the Vikings are 5-4 overall and 4-2 in the CIAA. The two conference losses came in consecutive road games. First-place Virginia State won 15-10 in a Thursday-night game, and the following week, Bowie State edged ECSU, 20-12. Offensively, the Vikings are powered by a big, experienced offensive line and a running back capable of breaking loose from anywhere. Look no further than last week. In ECSU's 55-14 Homecoming victory over Chowan, DaRonte McNeil broke the school record for yards in a game by accumulating 290 yards including two 97-yard touchdown runs. The Vikings are second in the CIAA in both total and rushing offense while McNeil has 1,241 yards through nine weeks, trailing only Walter Sanders of Saint Augustine's College.

LINCOLN LAST WEEK: The Lions fell 16-13 to Saint Paul's College on Homecoming last Saturday in Lincoln's first-ever overtime game. Tigers' kicker Preston McCarthy drilled a 44-yard game winner as Lions were unable to score in the first possession of the extra session. It would be difficult to imagine the Lincoln defense doing more than it did last weekend. The Lions allowed just 47 yards establishing a new school record, breaking the previous mark of 81 set in the season-opening win against Cheyney University. The unit forced four turnovers and had 19 tackles for loss combining for -163 yards. Midway through the fourth quarter, Gerald Foster (P.G. County, Md./Oxon Hill HS) intercepted the seventh pass of his career and returned it 53 yards for the touchdown, giving Lincoln a 13-7 lead after trailing 7-0 entering the final period. The Tigers scored right before halftime, but a touchdown grab by Matthew Coston (Queens, N.Y./Dover HS) early in the fourth created a 7-7 tie. Foster's pick gave Lincoln the lead, but the Tigers rallied late and forced overtime with McCarthy's kick ending the day.

STERILE ANOTHER BIG DAY: has been named the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Linebacker of the Week for his performance against Saint Paul's College. Sterile also claimed the award on Oct. 3 versus Howard University, becoming the first Lincoln athlete to win a conference award two times in a season.
     The recognition is well deserved. The North Miami Beach High graduate had nine total tackles, eight of which were solo. Sterile's nine stops were actually third on the team, trailing backers Brandon McElwee (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester City Junior and Senior HS) (15) and Daron Jones (Baltimore, Md./Cardinal Gibbons HS) (11), but his productivity behind the line of scrimmage gave him the slight edge over his fellow Lions.
    He had two sacks and four tackles for losses combining for a mind-blowing -65 yards and forced a fumble. Late in the fourth quarter with the game tied at 13, he blocked the extra point, forcing the game to go into overtime. He also had a pass breakup, nearly recording his second-career interception.
    Sterile, meanwhile, continues to make a case to be Lincoln's first NCAA Division II All-American. He ranks 27th in the country in total tackles (83) and 25th in tackles for loss (14). For his career, he has 264 stops and has tied last year's career high with three sacks. He can surpass the program 97-stops he set as a freshman with 15 this weekend.

COSTON AMONG BEST IN CIAA: With the touchdown catch against Saint Paul's, a seven-yarder from Aaron Thomas (Oxford, Pa./Oxford Area HS), the sophomore now has six in 2010, ranking him fourth among wide outs. He is also fifth in the conference in receptions (38) and yards per game (64.6). He now has 10 touchdowns and 961 receiving yards in his career, so he should surpass the 1,000-yard mark in the season finale.

NONE SHALL PASS…OR RUN: Following another great defensive effort, the Lions' defense can be regarded as one of the best of the CIAA and Division II. After allowing just 26 passing yards last week, the Lions are tops in the conference in pass defense at 143.4 yards per game. That figure ranks sixth nationally. With 24 sacks, LU is ranked No. 28 in the nation and second in the CIAA. Lincoln is fifth in the country with 69 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

BACK UNDER CENTER: Sophomore quarterback Laquan Williams (Philadelphia, Pa./John Bartram HS) will be back after missing the last two weeks due to injury. Although the coaches expected him to be out the remainder of the season, a speedy recovery enables him to play against ECSU.  Although he will be limited, his return comes at a good time. In the three games this year (Howard, Virginia State and Saint Paul's) that he has missed, Lincoln combined for three offensive touchdowns. In 2010, the Philadelphia-native is 91-for-202 for 1,103 yards and nine touchdowns. He has also rushed for 260 yards.
Print Friendly Version