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Lincoln Park and host Southgate Anderson clashed Friday night in a two-team clash in search of their first win of the season.
The visiting Railsplitters struck early in the first quarter in what was an intense battle between two hungry programs. From that point on, the Titans held Lincoln Park on the sidelines and ultimately claimed a 13-6 victory in front of a large Homecoming crowd.
With the win, Anderson improved to 1-6 overall and 1-5 in the Downriver League.
Down seven, the Rails (0-7, 0-7 DRL) sank deep into Anderson’s territory inside the dying minute of the fourth quarter. The Titans’ defense held their ground at that point and kept the visitors from scoring.
“The thing with these kids is that they keep fighting and the kids that we have here are giving their all in training,” said Anderson coach Mitch Dobek. “We kept telling them to overcome and overcome and they did. They fought to the end and made a few plays and I’m proud of them.
Both teams have several young players on the roster, as the Titans have 23 freshmen and sophomores and Lincoln Park has a total of 14 ninth and tenth graders.
The Rails scored just three minutes into the game when quarterback Jon Jackson hit Esterlin Reyes with a 38-yard touchdown pass. PAT failed and the team led 6-0.
About a minute later, Lincoln Park got the ball back near the midfield thanks to an interception from Andy Reyes but couldn’t turn it into more points.
At the start of the second quarter, a big run from Anthony Curry took the Rails to Anderson’s 30-yard line. This time around, the Titans’ Bradley Berner managed a pass and ended the threat.
Frank Wladyslawski – MediaNews Group
Anthony Curry (24) of Lincoln Park fights defenders while carrying the ball Friday night at Southgate Anderson. The Railsplitters gave the host Titans a battle the entire way, but ultimately fell by a score of 13-6. (Frank Wladyslawski – MediaNews Group)
Just early in the second half, Anderson quarterback Chase Barbosa hooked up with Colin Thomas on a play that put the Titans on the Lincoln Park 13-yard line.
Barbosa called his own number and found the end zone on a run from the 8-yard line with exactly 8:11 remaining in the third quarter. Barbosa also scored the extra point and the home side took a 7-6 lead.
About three minutes later, Anderson’s Andrew Porter blocked a punt, but the offense was unable to take advantage of the opportunity.
With just two minutes into the final quarter, Brennan Emans took over from Barbosa and ran for a touchdown. A 2-point conversion attempt failed and the Southgate group led 13-6.
After both teams returned the ball on the downs, Lincoln Park made a valiant effort to score in the final three minutes of the game.
A Marcus Brock catch, with 2:30 to go, put the Rails in midfield. Andy Reyes caught a pass that moved the Orange and Blue to the Anderson 28, then Jackson took off on a quarterback keeper to the 18-yard line.
With 34 seconds remaining, Aiden Hinton caught a pass from Jackson along the left sideline near the 10-yard line. The junior had some leeway in front of him and ran towards the end zone. However, officials ruled he had one foot out of bounds when he caught the ball.
The Titans’ defense was otherwise solid in that final minute, putting a lot of pressure on Jackson, and ultimately forcing another turnover on the downs.
Anderson’s offense lined up in a winning lineup for another game and the team went on to celebrate a win with home fans.
Anderson has a tough road ahead, as he will visit first place at Woodhaven next Friday and then close the year with a second place game at Allen Park.
Lincoln Park will host Taylor High in Week 8 and then close the 2021 campaign with a non-league game at Melvindale.
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