Downey outlasts Lincoln in season opener

STOCKTON – High school football just isn’t the same without players, big plays, cheerleaders, a marching band and some controversy.

Lincoln and Modesto-Downey delivered all of this and more in their season opener in front of a packed Alex G. Spanos Stadium Friday as the visiting Knights rallied to edge the Trojans 42-35.

Once again one could see excited faces of players amped up to battle in the electric atmosphere of a full stadium.

Empty stands the past couple of years with just a few parents sprinkled throughout during COVID-19 precautions seemed like a long distant memory as the huge marching band belted out a full-throated “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” and other fan favorites all evening from the entire west end zone.

A not-so-distant memory saw the two squads battling in Modesto last season with the Knights (1-0) scoring on a safety on the first play of the game and then holding on for a 23-21 victory over the Trojans (0-1).

“It’s just another game,” said many Lincoln players and coaches prior to Friday’s tilt. Not one person said anything about revenge. None.

In fact, a few players had forgotten how Lincoln missed three field-goal attempts in the second quarter of that seesaw affair.

Déjà vu

And like last year, a team scored Friday on the very first play of the season, as Trojans senior Tyrone De Loney took the opening kickoff at his own six-yard line and followed blockers up the right side and all the way to paydirt for a thrilling 94-yard touchdown.

“I just had a lot of trust in my blockers,” said De Loney, who rushed eight times for 42 yards and reeled in four catches for 82 yards in the loss. “It looked really clogged up at first, but I just followed the same dude. I just hoped I (would get through) and then it freed up. My teammates did what they had to do. I just ran the ball.”

Special teams are a thing

Lincoln assistant coach Jackson Ameperosa, who guides much of the special teams, said one of his tasks is getting younger players to believe that that phase of the game is crucial in deciding outcomes.

“You try to ingrain (special teams) with the guys as far as the missing link,” Ameperosa said before the game. “Everyone thinks it’s just offense and defense that wins games. No, the special teams are the third part of the game that everyone seems to overlook. It’s field position and possession of the ball. It’s critical if you want to win the game. We’re just trying to play mistake-free.”

While Downey’s special teams bit the Knights early, Lincoln fell behind late and could not rally after giving away both an interception and a fumbled punt return in the game’s final minutes, just as Ameperosa had warned.

“We’re for sure going to learn to overcome tougher adversity,” De Loney said afterward. “We came into the second half really sluggish, and they got up on us. That’s what we’ve got to learn to get ready for. This is the preseason, but I think we’ll get it together.”

Hard Knocks

“Our players are young and sometimes the lights are too bright, and we lose focus,” coach Natello Howard said following the game. “Some were starting their first varsity game. There’s still a lot of growing pains. Sometimes you have to experience adversity to learn from it. Playing against Downey you’re playing against one of the best prepared teams in the section.

“You want to learn through victory,” Howard added. “I thought we might come through with a W, but sometimes defeat is the greatest teacher.”

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

One Lincoln administrator has high hopes for success this season, but said people have to remember the players are still young at heart and playful. He said people would be surprised to know how many kids love the cartoon character Sponge Bob Square Pants.

“If I’m going to be honest,” De Loney said, “a lot of us on the team have Sponge Bob backpacks. We like Sponge Bob. We’re a very athletic young growing team. The players love it and we rep’ (Sponge Bob).

“I’m more of a Regular Show-type guy but my favorite character from Sponge Bob has gotta’ be Patrick because he lives life so free and I like to live like that,” he added.

Now hiring officials

There was apparent rust, not just on players, but also on the officials in the first game of the season.

The effects of a growing officials shortage were evident with multiple extended referee huddles and penalty flags eventually being picked up throughout the more than three-hour battle. Officials also had to explain new high school rules, and strange calls, to heated coaches on both sidelines.

All that and several injuries to players all contributed to Friday’s kickoff coming up 3,600 seconds away from finishing early Saturday morning.

Contact Stockton Record Correspondent Scott Niendorf at sports@recordnet.com.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Lincoln loses 42-35 to Downey in season opener