Gahanna Lincoln Lions
2014 record: 7-4 (6-1)
Fans of Gahanna Lincoln’s football team felt a wide array of emotions in 2014. From severe lows to start their season to riding high on a seven-game winning streak and all the way back down to back-to-back losses to Pickerington Central, the Lions had quite the season.
Lincoln kicked the 2014 season off with a tough out-of-conference match up against eventual State Runner-Up, Huber Heights Wayne. They then dropped a close contest throughout to nearby rival Westerville South.
The losing ended there however, as the Lions tore off seven consecutive victories, all against fellow Ohio Capital Conference teams. Included in those seven victories were impressive wins – 45-0 over Newark and 41-14 over Upper Arlington – and close fought battles – 10-0 over Grove City and 27-24 over Pickerington North.
The seven-game winning streak would come to an abrupt end however when Gahanna Lincoln hosted Pickerington Central.
Central, winners of nine straight, came to town holding opponents to under nine points per game. That would hold true in both of their eventual meetings as the Tigers jumped out to an early lead and knocked off the Lions in the regular season finale, 34-6.
After the loss, Gahanna Lincoln would learn of their playoff fate – a match up against Pickerington Central, this time in Tiger territory.
Unlike their first meeting however, the playoff match up would come down to the wire.
With not much offense from either side during a defensive struggle, it was Pickerington Central’s Noah Burk that found the end zone for the game’s lone points with 0:57 seconds remaining. Burk’s touchdown gave the Tigers a 7-0 victory over the Lions, thus ending their season on a sour note.
In 2015, Gahanna Lincoln returns several key players from a 7-4 season a year ago. Quarterback Mason Blancett anchors a backfield that will have to replace, now graduated Vasean Davis.
Blancett threw for 1,110 yards and nine touchdowns while he also rushed for 146 yards and two more scores.
Davis led all Lions with his 968 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in 2014 while rising senior Derek Marcum looks to fill the void left by Davis. Marcus ran the ball 80 times for 365 yards and two touchdowns in 2014.
Leading the receiving corps will be rising seniors Elijah Whiteside and Jacob Chobany. Whiteside finished the 2014 season with 19 receptions for 207 yards while Chobany hauled in 10 receptions for 90 yards. They will each have their turn at filling the role left by the graduation of Jenisys Battle who led the team in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and return yards.
On defense, the Lions return their leading tackler from 2014 in Jonathon Cooper. Cael Baker and Nathaniel Russell should anchor a Lions secondary that hauled in 11 interceptions a season ago.
With Blancett leading the offense and several other starters returning on both sides of the ball, the Lions will be itching to get back to the field this fall after the way their 2014 campaign ended.
While each of the nine games beforehand will be equally important to Head Coach Bruce Ward, you can bet he and his players will be eagerly anticipating their October 29th tilt against Pickerington Central.
Gahanna Lincoln kicks off their 2015 season at Westerville Central on Friday, August 28 at 7:30.
Digital Scout Times 