No. 1 Lincoln will be on the road Thursday for another district 3A-3 contest, as the Bulldogs will face Muldrow and look to stay undefeated.

The Bulldogs (7-0, 3-0) have won 20 straight games dating back to the start of last year, as well as 39 straight district games, dating back to 2018.

Lincoln took care of Locust Grove at home last Friday, running away in a 63-20 win.

The Bulldogs also won 55-0 at Holland Hall and 49-7 over Stigler at home in district play.

Muldrow (4-2, 1-2) has lost two straight, as the Bulldogs fell at Idabel 47-27 last Friday and lost at home to Checotah 48-45 in a nail biter the week prior.

They did, however, open the season with four straight wins.

Muldrow beat Roland at home 53-20 in the season opener, followed by a 28-14 road win at Waldron (Ark.) in week two.

The Bulldogs won back-to-back road games, beating Spiro 36-7 in the final non-district game and winning at Eufaula 42-41 in another close game to open up 3A-3 play.

Lincoln opened the season by beating Victory Christian 56-0 on the road. The Bulldogs followed that up with a big road win at No. 2 Heritage Hall, coming from down double-digits at half to beat the Chargers 28-20.

Lincoln won its home opener a week later, beating No. 2 Shiloh Christian (Ark.) 38-14 in dominating fashion.

Lincoln has won all four matchups in the series between the two schools. The Bulldogs won 63-13 last season and 49-7 in 2022, the first two district matchups between programs.

The previous two matchups were first round playoff games in 2016 and 2017. Lincoln won 56-15 in 2016 and narrowly edged out Muldrow 24-21 in 2017.

Kickoff on Thursday in Muldrow is at 7 p.m.

OFFENSIVE PREVIEW

Lincoln continues to impress with each passing week on offense, as last week was no different. 

The Bulldogs gained 665 yards offensively on just 51 plays in last week's win over Locust Grove.

Junior quarterback Carter Ricke had his best game as a starter, going 18-of-23 for 419 yards and five scores.

The signal-caller continues to get more comfortable each week, leading a balanced offensive attack that becomes more potent as the season progresses.

"His confidence and understanding is improving each week," said Lincoln head coach Jerry Ricke. "He is really focusing on accuracy and ball placement in practice and it's carrying over to games."

Ricke has passed for over 900 yards at an 80% clip to go along with 14 touchdowns over the last three games. He's completed 75% of passes for 1,420 yards and 19 touchdowns to just four interceptions in six games this season.

Ricke's top target continues to be senior Kylan Schultheis, who had another big game against Locust Grove.

Schultheis had eight catches for 185 yards and two scores. The senior has caught a touchdown in each game this year. He has 26 catches for 521 yards and seven touchdowns on the year.

It was another breakout game for freshman CJ Wright, as the youngster totaled 232 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 touches. He's leading the team with 411 rushing yards, averaging 12.5 yards per carry in 2024. He's scored three rushing touchdowns and has 212 yards and three scores as a receiver.

Senior tight end Luke McCants caught a 45-yard touchdown last week and has been a crucial part to Lincoln's success offensively.

"He does a great job for us on offense and defense," said Ricke. "He is a really hard worker that plays physical on both sides of the ball and is a leader for us. He is a smart player that we rely on."

Senior Dawson Fullingim scored his team-leading 6th rushing touchdown of the year, carrying just three times for 41 yards in the win.

Fullimgim has carried 35 times for 256 yards on the year, while also adding six catches for 127 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver.

"He has been really good on both sides for us this year," said Ricke. "He is crucial for us in short yardage situations and as a blocker. He is a really selfless player and is a leader for our team."

The offensive line continues to improve each week, as the group racked up 246 yards on just 28 carries last Friday.

Lincoln ran for 354 yards and 9.3 yards per carry in the prior week's win at Holland Hall.

One of the leader's of that group is senior Zachary Bastian, who has helped the Bulldogs to 1,425 yards and 7.3 yards per rush through six games.

"He is the leader of our offensive line," said Ricke. "He's started for us for two years and has a lot of experience. That group continues to get better each week and is playing really solid football for us right now."

Muldrow is led by senior outside linebacker Jacob Gregory and junior safety Teaguen Collins. The Bulldogs allow 29.5 points per game but have given up 37.7 per contest in the last three weeks.

Lincoln is averaging 484 yards per game and 47.8 points per game in 2024.

DEFENSIVE PREVIEW

The Lincoln defense continues to play at a very high level, as the Bulldogs starting unit has not allowed a single point in district play.

The Bulldogs are allowing just 10 points per game on the year, thanks to strong play from all levels of the defense.

Lincoln allowed just 127 yards in the opening half against Locust Grove last Friday, when the Bulldogs jumped out to a 42-0 lead.

Lincoln held the Pirates to just eight yards rushing, a week after the Bulldogs allowed just 70 yards total in the win over Holland Hall.

Senior linebackers Mason Torres and Creed Nail have been outstanding for Lincoln on defense this year and that was no different on Friday night, as the two combined to lead the way with five tackles for the Bulldogs.

Torres also had an interception, a sack and a pass break up, while Nail recorded two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and had a fumbler recovery.

Torres leads the Bulldogs with 47 tackles (25 solo) and five interceptions on the year. He also has two sacks and a forced fumble.

Nail is second on the team in tackles behind Torres with 32. He is tied with Fullingim for the team lead in tackles for loss with five. Nail also has an interception, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.

Sophomore safety Brett Kaste and senior linebacker Micah Kruse each had a fumble recovery in the win over Locust Grove, as well.

Muldrow is led offensively by Collins, as he will be the focal point of Lincoln's defense on Thursday.

Collins is 56-of-92 (61%) for 825 yards and nine scores passing, to go along with four interceptions.

The junior is even more dangerous on the ground, as he's ran for 748 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 7.7 yards per attempt.

"He is a smooth player that has a ton of speed and agility," Ricke said. "He has the ability to make some explosive plays for them offensively."

His top rushing mate is junior DeShawn Wilson, who has 455 yards and eight scores in six games, running for 7.6 yards per carry.

Collins top target in the pass game is junior receiver Jermauree Palmer, who has 25 catches for 293 yards and two touchdowns on the year.

Muldrow is led up front on the offensive line by senior guard Mark Gleason (6-foot-3, 315).

The Bulldogs will lean on the run game, as they average 31 attempts per game. Muldrow has been very successful and efficient in the run game, as well, running for 1,385 yards and 19 touchdowns in six games, averaging 7.4 yards per rush as a team.

"They are an athletic team that has been successful running the football," Ricke said.

In last week's loss at Idabel, Muldrow threw for just 46 yards on nine attempts through the air. The Bulldogs did run for 215 yards as a team.

Muldrow has ran for 200 yards or more in every game but one this season and averages 368 yards per game on the year. The Bulldogs average 38.5 points per contest.