In what looked like deja vu from last December, No. 1 Lincoln found itself down to Heritage Hall at halftime once again.

And just like in the Class 3A state title game last season, the Bulldogs found another gear coming out of the locker room, wearing down the No. 2 Chargers to score 21 unanswered points in a 28-20 road win.

Lincoln (2-0) outlasted Heritage Hall late in the game, as the Bulldogs took the game over defensively and found a great balance on offense to come from behind.

"I think it always comes back to culture," said Lincoln head coach Jerry Ricke. "The belief in ourselves and our conditioning helped us wear them down in the 2nd half."

Lincoln ran 18 times for 108 yards in the 2nd half, while junior quarterback Carter Ricke completed some big time passes to set up the three 2nd half touchdowns.

The Bulldogs overcame a rough start that included six first half penalties for 60 yards and two turnovers, allowing Heritage Hall to lead 20-7 at half.

Ricke and his coaching staff refocused the Bulldogs in the locker room, addressing the slow start and giving his group confidence that it could be fixed.

"We talked about how most of the mistakes were self-inflicted and how we needed to clean things up in the second half," he said.

"We kept putting ourselves behind the chains on offense and our defense and played well, besides a few plays. Unfortunately, those plays all resulted in them scoring 20 points in the 1st half."

Lincoln went on a 6-play, 80-yard drive right out of halftime, scoring in just 2:35.

Ricke hit senior wideout Kylan Schultheis on a deep ball across the middle of the field. The 43-yard throw and catch made the score 20-14 with 9:25 to go in the 3rd.

On the ensuing possession, as Heritage Hall had moved into Lincoln territory at the Bulldogs' 40, another senior made a big play.

Linebacker Mason Torres stepped in front of a pass by Heritage Hall quarterback Conner Quintero, as his 2nd pick in as many games gave the Bulldogs the ball back at the Lincoln 32.

"Obviously, the pressure we generated by our defensive line and the leadership from Mason Torres on defense and Kylan Schultheis on offense helped out as well," Ricke said.

After the teams traded punts, Lincoln got the ball back and march down the field on the go-ahead drive.

Ricke found senior back Dawson Fullingim in the flat for 15 yards to move inside the Heritage Hall 40, followed by an even bigger gain two plays later.

Ricke connected with sophomore back Rain Ragland on a beautifully designed play down the Lincoln sideline for a 22-yard gain to set the Bulldogs up at the Chargers' 15.

Fullingim took the handoff on the next play and shedded several defenders, barreling over the final one as he crossed into the end zone.

Lincoln led 21-20 with 2:52 left in the 3rd.

"Offensively, we just needed to stay ahead of the chains, and put ourselves in manageable down and distances," Ricke said. "We used a few more RPOs that helped balance the run game out."

The Bulldogs had regained momentum and were dug in on defense, as they forced four punts in the 2nd half.

"Coach Comfort and his defensive coaches had a great plan for the 2nd half," Ricke said. "We tackled better and were able to identify who they were targeting better."

Lincoln would go on one more drive to extend the lead, as the Bulldogs used a short field after backing Heritage Hall up deep inside their own territory.

The Bulldogs went 25 yards in just three plays, cashing in on Fullingim's 2nd touchdown of the night, as the senior dove over the Lincoln offensive line and into the end zone. 

The score gave Lincoln a 28-20 lead with 6:24 to go in the game.

Ricke and his offense continued to lean on Heritage Hall and wear down the Chargers' defense, moving the ball and working the clock as the Bulldogs took control.

"It's what we preach every day," Ricke said. "It is why we have a power running game. Sometimes those things don't pay off right away, but they do in the end. I really believe that was the case tonight as well."

After the teams traded punts again, Heritage Hall would have one more chance to tie the game up.

The second sack of the night by Ragland, and another by fellow sophomore Lincoln Torres, helped get the Chargers behind the chains before a familiar face stepped in to make another big play.

Mason Torres jumped in front of a Quintero pass for the second time on the night, picking off the quarterback on 4th and 10 to seal the game for the Bulldogs.

"We caused so many negative plays and were able to get pressure with a 3-man front," said Ricke. "That helped us play coverage with 8 and limit any big plays."

The Bulldogs limited Heritage Hall to just 112 yards in the second half, forcing four punts and two turnovers and keeping the Chargers off the scoreboard.

Meanwhile, the offense found its rhythm, gaining 235 yards after the break and taking control of the line of scrimmage.

"Our coaching staff definitely was not panicking and I think that bled down into our players," Ricke said. "Our kids know that our conditioning will pay off in the second half so that helped as well."

Carter Ricke was 14-of-21 for 205 passing, while Schultheis led the Bulldogs with six grabs for 97 yards and a score.

Fullimgim had 15 carries for 66 yards, while sophomore Braeden Baker carried 10 times for 55 yards.

The first few minutes of the game saw plenty of action, as Heritage Hall almost turned it over on the opening kickoff.

The Chargers tried a throwback on the return, chucking the ball all the way back across the field, only to be hit and almost intercepted by Lincoln junior coverage man Hudson Farris.

Heritage Hall tried a fake punt several plays later but were corralled short, giving Lincoln the ball at the Chargers' 22.

But Ricke was picked off in the end zone just two plays later by Charger defensive back Jerrod Williams.

Two plays later, Quintero hit Williams on the home sideline for a 99-yard touchdown to open the scoring with 8:15 left in the 1st.

After a turnover on the following possession, Lincoln defensive back Brett Kaste made a great play on an interception to get the ball back.

But Lincoln couldn't cash in, and later in the quarter, Quintero found Williams again.

The two connected on a 38-yard touchdown with 1:12 to go in the 1st to make it 14-0.

But Lincoln would respond with an 11-play, 71-yard drive to cut the lead in half.

Ricke connected for a 24-yard pitch and catch with receiver Conner Rowlett on 3rd down to keep the drive alive, followed later by a 26-yard play from the quarterback to Schultheis to move the ball inside the Chargers' five.

Two plays later, senior quarterback Titan Price ran it in from three yards away to make it 14-7 with 9:10 to go in the half.

Heritage Hall scored on the final play of the 1st half as time expired, when Quintero found Charger running back Barrett Travis on a 5-yard pitch and catch, making it 20-7 at halftime.

"One thing I love about this team is that there was no finger-pointing," Ricke said. "They accepted their mistakes and were motivated to clean things up in the second half.

Ricke was proud but not surprised at how his team responded, handling adversity in such a big matchup and wearing down the opponent in the 2nd half.

"That is a staple of Lincoln football — grit, toughness, and resiliency," he said. "We train this in our summer pride program and how we practice. We obviously prefer to stay away from those mistakes, but our guys are trained to move on and play the next play. I'm proud of the way we handled that."

The Bulldogs now have a 16-game win streak and will look to keep it going on Friday, when Lincoln hosts Shiloh Christian, one of the perennial top teams in Arkansas.

It will be the home-opener for Lincoln at Willie George Field/Dennis Bryd Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.