Lincoln had been there before.

Backs against the wall. Physical game. Trailing in the second half.

And yet, there was no panic.

The Bulldogs and head coach Jerry Ricke knew what to do.

Trust.

That's exactly what Lincoln did on Saturday afternoon in Edmond.

Lincoln leaned on each other late, as the defense rose to the occasion — once again —saving the day to preserve the program's third straight Class 3A state title in a 24-21 win over Sulphur.

Senior linebacker Connor Rowlett picked off Sulphur's Kale Brakefield with 2:50 to go in the game and Lincoln never gave it back, ultimately hoisting the school's 5th state title since 2009 and 4th in the last seven years.

It was the second straight victory over Sulphur in the title game, after last year's similar classic, which saw Lincoln win 28-27.

Lincoln outlasted Sulphur down the stretch again, showing toughness and resiliency after trailing 21-14 late in the 3rd quarter.

"We knew that we were going to be in for a battle against a great Sulphur team," said Ricke. "We knew that their motivation was going to be very high after last year's game, and they played very motivated throughout the game."

"Our kids took a little time to adjust to their physicality, but I thought we were up to the challenge. I think that this particular game showed our toughness and resiliency in the face of adverse situations."

After Lincoln had to punt back to Sulphur with the 24-21 lead at the 3:00 mark of the 4th, all that stood in the way of a three-peat was one more stop.

Just like last year in the championship. Just like earlier this year against Shiloh in Arkansas.

And it came immediately.

Brakefield was pressured on the play's opening drive and was flushed from the pocket.

The Sulphur quarterback floated a pass over the middle, where Rowlett and his teammates were waiting.

The senior tracked it the whole way, diving to the turf and hanging on for the game sealing pick, getting the ball back to the offense.

Rowlett's first interception of the year came at just the right time, as Lincoln gained two first downs and kneeled it.

"I'm so happy and proud of Connor," Ricke said. "He has been the vocal leader of our defense all year. It is easy to take him for granted, with all of the guys around him, but he has been great all year. I think it is very fitting that he helped close out the game with that interception."

That was the story of the 4th quarter, as Ricke leaned on his defense after getting the lead.

After Sulphur's last score to take the lead 21-14, defensive coordinator Jeff Comfort and his bunch forced two 3-and-outs and the interception the rest of the way.  

"My confidence in our defensive coaches, schemes, and especially players was very high late in the game," Ricke said. "I thought we had them dialed in after their first drive of the 2nd half, and it showed in the stats."

"It made my decision-making on offense a little more conservative, especially after we got the lead. I've said this before, but this team plays better complementary football than probably any team we've had in the past. That was a huge key in winning yesterday."

Brakefield scored on a 1-yard TD run to put Sulphur up by seven with 7:13 to go.

Lincoln drove the length of the field on the ensuing drive but was turned away on downs, turning it back over to Sulphur at it's own half yard line.

After the huge goal line stand that happened in the same end zone where Lincoln turned Sulphur away a year ago, momentum quickly swung back to the defending champs.

Sophomore linebacker Isaac Beiesel and Rowlett burst into the backfield two plays later, swallowing up Sulphur star running back Maddax Mobly in the end zone for a safety to cut the lead to 21-16 with 4:05 to go.

But Lincoln wasn't done yet.

Lincoln went on a 9-play, 45 yard drive after the safety, thanks to some clutch passing by senior quarterback Carter Ricke.

Ricke completed three passes of 10+ yards on the drive for first downs, including a dart over the middle to a diving Hudson Farris, who landed just short of the end zone to set up the go ahead score.

Junior running back Braeden Baker plunged in from 1-yard out on the next play, putting Lincoln up three in the closing seconds of the 3rd quarter.

"I know our players really trust each other, they trust their coaches, and they trust their preparation," Ricke said. "They did not panic because they believed in each other and in our schemes. Playing Shiloh Christian earlier in the year really helped us in many of the situations we faced on Saturday."

Ricke was outstanding throughout the day, as the senior finished 18-of-23 for 217 yards and a touchdown — with no turnovers. He also rushed six times for 38 yards.

The senior finished his career 28-0 as a starter and made numerous timely throws, as Sulphur slowed the Lincoln running game throughout the day.

"I thought that Carter's leadership on both the field and the sideline was huge," his father said. "He was definitely the vocal leader of our team yesterday, and that showed in his play as well. He made some great decisions with his throws, especially on 3rd down."

"We work on our 3rd down situations every Wednesday, so Carter and all of our receivers know what plays we like in these situations. I thought Carter was in a real comfort zone with Hudson Farris and all of his receivers on Saturday."

Baker led Lincoln with 18 carries for 85 yards. Farris had six grabs for 68 yards — all very crucial — in his final game at Lincoln.

Kaste had three catches for 81 yards. Sophomore running back CJ Wright, who also had 108 important kick return yards, finished with five catches for 39 yards.

Beisel led the Bulldogs with 10 tackles, while Torres had nine and junior Parker Rogers had seven.

It was Lincoln's 12th straight playoff win, as the Bulldogs are 26-4 in the postseason since 2018.

Lincoln opened the game with a quick touchdown drive, jumping out to an early 7-0 lead.

After picking up two early first downs, Baker broke loose on a highlight reel run behind some great blocking to open the scoring.

The junior got to the edge, racing down the home sideline behind a pancake block from wideout Brayden McMullen.

Baker cut inside and followed big left tackle Lincoln Torres, who was more than 20 yards downfield finishing the block.

The all-purpose running back cruised back across the field into the end zone for the 52-yard touchdown with 8:38 to go in the opening quarter.

Lincoln's defense stood up to a long drive, holding Sulphur on downs on the its' first possession.

Sulphur worked it inside the Lincoln 15-yard line before Torres made a great play, chasing down Carter Cole two yards short of the line to gain on 4th and four.

But Sulphur eventually responded.

After forcing a 3-and-out from Lincoln, Sulphur did cash in on its' next possession, thanks to a big 33-yard run by Mobly to open the drive.

Brakefield bulldozed in from 1-yard away four plays later to even the score with 11:56 left in the half.

Lincoln tried a long field goal on the ensuing drive, but junior Cooper Housley's 52-yard attempt came up just short.

Sulphur answered with another scoring drive to take the lead after getting the ball back, thanks to the passing game.

Brakefield hit Bridge Barrett on a 40-yard deep ball to set up the later score, a 31-yard pass to Mobly to make it 13-7 with 4:24 to go in the 2nd quarter.

Lincoln was forced to punt again but wasn't finished yet, after Comfort's defense forced a 3-and-out of their own.

Lincoln had no timeouts and just 23 seconds left in the quarter when the offense got it back, needing some fast luck to make anything happen before the break.

Ricke connected with senior Ethan Uyetake for a short gain before spiking with three seconds left.

All that was left for Ricke to do was chuck it deep and hope.

Or was it?

Ricke took the snap, bought some time by rolling left and heaved it down the field.

A crowd of Sulphur and Lincoln players collectively leaped near the 5-yard line and all of a sudden, the ball popped up in the air.

And just as Lincoln had practiced so many times, junior Brett Kaste was standing all alone several yards behind, in perfect position to grab it off the deflection.

"We practice it every Thursday and I don't think our kids ever think we are going to run it but today we did," Ricke said. "We got a little lucky there but we'll take it."

Kaste nabbed it and danced into the end zone, as the Lincoln crowd and players erupted.

Lincoln suddenly had a 14-13 lead and all of the momentum at half.

Sulphur's drive to start the 3rd was 10-plays covering 80 yards to go ahead mid-3rd.

For the second straight year, the two teams played in a classic, as both year's games will be remembered for a long-time.

"I was very proud to see the mutual respect both teams have for each other before, during, and especially after the game. Coach Cole is a class act, and his team plays with great toughness, grit, and integrity," Ricke said. "I would be remiss if I didn't credit them for helping us elevate our game over the last few seasons."

It was the third straight perfect season for Lincoln, pushing the program's win streak to 42 in-a-row — now 5th best all-time in Oklahoma history.

Part of what makes the program so successful is not focusing on success but relishing in the moment and staying present.

But after three consecutive years of being perfect, it's hard to ignore how special the best stretch of football in the young program's storied history has been.

"We really don't pay attention to a lot of those things throughout the year. Now that we have finished and have time to reflect, I think we will all be blown away by what we have been able to accomplish," Ricke said.

"Of course, I think that the most important part of this journey is the opportunity we have to make our players better men, and especially better followers of Christ. I told them that winning a gold ball should never define them. Their relationship with Jesus is the true definition of the men they are becoming."



Photos by Lee Talley