In another matchup of Class 3A powerhouses, No. 1 Lincoln Christian simply did what they had done three times before across the last two seasons vs. No. 3 Heritage Hall.

Lincoln pulled away in the 2nd quarter and leaned on the Chargers (1-1) in the second half to the tune of 321 rushing yards in Friday night's 35-6 win at Dennis Byrd Stadium and Willie George Field.

The Bulldogs (2-0) scored two late 2nd quarter touchdowns to lead 21-6 at half before two more scores after the break to cruise to program's 7th straight victory in the series.

"Our guys love playing in these games," said Lincoln head coach Jerry Ricke. "It was a home game, we had our homecoming, and we had a great opponent. I think they relished the opportunity and made the most of it. I thought our guys had their body and minds ready to go into what we knew would be a four quarter battle."

Lincoln's dynamic duo at running back was on full display, as sophomore CJ Wright and junior Braeden Baker combined for 286 rushing yards and four scores to lead a dominant Bulldog offense. 

"Both of our running backs played exceptionally well," Ricke said. "I thought they both had tough and gritty runs, and they were both able to bust off long runs. Their styles compliment each other so well and they are both so unselfish."

Wright had 14 carries for 184 yards and a touchdown, while Baker totaled 102 yards on 16 carries and three scores in the win.

Lincoln ran for 321 yards as a team, averaging 9.2 yards per carry, behind an offensive line that was in quite a rhythm on Friday night.

The offensive line, tight ends, and fullbacks did a great job of wearing their box down and opening up some great running lanes. I'm proud of how they played."

The Bulldogs won their 30th straight game and 53rd home game in-a-row behind a tremendous performance defensively, as well.

Lincoln flexed its muscles again, holding down an explosive offense that scored 30 points in week 0 to just 204 total yards and one score.

The Bulldogs had five sacks in the game, along with 10 tackles for loss, putting pressure on Heritage Hall quarterback Hudson Ferris seemingly all night

The Chargers were just 5-of-14 on 3rd down and 0-of-3 on 4th down. 

"I thought the defensive front was a big factor in the game," said Ricke. "They are all relentless in their attacks and they feed off of each other. Coach (Zach) Fullingim always has those guys ready to play. I think that we covered really well in the back end and made their quarterback hold the ball longer than he wanted."

The defense stood up early after senior quarterback Carter Ricke fumbled late in the 1st quarter, giving the ball back to the Chargers in plus territory at the 43.

But Lincoln forced its second turnover on downs in the quarter to get the ball back to the offense just four plays later at the Bulldogs 39.

Wright immediately flipped the field with a 24-yard scamper down the visiting sideline, which was followed by a 10-yard run from Baker.

Wright ran for 26 yards before being knocked out at the 1-yard line, where Baker punched it on the following play to put Lincoln up 7-0 with 2:56 to go in the 1st.

After a quick punt from Heritage Hall, the Bulldogs were driving, inside the Charger 30, but faced 4th and 11.

Ricke found junior receiver Brett Kaste over the middle for a completion, but when Kaste fell to the ground, the ball popped up in the air, allowing a Charger defender to catch it and return it back to his own 30-yard line.

The Chargers would answer with a 9-play, 70-yard drive in the 2nd quarter, as Farris found receiver Porter England for a 23-yard score, making it 7-6 with 7:20 to go in the half."

"I think when you play a game of this magnitude early in the season, you are going to have some mistakes and penalties," said Ricke. "I thought our guys had a great 'play the next play' mentality, and it showed."

But the Bulldogs would respond.

Lincoln went 61 yards in just seven plays with a heavy dose of the run game, as the offense overcame several crucial penalties along the drive.

Wright capped the drive off with an impressive 17-yard touchdown run, plowing through defenders and dragging a tackler into the end zone, making it 14-6 with 3:19 left in the half.

"We were able to overcome a few penalties on our 2nd scoring drive and put the ball in the end zone. Our kids' resiliency shows up in drives like that," Ricke said.

The Bulldogs weren't done yet, either.

The defense forced a quick, short punt, getting the ball back to the offense with just 1:43 to go.

That's all Lincoln would need, as Ricke used the passing game to stretch the lead to two scores.

The senior found Baker down the home sideline on a screen play for 15 yards before connecting with his backfield mate on the ensuing play.

Wright hesitated in the flat, then streaked across the middle of the field, as Ricke zipped a perfect ball to the sophomore who caught it and did the rest, breaking another tackle before coasting into the end zone.

The score made it 21-6 with 45 seconds left in the half behind a raucous home crowd.

"We love playing at home, in front of a big crowd," Ricke said. "I can't say enough about our student section and how rowdy they were. The help make the game exciting and fun for our guys."

Lincoln got inside the Heritage Hall 10-yard line to start the second half but failed on 4th down.

The defense picked up, however, stuffing the Chargers on 4th down just four plays later at inside the Heritage Hall 20, setting Lincoln up beautifully to extend the margin.

Baker ran five times and plunged in on 4th and goal from the 1-yard line shortly after, making it 28-6 with 3:24 to go in the 3rd.

Lincoln's final act of the night came from Kaste, as the junior picked off Ferris with 9:04 in the 4th, high-pointing the football and getting one foot in bounds right in front of the Bulldogs sideline.

He stayed on the field for the first play of the ensuing drive, as Ricke found him wide open on the far sideline for another big play.

Kaste ran after the catch for a 40-yard gain to set Lincoln up inside the Chargers' 20.

Two plays later, Baker found the end zone for the third time, weaving in-and-out of blocks with patience on a 13-yard TD run with 7:44 to go.

It was the Bulldogs 28th straight regular season win.

"I think there is a confidence that comes with knowing that you've worked so hard and prepared well all week," Ricke said. "I think the staff trusts all of our guys, knowing that they have prepared physically and mentally. There is also a humility and appreciation our guys have getting to do this."

Ricke was 7-of-13 for 73 yards passing, while adding two carries for 19 yards on the ground.

Sophomore linebacker Isaac Beiesel was the Bulldogs' leading tackler, finishing with 10 stops and a half sack.

Junior defensive lineman Lincoln Torres had six tackles and two sacks, as he led a dominant defensive line performance.

Senior linebacker Connor Rowlett had six tackles and a sack, while junior defensive lineman Colt Monsey also had six stops.

Heritage Hall averaged just 3.8 yards per rush and 3.8 yards per play, while Lincoln averaged 8.2 yards per play.

The Bulldogs will take their win-streak on the road to rival Shiloh Christian on Friday, who is a highly-ranked and perennial state title contender in Class 6A in Arkansas.

"We celebrate these on Friday evening and Saturday morning and then we get back to work on Shiloh Saturday afternoon," Ricke said. "We will have to have a great week of preparation to play a very good Shiloh Christian team."

Photos by Lee Talley