Lincoln will hit the road again tonight, but the Bulldogs won't have to travel far, as the top-ranked team in Class 2A-1 heads across town to face Victory Christian in a district matchup.

Lincoln (3-1) got a big win in last week's district opener, coming from behind to beat No. 6 Sequoyah Tahlequah in a 35-21 win.

The Bulldogs trailed 14-0 in the 2nd quarter before scoring 35 straight points behind an opportunistic defense and an offense that found its groove.

"I think anytime you come back from 14 points down and score 35 unanswered, you can look at what you did to go on that run," said Lincoln head coach Jerry Ricke "We hope to continue to execute and make winning football plays that help you change momentum. I'd like to see us start that earlier."

The Bulldogs, who have won 51 straight district games and nine straight district titles, rebounded from the program's first loss since 2022 the week prior.

Lincoln has won 45 of the last 46 games overall, as well as 39 of the last 40 regular season games.

But the Bulldogs know they still have work to get done, as starting faster, along with cleaning up some mistakes are top priority as the calendar turns to October.

"Our guys were ready to get back to work on Monday," said Ricke. "They know we have a lot to clean up in many different areas. Monday was one of our better practices this fall. I was encouraged by everyone's attitude of avoiding complacency and continuing to grow."

Lincoln will take on a Victory team that is 3-1 after a win over Roland last week.

After a 2-8 season a year ago, the Conquerors are improved under second year head coach RJ Wakley.

"They are playing good football right now," said Ricke. "They had a big comeback against Roland last Friday night, and so I think that they will come into our game with a lot of confidence. Their running back, Bartmann, is playing really well right now and I like how their QB operates the offense."

It will be just the 4th meeting all time between the two Tulsa area programs, as Lincoln has won all three previous matchups.

The Bulldogs won 63-0 last year in the season opener and started the 2024 season with a 56-0 win at Victory.

The first matchup came in 2013, as Lincoln won an exciting playoff game 27-26.

The Bulldogs last district loss came 2,922 days ago — all the way back in 2018.

Lincoln has also won 19 straight road games and is 38-2 on the road since the start of the 2018 season.

Lincoln is 77-2 in the regular season since Sept. 2018.

The Bulldogs have a 95-5 record in the program's last 100 games and Lincoln is 106-7 since the beginning of the 2018 season.

No. 1 Lincoln Christian @ Victory Christian

Friday, Oct. 2  — 7 p.m.

Regent Bank Field at Victory Stadium — Tulsa, OK

4th meeting in all-time series — Lincoln leads 3-0

WATCH HERE

OFFENSIVE PREVIEW

Lincoln continued to lean on its playmakers last week in the win over Sequoyah, as the offense was balanced once again.

The Bulldogs had almost 400 total yards behind another solid outing from sophomore quarterback Major Brooks.

Brooks was 21-of-29 for 221 yards and two touchdowns in the win..

"I'm really proud of the way Major has handled stepping into that role," said Ricke. "A lot has been asked of him and he has been up to the challenge."

On the season, Brooks has completed 68% of passes for 811 yards and six touchdowns to just three picks.

He has rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Brooks spread the ball around last week to his top two targets, junior receiver Caleb Peterson and sophomore wideout Kade Wilson.

Peterson had six grabs for 75 yards, while Wilson had his best game of the young season, hauling in seven passes for 64 yards and a TD.

"Kade and Caleb have been two very productive receivers for us," said Ricke.

Peterson lead the team with 26 catches for 366 yards and four touchdowns on the year, while Wilson has 16 grabs for 201 yards.

Lincon's top back, sophomore Max Madrid, had his best game since the season opener against Jones.

Madrid had 13 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown, as Lincoln got its run game going in the win.

"Max is getting better and better each week," said Ricke.

Madrid has 317 yards and three touchdowns on 4.5 yards per carry through four games. He also has six catches for 66 yards as an option in the passing game.

Senior tight end Colt Monsey has also been productive for the Bulldogs with six catches for 115 yards.

Junior receiver Cayden Mathruin is also coming off his best game of the year in the win over Sequoyah, as he caught four passes for 43 yards and a touchdown.

The Bulldogs average 362 yards per game and 6.4 yards per play. 

Lincoln is amassing 19 first downs per game and averaging eight explosive plays per game (20+ yards or more).

Victory is allowing just 18 points per game on defense and is led by several retiring starters.

Senior defensive end Tyler Wilson (6-foot-3, 230 lbs.), senior linebacker Eli Dyer (6-foot, 190) and sophomore linebacker Gabe Wilson (5-foot-11, 210) are the top players for the Victory defense.

Gabe Wilson leads the team with 56 tackles and 10 tackles for loss through four games. He also has three sacks and a forced fumble.

Dyer has 33 tackles and five tackles for loss, along with a sack and an interception.

Tyler Wilson has six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks through fourr games.

Ricke wants the Bulldogs to get started right out of the gate and carry over the momentum from the last three quarters against this Victory defense.

"We'd like to start a little faster than we have been, especially offensively," said Ricke. "We want to get that running game going and allow us some more manageable downs and distances."

DEFENSIVE PREVIEW

The Bulldog defense rose to the occasion once again last week in the win over Sequoyah, holding the Indians scoreless from the 10:00 mark in the 2nd quarter until the final couple of minutes.

Lincoln also forced three more turnovers, bringing the total to nine in just four games.

That will need to continue this week against Victory.

"Defensively, I love the way we are turning people over, but would like to see us tackle better," said Ricke.

Lincoln is led by junior linebacker Isaac Beisel, who has a team-high 31 tackles and two tackles for loss.

Fellow linebacker and senior Parker Rogers has 26 tackles for Lincoln, as well as a forced fumble and two tackles for loss.

But the key for the Bulldogs defensively has been the dominant duo up front in seniors Rain Ragland and Colt Monsey.

Ragland has just 12 tackles, but a fumble recovery and a sack, while Monsey has 14 tackles and a team-high six tackles for loss and a team-leading four sacks.

"Rain has been our most consistent guy," said Ricke. "He doesn't get a ton of stats, but he just eats up a lot of blocks, allowing Parker Rogers and Isaac Beisel to run free."

Junior Nate Uyetake has also been big-time for Lincoln up front, as he has 14 tackles, a forced fumble and a sack.

The Bulldogs have also gotten some big play from the secondary, led by Peterson, Mahturin and senior Eli Summerlin.

"Those three have all had some big interceptions in key moments for us, as well," said Ricke.

Peterson has 22 tackles and a team-high six pass break ups, as well as two interceptions (one for a pick six last week).

Mathruin has a team-high three picks along with eight tackles, while Summerlin had an interception last week and has 18 tackles on the year.

Madrid and junior safety Maverick Rea have also been key for the Bulldogs, as Madrid has 18 tackles and three tackles for loss, while Rea has 17 stops, a pick and five pass break ups.

Junior linebacker Braxton McGinnis, who came to Lincoln from Victory, has been excellent for the Bulldogs on defense.

McGinnis has 20 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his first four games as a Bulldog.

The Bulldogs allow 5.4 yards per play and surrender just 187 passing yards on 31 attempts per game.

Victory is led offensively by junior quarterback Branden Flowers, who is completing 59% of passes for 713 yards and nine touchdowns to just one pick through four games.

Bartmann is the leading rusher with 216 yards and two touchdowns on 4.7 yards per rush.

He also has seven catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns receiving.

Flowers top two targets are junior Maceo Miller, who has eight grabs for 129 yards and a touchdown, as well as sophomore Brennan Travis, who has 10 catches for 208 yards and two scores.

Victory averages just 269 yards of offense per game, but averages 7.2 yards per play. The Conquerors average just 37 plays ran per game.



Photos by Lee Talley