Mission Bay took an early lead and held on to hand Lincoln High their first defeat in the Hornets new state-of-the-art football stadium.
The Bucs bounced back from a Western League loss at Point Loma Sept. 28 to sting the Hornets 28-21 under the lights Friday, Oct. 5.
“Lincoln made some plays, but we were pretty much ready on defense,” said head coach Willie Matson. “We had some real pressure defensive play from guys like Isiah Forney ” he had an excellent game.”
Forney is a junior 6-foot, 3-inch 305-pound lineman.
Mission Bay quarterback Evan Taylor also delivered a huge personal performance on both sides of the ball to lead the Bucs to the win.
“We have come to expect a lot of Evan. We need his leadership out there on the field,” Matson continued. “He was really focused this week on offense and defense.”
Taylor connected with senior wide receiver Kevin Nash for a big gain on third down to put the Bucs within striking distance.
Running back Victor Johnson earned the last 18 yards for the Bucs’ first score. Johnson went on to fill in for the Bucs’ sidelined leading scorer, Dillon Baxter.
Johnson came back from an ankle injury to produce 144 yards of rushing offense.
“Victor had a spring in his step that hasn’t been there for a while. He carried the ball well for us this week,” Matson said.
Baxter was taken out of the game after making a huge hit for a TD-saving tackle on the last play of the first quarter.
“Dillon got a concussion, so the doctor (Dr. Ken Anderson of PB Urgent Care) recommended he sit it out and only have no-contact practice this week. But he will be back next Friday,” Matson said.
Lincoln scored in the first minute of the second quarter, but the extra point was blocked by Forney.
Midway through the second quarter, the Bucs mounted a nine-play drive capped with a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Taylor.
Before the first half was over, Mission Bay capitalized on a Lincoln turnover and added a another score. Taylor swept in over the right side for the 8-yard touchdown run.
Carlos Sanchez added another perfect PAT.
Buc linebacker Chandler Lieto came up with a Hornet fumble on the Mission Bay 13 to preserve a 21-6 lead at halftime.
Lincoln scored again in the third quarter with a strong performance from their quarterback to mirror the effort by Taylor. They added a 2-point conversion on a pass-play to bring them up to an even 14 points.
Linebackers Nash and Nick Croce also made big plays on defense to contain the Hornets’ quick offense.
Taylor added another 2-yard quarterback sneak at the end of the third quarter to complete the Bucs’ scoring. Taylor rushed for 111 yards and three touchdowns to spearhead the Mission Bay victory.
After the Hornets scored on the first play of the fourth quarter, the Bucs defense stepped it up. They forced two fumbles and blocked a punt to keep the Hornets’ offense off the field.
Finally, senior Willie Washington collected a fumble at 2:42 left in the game. The Bucs were able to run the clock out with more gutsy play, including a fourth-and-inches effort at midfield.
Mission Bay’s homecoming game against Serra High is Friday, Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. Each class will present a float at halftime, and the homecoming dance court will be crowned.
League play continues at La Jolla for a 7 p.m. game Oct. 19. The stiff rivalry between the Bucs and Vikings will be magnified, as that game will play a pivotal role in the Western League standings and playoff seeding.