Last Friday was Homecoming night in Lincolnton, and since 1972 that game has ended in a Lincoln County victory.
The 34-6 win over Warren County was also the 42nd consecutive victory over the Screaming Devils. That is the longest streak of wins in a school rivalry series in Georgia history.
Javon Reid led the rushing attack with eleven carries for 105 yards and a 22-yard touchdown. Jamal Norman carried 15 times for 94 yards and one score. Quay Hartfield ran a dozen times for 80 yards.
Reid completed only two passes of four attempted, but both went for touchdowns to Tydarius Elam. Elam also had a 28-yard touchdown run. Lincoln County totaled nearly 400 yards of offense to only 133 for the visitors.
Elam returned the opening kickoff 25 yards to the LC 35. Reid ran for 22 and Norman twelve to the WC 20. Three downs managed zero yards, and the Devils were faced with 4th-&-10 at the 20. Two defenders were unable to keep Elam from catching Reid's 20-yard pass in the end zone. William LeRoy's PAT kick gave the Red Devils a 7-0 lead with 8:33 left in the first quarter.
The Screaming Devils marched down the field, earning three first downs before the Devil Defense stopped the drive at the LC 32.
Hartfield did much of the work on the next LC drive, starting at his 15. Five runs gained 49 yards, with six added by Reid. Norman gained five yards on three runs before a penalty cost five. Reid then cruised up the middle for 22 yards and a LCRD TD with 10:53 left before half. LeRoy booted the pigskin to make the score 14-0.
Warren County returned the following kickoff to its 45. On third down the Screamers fumbled with senior defense leader Keyshawn Martin recovering at the WC 48. Three plays later Norman broke loose from a group of tacklers for 37 yards and another touchdown. The PAT kick gave the Red Devils a 21-0 lead with 8:08 left before the 2016 Homecoming Queen would be crowned.
Xavier Gartrell broke up a pass to force another Warren punt. LCHS started from its 22. Norman gained 13 before Reid cruised again, this time for 26 yards to the WC 28. Elam then took the handoff, sprinted to the right before shooting straight to the end zone untouched. The kick was blocked, but the hometown Devils led 27-0 with 4:35 left in the half.
Warren County gained two first downs on its next drive before the Devil Defense again stopped the blue Devils. A short punt put the Devils at their 37 with 1:18 left in the half.
Elam got behind the Warren defenders, caught the Reid pass, and then outran the defenders to paydirt. LeRoy's kick gave the Devils a 34-0 half-time lead. Lincoln County had scored touchdowns on all five of its first half possessions.
After a Warren punt, the Devils were threatening again on their first possession of the second half before an interception at the Warren 35 was returned to the LC 34. Good plays led by Travon Leverett and Antonio Williams pushed the visitors back to their 38.
Warren punted, with LC driving to the Warren 36 before a bad snap led to a partial punt block. From Warren's 42, the Screamers netted one yard on three plays and punted early in the fourth quarter. The game was now under the GHSA "mercy" rules with a running clock.
Lincoln punted back to Warren with 7:17 left. Warren started from its 35 and rushed for four first downs on ten plays. The visitors scored on a 3-yard run as time ran out. The extra point was not attempted, leaving the final score 34-6.
The Red Devils improved to 5-1-1. The fifth win essentially insures the Devils will not have a losing season for the 44th straight fall. Lincoln County's last losing season was a 3-7 mark in 1972.
This Friday, the Devils will travel to Greensboro to play the Greene County Tigers for the first time since 2009. Kickoff is at 7:30.
The Tigers moved down from Class AA, and this will be the first region meeting with the Tigers and the Devils since LCHS was in AA in 1983. The Tigers are 4-3 after starting the season with three wins, but have found things a bit tougher in Region 7-A. Greene led Aquinas before an Irish comeback for a 27-17 win last week.