Lincoln isn’t solely a basketball school anymore.
Think New York City high school sports and one of the first schools that come to mind is Lincoln with its seven boys basketball titles in the last 10 years and NBA alumni of Lance Stephenson, Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair.
The football team, however, has begun to gain similar notoriety, with 20 consecutive regular-season victories and consecutive appearances in the City Championship division title game. The top-seeded and undefeated Railsplitters (12-0), who fell two points shy of the title last year against Fort Hamilton, go for their first crown since 1993 on Tuesday when they face No. 5 Erasmus Hall (9-3) at Yankee Stadium at 5 p.m.
“My freshman year everybody booed us and now everybody comes up to us and says congrats,” quarterback Jessel Jones said. “Everybody wants tickets.”
Despite last season’s perfect regular season, expectations were low for Lincoln entering the year after it graduated every starter other than running back Kareem Folkes and two-way lineman Robert Kitching. This year’s senior class, which includes dynamic quarterback Jessel Jones, versatile game-breaker Denzel Duchenne and two-way lineman Armani Gordon, shocked the city by going undefeated, thrashing its 12 opponents by a combined 498-86.
“My kids did a great job proving who they are,” Lincoln coach Shawn O’Connor said. “Everybody wanted to talk about who we lost rather than who we brought back. They deserve to be back here.”
O’Connor, in his 11th year, and his staff have received plenty of credit for giving them confidence, playing the us-against-the-world card. The coach made sure his kids were aware nobody thought much of them.
In the offseason, the staff met with each player on an individual basis. Athletic director Renan Ebeid said O’Connor and his staff make each kid a priority, as a person before a player. They try to figure out what’s in each kid’s best interest for the future, when it comes to college. In the meetings, they go over everything, from what needed to be improved upon academically to athletically.
“It makes you feel like the coaches have your back,” Kitching said. “Even the scout team players get the meeting. Everyone’s important.”
Since O’Connor took over the program in 2000, he’s had elite players – Division I studs such as Lansford Watson (Maryland), Nyan Boateng (Florida, California) and Khalif Staten (Iowa) – but not the collection of talent as in recent years. As the wins have piled up, the talent has increased. Last year’s team had just a handful of kids with Pop Warner experience, though nine members of that group are playing college football at one level or another. This year’s junior varsity, which went 9-1, is loaded with them.
“We’ve built a powerhouse and I think it’s going to continue,” said Jones, the senior quarterback who has thrown for 11 touchdowns and run for 14. “The talent coming up is better than the talent we have now.”
O’Connor said he hopes Lincoln is now looked at as “one of the best programs” in the city. He credited his coaching staff for getting all the standouts – such as Ishaq Williams (Notre Dame), Andrew Vital (C.W. Post) and Selwyn Nicholas (Rhode Island) – from last year into college.
“Where it counts is getting kids to the next level,” the coach said.
Lincoln has become a viable destination in recent years, in part, because of the brand new facility on school grounds, O’Connor developing three All-Americans (Williams, Watson and Boateng) and its recent run of victories.
A philosophical change altered the team’s identity, O’Connor said, three years ago. The coaching staff kicked nine seniors with questionable work ethic or character off a team that went 1-8. Williams, the best player on last year’s team, was an A student who graduated early.
“We made a commitment to finding quality players,” O’Connor said. “We made sure to get kids who not only want to play football, but are committed and good students.”
It has yet to equate to a title. Lincoln fell a two-point conversion short against Fort Hamilton last year at Yankee Stadium. Now it’s back, with another shot at December glory, and an opportunity to begin to share the spotlight with the dynastic basketball team.
“We’ve got a lot to catch up with,” O’Connor joked.