By T. Scott Boatright
The 24th-seeded Lincoln Preparatory School football team knew it was facing a tough challenge playing District 1-1A and cross-parish foe ninth-seeded Cedar Creek on the road, especially coming only days after falling to the Cougars in the regular-season finale.
So the run-oriented Panthers changed things up to open Friday night’s Division IV Select School first-round playoff game, which they eventually lost 42-8.
On its first play from scrimmage, Lincoln Prep ran a spread set with an empty backfield save for quarterback Jabari Levingston, who operated out of the shotgun formation and gained 5 yards off tackle.
Levingston scrambled and threw a first-down pass on the next play, but eventually the drive bogged down and the Panthers were forced to punt.
But going against character to start the game showed that Panthers coach Chaunce Davison was willing to pull out all the stops in an effort to spark his team.
“We had been using the double tight (end set),” Davison said. “I feel like we probably should have gone to it a little earlier. It helps us control the line of scrimmage. So we tried to open things up a little bit. We live and we learn. The coaching staff, players, we’re all still just trying to learn when you get down to it. Trying to learn how to get better.”
The Panthers were down 13-0 at the 7:09 mark of the first half, and after the Cougars went up 21-0 with 5:21 left in the half, frustration started showing on the Panthers’ sideline, sending athletics director Johnny Simmons pacing up and down behind them, yelling, “Cut out the negativity. We don’t need any of that. Just keep working. But no more negativity!”
And somehow that open frustration seemed to dissolve as the Panthers settled down and kept battling.
“We’re just trying to get that element out of there,” Davison said. “Pointing fingers and blaming is not going to change anything. We’re going to work with them on conflict resolutions and being able to work through their problems. That’s everywhere in our school, so we’re just going to have to work on conflict resolutions.”
After the game ended, Davison took a moment to talk to his seniors, telling them to keep their heads up.
“I hope they learned to just don’t quit,” Davison said. “Just keep working. Keep going forward. We had a couple of mishaps this year. Lost a couple of key guys. But tonight they kept fighting. This season this team kept fighting, so I can’t be mad at them.”
Davison told his team that it simply needs to get back to work preparing for next season.
“We lose a good offensive weapon in (Josiah) Spann and a couple of linemen (seniors Nick Nelson and Sheldon Holmes), but I have some kids coming in from the junior high, and the junior high is pretty good. So, we’re just going to get back to work. We’re going to get back into the weight room and try to go at it.”
One bright spot looking toward next season will be the return of quarterback Josh Kelly and running back Jakaylon Armstrong.
“We’ll have Josh back, and we’ll have Jakaylon back,” Davison said. “And those two could have made a big difference, a big impact, if they were out there this season. But Josh got hurt in the spring scrimmages and Jakaylon got hurt early in the season.
“There’s a couple of things we have to think about in figuring out how we’re going to do things. It starts with getting into the weight room and seeing how they work. Josh is doing good. I think he’s going to be back probably around January. But it’s basketball season now, and that’s a big thing at Lincoln Prep coming off a state championship. And that’s a good thing. I’m happy for the (football players who also play basketball). It’s a nice thing and helps them stay focused on conditioning.”
Also returning will be sophomore Howard Kirkpatrick Jr., who led the Panthers with 85 rushing yards on eight carries. That came a week after Kirkpatrick led Lincoln Prep’s defensive charge, making 26 tackles against the Cougars in the regular-season finale.
“He loves football,” Davison said of Kirkpatrick. “This is what he lives for. I’m just going to have to make sure I grab him. He’s all about football. He loves this game.
“Howard is a legacy kid. That’s a kid whose family has been Grambling Lab, Lincoln Prep, whatever the name is, that family has been here. So we’re just happy to have him. He works his behind off because he loves the game.”
With Levingston, receiver Karmelo Jones and emerging eighth-grade running back Kylon Miller all returning next season, Davison can’t help but get excited about the future.
“We had a tough season, had some tough breaks,” Davison said. “But that’s football. That happens sometimes. But we have some solid players coming back. And we’ve got some solid young guys who will join the program next year. So, we feel good about next season. I’m already ready to get down to work.”
