Reek Picnic, Football 2012

SEPT. 14
LOOKIN' AT LINCOLN
0-2 . . . a mark no coach wants to see in the win-loss columns, but that is exactly what Coach Ed McGettigan and his Railsplitters are heading into this week's matchup against Upper Dublin HS (Fort Washington, Pa.). The Splitters' defense looked crisp early in their season opener against Harry S. Truman -- DB Durrell Dixon picking off two Truman passes; he returned one for a TD the other stopped a Truman drive in the red zone -- but faded late in the game and just looked all-around terrible on their first road game against the Vikings of Northeast High School. Though Lincoln's defense looked like Holmesburg's defense, both figuratively and literally, Lincoln routinely pilfers Holmesburg Boys Club for leftover talent. In both games so far, the biggest disappointment has to be their offense. Under 3rd-year QB starter Miguel Sanchez this offense was predicted to be at least good enough to stay in games but saying that it has been abysmal so far would be an understatement.
     Sanchez seems overly tentative out there, like he's too concerned with making mistakes and not concerned with making plays. That being said, he doesn't have much help. The Railsplitters lost star tailbacks Marquis McFarland and Josh McClam along with wingback Sincere Merced to graduation and the search for the next star back hasn't show much promise. Inconsistency is still a major problem on the offensive line as it seems like most of these guys just can't block, point blank.
     As a whole this team seems disorganized and undisciplined and doesn't really seem to have a real fire, which will be a real problem against Upper Dublin who went 7-3 last year in a tough suburban league and is ranked in the top 100 statewide. Playing on the road versus a good suburban team will be like nothing most of the players on this team have ever experienced in a competitive situation. Lincoln had problems with their snap count at home against Truman because of the volume of their large band, which will be nothing compared to the noise they'll face Friday. Dublin also has a mental advantage after coming off a week where they blew out Truman 28-7. If Lincoln wants to come out of this game alive they have to go into it with energy, something they lacked in the last two games and Sanchez has to be aggressive. He has some talented receivers on the outside that can make some plays for him if he just plays with some moxy and releases the ball earlier. The defense has to tackle -- that has to be something that the coaches emphasized this week, tackling, containment and intensity.
   Things are bad now but my message to this team is that things can get better. You have to understand that everything you do is important towards Friday. Practice like a champion is something you hear on almost every practice field from little league to the NFL but its far from cliche. It's the mindset every player should have. Too many times have I been at a Lincoln practice and seen players uninterested, not listening, playing around and not giving there all on the field. That's a problem. It's like this team doesn't want to win and it's noticeable late in games. Guys are fatigued and only half-trying, and not only does that hurt the team but it leads to injury. This team has to play with pride also. There was a time when I sat in the locker room and heard a defensive lineman call an offensive lineman soft, and that would be enough fuel to make a kid wanna go show his toughness. To be honest this is just a soft team. They don't fight back, they don't try to smother the opposition they just play not to lose and as a Lincoln fan I want to see more from this team. As for the Lincoln players, you have to demand more from yourself. Nobody wants to be 0-3, nobody, so play like this is the last game you will ever play because it very well could be. Hopefully this team will get their mind into the sport and give Lincoln fans something to cheer for. Splitter Nation!