Eureka Stuns Knox to Reclaim Lincoln Trophy

EUREKA, Ill. – The Lincoln Trophy is back home. Eureka rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to stun Knox 14-13 in a nail-biting 11th edition of the Lincoln Bowl on Saturday night at McKinzie Field. With the win, the Red Devils improved to 8-3 all-time in the Lincoln Bowl and gave head coach Randy Starks his first career victory in thrilling fashion.

The game opened with a jolt of energy as DeVayne Isom (Hawthorne, Nev./Mineral County) electrified the home crowd with a 63-yard kickoff return to the Knox 25-yard line. Penalties and a blocked 34-yard field goal eventually ended Eureka's early momentum.

Knox responded with an 11-play, 39-yard drive capped by a 38-yard field goal from Fernando Torres. After a pair of Eureka three-and-outs, Knox continued to control the game with a tough ground attack, setting up a 35-yard touchdown pass from Clay McClelland to Mario Byrd. Another short field led to a second Torres field goal before halftime.

By the break, the Prairie Fire had built a 13-0 lead, and Eureka had seen two field goal attempts go wrong and another promising drive stall in the red zone.

Eureka came out of the locker room for the second half with new life.

After Knox missed a 30-yard field goal on their opening drive of the third quarter, quarterback Daryus Warren (Palmdale, Calif./Highland) jumpstarted the offense. The junior led an 80-yard scoring drive, highlighted by a 35-yard deep ball to Milan Mosley (Chicago, Ill./Richards) and a massive third-and-long conversion to Ronnie Sanders (Ocilla, Ga./Irwin County). Jayden Crowder (Springfield, Ill./Lanphier) capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, putting Eureka on the board with 4:39 left in the third. Though the Red Devils came up empty on the ensuing 2-point conversion, they had cut the deficit to 13-6 and taken back the momentum.

Knox tried to answer but missed a 41-yard field goal early in the fourth. After a long Eureka drive was derailed by a costly penalty, the defense forced a quick three-and-out, setting the stage for an unforgettable finish.

Starting from their own 24-yard line with 5:53 remaining, Eureka's offense came alive again. Sanders broke loose for a 35-yard gain, and Warren converted a 4th-and-4 with a pivotal 6-yard pass to Isom. Moments later, with 1:54 left, Warren found Keyshawn Cone (Miami, Fla./Carol City) in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown pass. Rather than taking the extra point to tie the game, Coach Starks decided to go aggressive and opted for the 2-point conversion. On the conversion attempt, Warren took the ball himself and powered in to give Eureka its first lead of the game at 14-13.

Knox looked poised to retake the lead after a targeting penalty and an 18-yard reception moved them inside the Eureka 25. But with just over a minute left, defensive back Jovon Gibson (Statesboro, Ga./Statesboro) made the play of the day, intercepting McClelland at the 15-yard line to crush Knox's comeback hopes.

Aaron Locus (Hopewell, Va./Thomas Dale) immediately ripped off a 50-yard run to flip the field, allowing Eureka to run out the clock and reclaim the Lincoln Trophy.

Up Next

Eureka (1-0) will look to keep the momentum rolling next Saturday when they head to Westminster (1-0) for their final test before conference play. The Blue Jays also carry a 1-0 record into the week 2 matchup after defeating Manchester 21-14 on the road on Saturday.