No team in the PIL improved more over the course of the 2023 football season than Lincoln High School.
Under then first-year head coach Cody Schnaufer, the Cardinals lost their two opening games by a combined score of 55-0.
By the time the last two weeks rolled around, Lincoln posted back-to-back shutouts with a 17-0 win over Grant and a 40-0 win over Cleveland.
In the Columbia Cup, Lincoln lost round one to Clackamas, but still held the perennially strong Cavaliers in check with a 28-7 final score.
Needless to say, excitement is high for year two under Schnaufer after seeing how far Lincoln came in one season.
“We kind of hung our hat on defense last year, so they’ve grown in that and feel a little more comfortable,” Schnaufer said. “Our philosophy is do simple things and be really good at them, and they’ve matured a year and have a little more in the (defensive) package there.”
Lincoln placed three players on the defensive All-PIL First Team, and two of them return in offensive/defensive lineman Brady Holland and tight end/linebacker AJ Reverman, both being seniors this year.
Linebacker Leonard Correani made the second team as a freshman, giving the Cardinals plenty to work with and keep improving in 2024.
“We played physical with Bend (at the start of the year), a lot of mental mistakes,” Schnaufer said. “Against Clackamas, we played solid defense, just a good football team … It was a physical team that sort of inspired the weight room this year.”
One non-football piece to replace is the leadership of former running back Emmett Togni, who was the heart and soul of Lincoln football the past couple of seasons.
Schnaufer said Togni is tough to replace, but believes he has a group of players ready to step up and fill that leadership and playmaking void.
Holland and Reverman will certainly be looked to as those guys as they enter their senior year, and Reverman is excited about the culture growing under Schnaufer in year two.
“Everyone buying in, everyone listening, depth is a big thing in practice” Reverman said of the biggest lessons from last season. “We have our starters, but everyone behind them watching the first play and knowing what they have to do if someone goes down in a game.”
One of the most exciting parts of the Cardinals team is in the trenches as Holland is one of the best lineman on the recruiting market currently. However, he’s not alone.
Correani was a second team center last year, along with now-senior Owen Hendren at tackle who was an honorable mention.
“We’ve started to work more as a team and last year was kind of each person has their own job,” Holland said. “Now we’re all working together to move the O-line forward.”
That O-line will be protecting returning quarterback Liam Eldridge once more, giving the Cardinals some consistency under center and throughout the improving offense.
“I’m excited because we have a change in offense, and we kind of developed it around our player personnel,” Reverman said. “This, I feel like is going to give us an advantage with the size of our O-line and a lot of momentum stuff.”
Lincoln’s two nonleague games to start the year are 7 p.m. Sept. 6 against La Salle Prep at home before hitting the road at 7 p.m. Sept. 13 against Reynolds.
For league play, Lincoln will host Grant, Franklin and McDaniel while taking on Roosevelt, Ida B. Wells and Jefferson on the road. Cleveland visits Lincoln to end the season, however the Warriors are playing an independent schedule this season.
With a strong group of linemen, stout defense and a more personalized offense, the Cardinals believe a PIL title could be within reach in 2024.
“This year I think we really have a good shot to try and win the PIL,” Reverman said. “Everyone was kind of getting adjusted to the new coach, new offense, new everything (last year). But this year, I feel like we’re all bought into that and I feel like we can make a stride for that.”
Most Popular
Comments / 0