HobbsDailyReport.com
DENVER, N.C. – Two weeks into the South Fork 2A football race, the top of the standings look familiar with East Lincoln High sharing the conference lead.
EAST LINCOLN 12
LINCOLNTON 7
The Mustangs, a power in the Southern District 7 Athletic 2A for the previous four years, won their third straight game on Friday night by beating visiting Lincolnton 12-7 in a conference game.
East Lincoln, under first-year head coach David Lubowicz, started the season 0-3 but has since beaten East Gaston, Lake Norman Charter and the Wolves (1-5, 0-2) to share the league’s top spot with Maiden and Newton-Conover.
Lucas McConnell’s 68-yard TD run in the third quarter gave the Mustangs a 10-7 lead.
East Lincoln was up 3-0 early on a 36-yard field goal by Ryan Shanklin with about 8 ½ minutes left in the opening half.
Lincolnton led 7-3 at the half after a 2-yard TD run by Tyshawn Harris that capped a drive that ate nearly eight minutes off the clock.
The Mustangs’ Ryan Matz had an interception that stopped a Lincolnton drive after East Lincoln had regained the lead, and Matz later added a safety when he tackled Harris in the end zone.
McConnell ran for more than 70 yards and Harris had nearly 160 for the Wolves.
Lubowicz told The Gaston Gazette the contributions of McConnell have helped East Lincoln turn things around.
“He’s been huge,” Lubowicz said. “You can’t reach speed. He just fits right in. He’s a Mustang.”
Next Friday night, the Mustangs play at North Lincoln at 7:30 p.m. in a conference game while the Wolves will be at home, also at 7:30 p.m., to face Bandys in a league game.
“Our kids are starting to believe,” Lubowicz told The Gazette. “We’ve had three of the best weeks of practice since I’ve been here.”