Every year, there are upstart teams that build a good record in the PSAL against somewhat weak competition. Then they hope to get a test at some point to prove just how good they are. Lincoln got that test yesterday and failed miserably.
“They were pretty psyched up for this game,” said Lee Boos, Wagner’s linebacker who helped lead the Falcons to an ugly 32-0 victory over a young Lincoln squad yesterday at Dewey Field. “We had to dig in to make sure they didn’t get to us.”
It was clear early on that despite the identical records (each team entered with 6-0 league marks), the talent level was widely disparate. Much like when Wagner knocked off New Utrecht two weeks ago to give the Utes their first loss, the Falcons rose to the challenge of facing a team that geared its entire season to beating them.
“We knew they were treating it like a championship game,” said Wagner’s Gary Ham, who rushed twice for 84 yards and a touchdown. “So we prepared like it was a championship game for us.”
While both teams may have anticipated a championship-quality game, they didn’t get it. The game was marred by too many sloppy penalties and, worse, numerous personal-foul penalties. During the first half, in which Wagner jumped to a 20-0 lead, there was constant pushing and shoving after the whistle and plenty of cheapshots.
At one point, it seemed only a matter of time before a fight would break out. But cooler heads prevailed, even though Lincoln’s Samir Olevic consistently kneed, kicked and shoved Wagner players after plays had ended.
After one such incident, when the referees continued to not call him for a penalty, he was dragged off the field by his face mask by an assistant coach.
“That No. 71, he had a big mouth,” said Boos, who was at linebacker and was all over the field, almost single-handedly stopping Lincoln’s once-potent running game.
Wagner, which was at times was too physical, managed to get past the distractions, using three Ramael Myers first-half touchdowns to take the big lead at the half. His longest was the third TD, a 78-yard burst through a huge hole in the middle.
Myers finished with 196 yards on 23 carries, but his best play of the afternoon didn’t count. Up 6-0, Myers fielded a Lincoln punt at his own 43. He used nifty footwork to avoid several would-be tacklers, managed to stay in bounds and ran into the end zone, only to have the play called back because of a holding penalty.