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Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer

Bad To The Bone: Lincoln celebrates yet another Thanksgiving Day victory over San Jose Academy in the annual Big Bone Game. The Lions made it nine straight with a 33-7 win last Thursday. Below, senior running back Chris Mendoza reflects on his day after coming out of the game in the final moments. Mendoza ran for 102 yards and scored two touchdowns for the Lions.

Lincoln rolls over the Bulldogs 33-7

By Kevin Sparrer

Members of a football team can get very close over the course of a season. But the Lincoln Lions were more than just a football team in 2006--they were a band of brothers.

And those brothers came together on Thanksgiving Day to cap a successful '06 season with a rousing 33-7 victory over San Jose Academy in the 64th annual Big Bone Game at San José City College.

The last game of the year for the Lions was more than just a football game, though, it was the end of an era.

"We went out to a team breakfast like we do before every game, and that got everyone's blood going," said senior quarterback Tarik Hakmi. "Just knowing that it would be our last time eating as a family ... with our brothers."

The Lions did a good job getting up for their final game of the season and they dominated the Bulldogs on Nov. 23, reserving the right to keep "the bone."

"This is a great tradition," said Lincoln head coach Kevin Collins. "We're very proud to be a part of it. The atmosphere is amazing."

The two schools do not participate in the Central Coast Section playoffs and instead meet in a football game to play for an old cow bone--and an off season of bragging rights. The Lions won for the ninth straight year, and used every weapon in their arsenal to do it.

Four different players combined for the five Lincoln touchdowns--four were on the ground and one through the air.

Senior Chris Mendoza carried 12 times for 102 yards and two touchdowns. His first score came on only his second carry of the day when he broke loose on a 26-yard touchdown run. Mendoza also caught two passes for 45 yards.

Senior Michael Fleet ran 11 times for 114 yards and one score.

Hakmi did his fair share of scrambling, running the ball for 95 yards on 12 carries, including a 4-yard run for a touchdown. He also completed 6 of 15 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown.

Junior Tevita Mendoza caught the 24-yard TD pass and finished the day with two grabs for 35 yards. He also threw one pass to C. Mendoza for 29 yards.

Junior receiver Jagjeet Sidhu was the main target throughout the day, catching four passes for 71 yards.

"We weren't able to get in all of the juniors in this game," said Collins, "but all of the seniors got a chance to play."

Seniors Daniel MacHuca, Luis MacHuca, Jonathan Moreno and Justin Kirksey all got the chance to run the ball. D. MacHuca carried three times for 13 yards, L. MacHuca ran four times for 15 yards, Moreno had a run for four yards and Kirksey had a carry for five.

Lincoln set the tone for the game early, eating only two minutes off the clock and scoring on the first drive of the day when C. Mendoza broke his 26-yard run five plays into the game.

Immediately after, Lincoln kicked off to the Bulldogs but the San Jose returner couldn't hold onto the ball and Lincoln junior Bradley Pickens fell on it for the Lions. Lincoln drove the ball to the San Jose 20 before falling prey to a fumble of its own that San Jose recovered.

Lincoln's defense held strong against the Bulldog offense, allowing only one yard in three plays and leaving San Jose with a one yard loss after Javier Reyes and Villiami Lavakeiaho stopped a receiver two yards behind the line of scrimmage on a quick pass.

San Jose punted the ball back into Lincoln territory but on the first play Fleet brought the ball back across the 50 with a 12-yards run. Eight plays later Hakmi was able to jog comfortably into the end zone on an option with 3:02 left in the first quarter to make it 13-0.

Again the defense of the Lions was overwhelming. Senior Havea Lasike stopped a San Jose runner three yards behind the line for a second and 13. San Jose ultimately went three and out again. The San Jose kicker put a strong boot on the ball, knocking it from the Bulldog 40 to the Lincoln 9-yard-line.

The Lions then took the ball and went 91 yards for their longest scoring drive of the game. The drive opened with Hakmi hitting Sidhu deep across the middle. Sidhu caught the pass as he outjumped a defender for the ball 39 yards down the field.

Lincoln ran a few more plays, but on a fourth and 14 were forced to punt from their own 44. Instead, the snap went straight to Fleet who went around the end and ran for 30 yards to penetrate deep into Bulldog territory.

After a few more runs, Fleet got the ball again and ran it in from 10 yards out for another score for Lincoln. The Lions went up 20-0 with 9:34 leave in the first half.

The next drive for San Jose marked its first two first downs of the game, but junior Brian Mitsumori picked off a pass in Lion territory to end another Bulldog attack.

Lincoln wasted no time on this drive. The Lions ran only eight plays to go 64 yards, ending on a 24-yard pass from Hakmi to T. Mendoza, who had to dive in the corner of the end zone but held onto the ball for another Lincoln score.

It wasn't until after the half that Lincoln finished its scoring for the game.

Hakmi ran for eight yards out to the Lincoln 30. On second and two, C. Mendoza broke his way through three different tacklers before going down 22 yards later and just past the 50 at the Bulldog 48. The ball stayed on the ground for eight more plays, and on the last one C. Mendoza carried it into the end zone from five yards out for the final Lincoln score of the day.

Hakmi was the recipient of great protection from his offensive line that included seniors Isaac Moreno, Miles Hidalgo, Lasike, Jose Ochoa and Alex Ginestra.

"The offensive line played tremendous," said Hakmi.

Defensively it was junior Cameron Mitsumori who led the attack with five stops for Lincoln and Lavakeiaho and junior Thomas Duffey had four each. B. Mitsumori only had two tackles, but was able to pick off a pass helping the Lion victory.

"This is a real special group of seniors," said Collins. "Since their freshmen year, they're 34-5-1. There's nothing left to say ... I'm speechless."