SIOUX FALLS – Lincoln outscored the Bobcats, 24-7, in the second half to pull away to a 34-14 nonconference win on Friday at Howard Wood Field.
The Patriots got on the scoreboard first when Melvin Teah finished off an eight-play, 68-yard opening drive with a 10-yard run to paydirt. Liam Downey converted his first of four PAT kicks to make it 7-0 with 8:01 left in the first quarter.
Brookings answered midway through the second quarter on Parker Beers’ 80-yard TD scamper and Justin Devine tied the game with his PAT kick.
But the Patriots took a 10-7 lead into halftime after Downey kicked a 30-yard field goal with 1:18 on the clock.
Despite a blocked punt deep in Bobcat territory on Brookings’ first drive of the second half, Lincoln came up empty on a golden opportunity to extend its lead.
Downey pushed the margin to 13-7 with 6:49 left in the third with another field goal, this time from 27 yards out.
Late in the third, a Bobcat personal foul for roughing the passer set up another Patriot score as Terel Eisenbraun found Zach Hanson on a 4-yard TD pass with 2:20 to play as Lincoln led 20-7 through three.
On the Patriots’ next venture into the red zone, another roughing call set up Teah’s 3-yard scoring run as the margin ballooned to 27-7 with 8:22 left in the game.
Eisenbraun hooked up with Hunter Merkley less than 3 minutes later on a 70-yard pass/run play that made it 34-7.
With 4:22 remaining, Jacob Schoon hit an open Seth Swedlund for a 71-yard scoring play and Devine’s extra point provided the final score.
Beers finished with 130 yards on 14 carries for the ‘Cats as Schoon completed 6-of-21 passes for 89 yards with an interception as Brookings dropped to 2-6 on the season.
Parker Rykhus led the Bobcat defense with 10 total tackles – five solo and five assists. Dillon Jensen and Ryan McMacken each contributed eight stops – both with five solos and three assists, to go along with a sack apiece.
Teah had 141 yards on 27 touches while Eisenbraun went 13-of-20 for 179 yards as Lincoln improved to 2-6.
The Bobcats play host to Huron on Thursday night at DJD Stadium. The Tigers beat Spearfish, 24-0, last night to bump their record to 2-6.
