Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography
The Hornets (10-2) controlled the game with a devastating ground attack, amassing 359 rushing yards. The two-headed monster of Aden Jackson (141 yards on 24 carries) and Junior Curtis (147 yards on 18 carries) proved too much for the Dons' defense to handle, while quarterback Akili Smith Jr. added 69 yards on 10 carries.
Curtis opened the scoring with a five-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, with Felix Benavidez adding the extra point. Cathedral Catholic (9-3) responded early in the second quarter when Brady Palmer found a wide-open PJ Johnson for a 56-yard touchdown strike, with Gage Eastlack's extra point tying the game at 7-7.
The game turned on a crucial defensive play by Keontae McClay, whose interception setup Jackson's two-yard touchdown run. After Benavidez added a 24-yard field goal, Smith Jr. found Isaiah Grant in the back of the endzone for a perfectly executed 25-yard touchdown pass that pushed the lead to 24-7 heading into halftime.
"I just knew it was open," Grant said of his touchdown catch after the game. "We practiced it all week. It was open, all I had to do is run." The senior receiver, who has made a habit of making difficult catches in crucial moments, explained his approach to such plays: "You got to play at a speed level, you got to play in gears. You play in gears, you good."
For Grant and his teammates, winning the championship without having a home field made the victory even sweeter. "It's a miracle," Grant reflected, almost at a loss for words while celebrating on the Snapdragon Stadium's Bashor Field. "I can't even speak about it."
Palmer found Isaac Cook for a 35-yard touchdown in the third quarter, but the failed extra point left the Dons trailing 24-13. Jackson sealed the championship for the Hornets with a 36-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Lincoln's defense, led by linebacker Donald Reed III who recorded one of the team's four sacks, kept constant pressure on Palmer throughout the night. The Hornets' defense also benefited from a key fumble recovery by Abdulahi Sharif following Isaac Turner's forced fumble that stopped a promising Cathedral drive.
#1 Lincoln (10-2) 31
— sdfootball.net (@sdfootball) November 24, 2024
#2 Cathedral Catholic (9-3) 13
FINAL
🏆 THE LINCOLN HORNETS ARE 2024 @CIFSDS OPEN DIVISION CHAMPIONS‼️ pic.twitter.com/J42JuO2pzY
For Lincoln head coach David Dunn, the championship victory was especially meaningful given the adversity his team faced all season. "We started the season off with a goal and we knew we had to chip away at it, but we didn't expect not to have a home field and everything else that went along with it," Dunn reflected after the game.
"Everything that we had to overcome has just been great. These kids are having a great time and they deserve it."
Dunn credited his entire program for the championship run. "These kids just never give up. The coaches show up every single day and demand the best from these guys," he said.
"This is a great team victory. I love my staff, I love my coordinators, I love my whole team. It's been a whole collective of everybody working."
The Hornets' season isn't over yet, as they advance to the Southern California Regionals with their sights set on a second state title in team history. Dunn's focus immediately shifted to the next challenge: "We'll focus up and we got to try to win the next game."
The victory, Lincoln's second over Cathedral Catholic this season, showed how far the program has come despite playing all their games on the road due to stadium renovations. In the end, the Hornets captured the San Diego Section's top prize and avenged last season's championship game heartbreak in emphatic fashion.
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