In San Diego, the Lincoln Hornets clashed with the Pittsburg Pirates in an exciting California high school football 1-AA championship game at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. With both teams showcasing impressive records, Lincoln came in at 11-2 while Pittsburg stood at 12-2.
The game was set to kick off at 8 p.m. Pacific time, with live updates available throughout the match. Leading the Hornets was quarterback Akili Smith Jr., a standout heading to Oregon. At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, he posted remarkable numbers of 2,302 passing yards and 21 touchdown passes so far this season. In contrast, Pittsburg was directed by Marley Alcantara, a shorter quarterback at 5-foot-7, but with a stellar performance this year of 2,825 passing yards and 40 touchdowns without any interceptions.
The first quarter commenced with Lincoln receiving the ball first. The Hornets focused on the running game with junior Curtis leading the charge. Lincoln missed a 29-yard field goal attempt, but quickly recovered by forcing Pittsburg into a quick three-and-out. The Hornets took over at the Pittsburg 46 yard line and capitalized on the opportunity; Akili Smith Jr. connected with Courtney Miller-Thompson for a 6-yard touchdown to put Lincoln on the board at 7-0.
As the second quarter progressed, Pittsburg responded with a 40-yard run from Jamar Searcy before Alcantara faced his first interception in 15 games, courtesy of Abdulahi Sharif, Lincoln’s senior safety. Soon after, Smith Jr. threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ty Olsen, extending Lincoln’s lead to 14-7. However, just before halftime, Searcy tied the game with a short touchdown run, leaving the score 14-14 at the end of the half.
In the second half, Smith Jr. continued to shine, throwing a 73-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Grant, which gave Lincoln a 21-14 lead. Pittsburg’s Searcy made it a game again with a 1-yard touchdown run, but a missed PAT left them trailing by just one at 21-20.
As the game headed into the final quarter, Lincoln held a slim lead. Smith Jr. scored on a 7-yard touchdown run, pushing their score to 28-20. Pittsburg responded yet again with Searcy’s fourth touchdown of the night, but the two-point conversion attempt fell short, keeping the score at 28-26.
With less than two minutes on the clock, Pittsburg tried an onside kick but failed to recover, allowing Lincoln to run out the clock and secure a hard-fought victory. The final score was Lincoln 28, Pittsburg 26, crowning the Hornets as the champions of California.
