Game summary and recruit notes: Madison at Lincoln

Press box at Lincoln high school

This was one of the more intriguing opening night matchups. Both schools often field similarly skilled players but rarely play one another in the regular season. That changed last year as Madison beat Lincoln in route to a state title. Undaunted, the Hornets bounced back and went on a last season run en route to capturing their first CIF championship in 25 years.

Opening day jitters were apparent as both teams got off to a sloppy start. Madison assumed control of the line of scrimmage due in large part to their defensive front; led by Sam and Jake Vermillion, Tiasamo Savusa, Dotun Ogundeji, and junior Clayton Jimerson. Offensively, the Warhawks dictated the pace of the game behind a punishing running game featuring senior backs Michael Garner and Kevin Moore.

Asserting themselves on the ground opened up things for Madison’s junior quarterback Kareem Coles. Coles shook off accuracy struggles but eventually showed the playmaking ability that has become the signature of his game. He kept his vision up-field when protection broke down and used his feet to create throwing lanes, in addition to gashing the Hornets defense with timely scrambles. Ultimately this was more than enough as the Hawks coasted to a dominant 34-6 opening night victory.


Here's some notes on a few recruits from the game

Madison Warhawks

QB Kareem Coles (2015)

Coles got off to an uncharacteristically shaky start. But once he settled in, he began to to connect on a few down-field throws, and resembled the signal caller who helped lead his team to a state championship. His dual threat prowess and overall poise will be attractive to teams who run offenses with spread principles. 

APB Michael Garner

Garner showcased his pass catching ability out of the backfield during the early stages of the game. The offense got rolling as he scored the Warhawks first touchdown of the 2013 season on a nifty 15 yard run. Unfortunately just as he seemed to get things going his night would come to a premature close, due to a serious an ankle injury.

RB/ATH Kevin Moore

Moore was the breakout star of the evening. He served as a power running compliment to the shiftier Garner early in the game. Moore got into the end zone twice and picked off a pass in the first half. He shouldered the majority of the running load for Madison after Garner’s injury. The senior added another score in the second half for his third touchdown of the game.  

Lincoln Hornets

ATH/RB Jaechon Murphy

Murphy lined up all over the field for the Hornets. Offensively he was probably Lincoln’s most explosive backfield threat. He pushed the pile in between the tackles and had enough speed to gain the edge a few times. Defensively, he spent the majority of his snaps at linebacker. However, there were a few instances in which he even put his hand in the dirt and rushed the passer off the edge.

ATH Tray Jacquess (2017)

Playing on both sides of the ball, Jacquess got the start at wide receiver in his first ever high school game. Now although he wasn’t targeted a lot in his team run oriented offense, he was impressive at free safety for the Hornet defense, showing great range and playmaking instincts.