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STATE FOOTBALL: Lincoln downs Washington for 11AA football title
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VERMILLION -- Gannon Moore's three touchdowns helped Sioux Falls Lincoln to the title in its first-ever championship game appearance Saturday with a 27-20 win over Sioux Falls Washington in Class 11AA.
Down at halftime, Washington gained momentum and the lead with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns, but two costly turnovers -- a fumbled kickoff and a pass interception -- opened the championship door for the Patriots, who have seen crosstown schools Roosevelt or O'Gorman win the title the past four years.
"We've gone through a lot of ups and downs and obviously this is a special moment," said Lincoln coach Aaron Beavers. "We've had a lot of special moments over the last five years and we knew it was building.
"It was just keep the spirit, keep the faith and everything will work out the way it should. Our kids had no quit in them. They had the belief and I couldn't be prouder of them."
It was a night of mistakes for Washington. The Warriors lost three fumbles and were intercepted twice - often at the most inopportune time.
Moore, chosen the Joe Robbie Most Valuable Player, rushed for 78 yards for Lincoln and quarterback Matt Hander threw for 152 yards and a touchdown to Moore.
It's the fourth runner-up finish for Washington, which lost in the championship to Sioux Falls Roosevelt a year ago.
Both teams finished with identical records of 11-2.
Washington took the lead briefly with third-quarter touchdowns on Adam Heck's 36-yard interception return and a 24-yard pass from Brett Grevlos to Quinton McMartin.
Lincoln responded quickly on a 61-yard touchdown run -- 30 yards by Moore and the final 31 after a lateral to Brett Anderson.
Washington fumbled the ensuing kickoff and four plays later Moore scored again to put Lincoln up 27-14.
Washington's next drive ended at the Lincoln 9 on a pass interception with 4:18 left.
Grevlos added a short touchdown run for Washington with less than three minutes left in the game, but the Warriors had only one more try -- a last-ditch pass that was intercepted as time ran out.
Washington, giving up a touchdown on Lincoln's first possession, managed only one first down in its first three possessions and had a pass interference and two face mask penalties that sustained Lincoln's second scoring drive.
A Grevlos 17-yard TD run for a Washington touchdown was negated by a holding penalty late in the first half at the Lincoln 17, and the Warriors lost a fumble on the next play from scrimmage.
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