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By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
On the night coach Shawn O’Connor picked up the 100th win of his career, his program showed how far it has come during his tenure.
The Abraham Lincoln football team faced unbeaten DeWitt Clinton without its starting running back Daquan Audain, and saw its starting quarterback Paul Litvak go down with a shoulder injury in the first quarter. But none of that could prevent a convincing 35–0 Public School Athletic League victory over the Governors last Friday night in Coney Island.
Lincoln’ depth is a big reason it hass been the premier program in New York City the last five years.
“We have talent all across the depth chart,” said junior quarterback Roget O’Neil. “Talent like the PSAL has never seen before. We have the best talent in Brooklyn.”
Thing weren’t always that way during O’Connor’s 15 seasons at the Railsplitters’ helm. O’Connor recalled a time when Lincoln (7–10) won just two or four games in a season.
“A lot of guys in the beginning struggled when this field was rocks, no lights,” O’Connor said. “We practiced at Grady one year when the field was being done. We practiced on the softball field. It’s a lot of hard work.”
He praised his coaching staff for never wavering from its philosophy and getting kids into college even when they didn’t have the talent or facilities they do now. Lincoln has won 53 games and two city titles in the last five years. O’Connor, who has coached four All-Americans, has the second-most wins in program history behind Henry Kahan (118–16–2).
“They are one of the main teams and programs in New York City that if you really want to get to a good level, they are a good program to watch and emulate,” said Dewitt Clinton coach Howard Langley.
The night was also a milestone of sorts for O’Neil. The junior filled in admirably for the injured Litvak after the Railsplitters took a 14–0 lead on a five-yard touchdown run by Kevin Medy with 4:53 left in the first quarter. O’Neil went 10 of12 passing for 99 yards with two touchdown passes and rushed for 51 yards.
In the post-game huddle O’Connor ripped the black athletic tape off the middle of O’Neil’s helmet and slapped on a sticker to indicate that the junior had proven himself as a varsity player and was now a true member of the team. A fresh blue strip will now be put on his helmet.
“That was the best moment of my life on this team to earn my stripe,” O’Neil said.
Lincoln earned the important win by taking control of the game early and never letting go. Luis Rodriguez, who scored three times, punched in a three-yard touchdown on its opening drive. The Railsplitters recovered a fumble by Clinton (7–1) on its own 27-yard line before Litvak set up the second score with a 59-yard pass to Jordan Hannah, and the Railsplitters led 14–0 going into the half. Linebacker Jordan Nicholson also filled in as a running back at times.
“Our team decided that we have to start picking it up and prove to teams why we are Lincoln,” said defensive end Alejando Oregon.
What Lincoln has become under O’Connor is a program that knows how to win, knows how to develop players, and instills the expectation of playing at high level no matter who is on the field, because of those who did it before them.
“We just persevered,” O’Connor said. “We didn’t change our philosophy. We were lucky to get some good players. We have a great staff. A lot of guys behind those victories.”