CAMBRIDGE CITY
Friday’s Class A sectional quarterfinal between Edinburgh and Cambridge City Lincoln was the game nobody wanted to lose.
At stake was a berth in next week’s semifinal, but more important was that one of two long losing streaks would end.
Edinburgh finally broke through, beating the host Golden Eagles 24-12 for its first win of the season.
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“This is huge for the team and for the community,” Edinburgh coach Jason Burton said. “(Sectionals) are a fresh slate and we played great. We were upset we lost a game when (Trinity Lutheran) dropped football, but it gave us a week more to prepare and the hard work we did during practice paid off.”
This was a big win for several reasons.
One, it breaks an 11-game losing streak dating back to last season, but even more than that, it was the first time the Lancers won a game on the field since a tight 28-26 victory over Wes-Del on Oct. 7, 2016.
More importantly, it extends the season for Edinburgh (1-8), which returns home to face Hagerstown in a semifinal game next week.
This was also a reward for all the hard work and near misses the Lancers had this season.
“Definitely,” Burton said. “We wanted to run and throw and we were able to do that. We just had a great overall team effort.”
The teams seemed a mirror of each other on paper, with both averaging 12 points a game and giving up more than 35 points (Edinburgh was higher at 42.6).
That’s where it ended, though.
Senior Bryce Burton gave a quick glimpse of things to come when he ran for 30 yards on the Lancers’ first play from scrimmage. Before the first quarter ended, the senior also broke free for a 90-yard touchdown run to give the Lancers a lead they never relinquished.
Burton rushed for 121 yards on three carries.
Lincoln pulled to within two on a 6-yard run by sophomore Alex Hokey, but Edinburgh quarterback Tyson Sackman gave the Lancers a gap again on a 2-yard keeper. Hunter Dean scored both times on the conversion, one each on a run and pass from Sackman.
The play that put the Golden Eagles away happened in the third, when Sackman hit junior Darius Bennett for a 22-yard touchdown pass in the end zone. Once again, Dean scored on the conversion to make it 24-6.
Defensively, the Lancers held the Golden Eagles (0-9) to 141 total yards. Edinburgh also had three interceptions and recovered a fumble, while only turning the ball over twice — including an interception that Lincoln ran back 66 yards for a touchdown with 33 seconds left. That might have made a difference had the Lancers not had a 16-point lead.
The win made the year of a few Edinburgh seniors.
“Honestly, I’m speechless,” Bryce Burton said. “I think we peaked at the right moment. This means so much to us and we all played a part of this win, especially our offensive line, who gave us time to run.”
Sophomore Austin Streeval also rushed for more than 100 yards, gaining 101. Sackman, despite getting sacked seven times, threw for 122 yards and a touchdown.
“With all the rain, it was slick out there, but we wanted this,” Bryce Burton said. “It’s been a while since we’ve won, and I’m so proud of the guys.”
