Jacobs, Denmark Lead Trojans to Victory over Rival

On September 26, the Lincoln Trojans (3-2) faced their historic rivals, the Leon Lions (2-3), in a matchup at Gene Cox Stadium. The two teams last met during the 2024–25 regular season, a game Lincoln won 59-7. Coming off back-to-back losses, the Trojans were determined to regain momentum, while the Lions entered hoping to extend their winning streak.

Facing their rivals, the Leon Lions, the Trojans didn’t need to rely on any tricks to get the job done. From the opening kickoff, Lincoln came out firing on all cylinders, overwhelming the Lions.

The Trojans put the first points on the board when receiver Kabran Paul hauled in a touchdown pass to make it 7-0. After forcing a stop on the next drive, running back Tadarius Huggins broke free on a long run into the red zone, setting up backup quarterback Jonah Bedford for a short touchdown pass that doubled the lead. Moments later, corner PJ Davis came away with an interception, and Lincoln wasted no time capitalizing as star quarterback Taylor Jacobs Jr. found the end zone again, stretching the margin to 21-0.

The Trojans weren’t done. Jacobs connected with receiver Trevor Jacobs for a deep touchdown strike, and after quickly forcing the Lions’ offense back off the field, Maliek Denmark broke a big run before hauling in a touchdown reception. On the very next defensive series, Denmark, playing both ways, grabbed an interception to set up another scoring drive. By the end of the first quarter, Lincoln was in complete control, 35-0.

The second quarter brought more of the same. Huggins opened the frame with a rushing touchdown, followed by another score from Jayden Wells. With just two minutes left in the half, tight end Will Tawney powered in a rushing touchdown, and Jaylin Parrish converted the two-point attempt with a touchdown reception, sending the Trojans into halftime with a commanding 57-0 lead.

After a quiet third quarter, Lincoln struck again early in the fourth when Denmark added another touchdown, tallying multiple scores on both offense and defense for the night. The defense continued to shut Leon out, keeping the Lions off the scoreboard all evening. In the final moments, running back Isaiah McWhite capped the dominant performance with a rushing touchdown, sealing the 70-0 victory.

Notable performances for Lincoln included quarterback Taylor Jacobs Jr. (Sr.) with 253 passing yards and four touchdowns and two-way player Maliek Denmark (Sr.) with two receiving touchdowns and one interception.