PORTLAND – As the pass sailed toward Jesuit junior receiver Jora Atwal in the back of the end zone in the final minute, Lincoln senior Keaton Rader knew it was up to him to keep his team's season alive.
The ball landed in the hands of Atwal, but Rader wrestled it away for an interception with 22 seconds left, clinching No. 10 Lincoln's 30-24 win over the No. 7 Crusaders in the first round of the 6A football playoffs Friday night.
“I played the ball,” Rader said. “I looked as his eyes and I saw him go for it, and I grabbed it out. I saw the ball in his hands and I took it out. I was going to swat it out, regardless.”
It was a big night for Lincoln, as well as the Portland Interscholastic League. Lincoln and Wells, which defeated Grants Pass 46-35, became the first PIL teams to win games in the top 6A bracket since 2017, when Lincoln and Grant did it.
The Cardinals (8-2) entered Friday's road game against the Metro League champion Crusaders (7-3) – who were bidding to make the quarterfinals for the 17th time in the last 18 postseasons – ready to answer the doubters.
“We were so motivated,” said senior defensive lineman Ben Azzerad, who had four of his team's five sacks. “We wanted to prove everyone wrong. We're just here to make history and keep this thing going as long as possible. It's a big moment, for sure. Huge night for Lincoln football.”
Lincoln racked up 420 total yards, 310 coming on the ground. Junior Antayus Wilkins rushed for 165 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries and senior quarterback Auden Rose ran for 104 yards and one score on 20 carries. Rose completed 3 of 5 passes for 110 yards, including touchdown strikes of 24 yards to senior Reed Eldridge and 39 yards to senior Greyson Murff.
The Cardinals rebounded from losing to Wells 38-23 last week in a game that decided the PIL title. Next week, they will make their first quarterfinal appearance since 2015 when they visit No. 2 West Linn (8-2).
“It means so much,” said Wilkins, who has rushed for 1,571 yards this season. “We've been doubted this week after losing to Wells. We came in and we just proved everybody wrong. It feels great. We're looking forward to the next round. We're really excited.”
Lincoln coach Cody Schnaufer called the loss to Wells a “heartbreaker.”
“We poured our heart and soul into that,” he said. “For them to be able to come back this week and refocus, I'm so proud of these guys. They came out and battled.”
The Cardinals have made steady progress since Schnaufer took over as coach in 2023. After going 2-7 in 2022, they lost in the first round of the Columbia Cup the last three seasons.
“When I got here, a lot of people would say, 'Why would you want that job?'” he said. “This senior class has shown up in force since Day 1. They've been great at blocking out the noise. They've had opportunities to go other places, and they've all chosen to stay at home and be part of this thing that we're building.
“One of the things we've talked about is they've earned their place. They've proved that they deserve to be here. What other people say doesn't matter.”
Wilkins was eager to redeem himself after fumbling three times against Wells. He set the tone by rushing for a 58-yard touchdown to put Lincoln up 7-3 in the first quarter.
“I knew I had to step up to the table this game,” Wilkins said. “I had a bad game against Wells, but I left it in the past. I improved on it throughout the week, and I came in and I did what I did.”
Rose ran for a 29-yard touchdown and threw two touchdown passes, and when freshman River Whitescarver drilled a 32-yard field goal late in the third quarter, Lincoln led 30-10.
Jesuit senior quarterback Jack Wilson threw touchdown passes of 42 yards to senior Sam Goodwin and 18 yards to junior Sam Robbins to pull the Crusaders within 30-24 with 4:34 left in the game. When senior Nolan Eilers blocked a 41-yard field goal attempt by Whitescarver, Jesuit had the ball at its own 20 with 1:26 left and a chance to win the game.
Wilson completed three passes, and a defensive holding penalty gave the Crusaders a first down at the Lincoln 30-yard line. On second-and-10, he scrambled outside the pocket and threw into the end zone toward Atwal, but Rader's interception sealed Jesuit's fate.
“Everything kind of led up to that moment,” said Wilson, who completed 17 of 31 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. “One play just didn't go our way. That's not the result of the season that we wanted, but I'm proud of the guys.”
Jesuit finished with 308 yards. Goodwin had five catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Senior running back Luke Ortner, who entered with 1,025 rushing yards this season, was held to 36 yards on 12 carries.
Lincoln's defense made several big plays, getting four sacks from Azzerad and one from senior Devin Prendergast and interceptions from Murff and Rader. It was Rader's second game since missing six weeks with a separated shoulder suffered against Lakeridge.
“He worked his butt off to come back and play against Wells,” Schnaufer said of Rader, who will undergo shoulder surgery after the season. “He came out here, huge moment, and the moment wasn't too big for him.”
jerryu@osaa.org
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