Lincoln routs Sacramento Grant in battle between two of state’s top teams

by Kevin J. Farmer

Lincoln quarterback Kainan Manna came all the way from Arizona to bring a spark to the Hornets’ offense.

Coming off the bench in the second quarter, the transfer from Peoria Centennial High threw for 224 yards and three TDs to ignite the top-ranked Hornets to a 40-21 victory over visiting Sacramento Grant on Saturday afternoon at Lincoln High School.

“I always stay ready,” said Manna, who threw for more than 4,000 yards and 45 TDs in his first three years of varsity play. “I’ve been playing varsity for four years now and I look at everything as a test. I just look for a chance.”

Manna came into the game to provide a spark, and that’s just what he did.

With the game tied at 7-7, Manna immediately gave the Hornets (5-1) a 14-7 lead, hitting Jordan Lewis for a 28-yard score with 3:45 left in the half.

The Pacers (2-4), whose losses include matchups with Folsom and last week against Concord De La Salle, tied it up with 21.4 seconds left in the half.

Manna wouldn’t have it. A quick 16-yard completion to Courtney Miller-Thompson set up his 47-yard bomb up the right sideline to give Lincoln a 21-14 halftime lead.

“That one was kind of special,” said Manna, who completed 8 of 11 passes on the day. “That did a lot for us.”

The longest TD of the day for Manna came three plays after intermission. On a third-and-19 from his own 11, he found Jaeveyion Allen open down the middle. Allen turned on the jets and raced 89 yards for a 28-14 lead.

“This win is good for us,” said Allen, who also had an interception in the first half. “We’ll have a bye and get some rest and then go again.”

The Pacers, whose legacy includes 10 section championships and three state titles, including a 35-28 victory over Oxnard Pacifica for the CIF State 2-AA title last year, closed the lead back to a TD with 4:04 left in the third quarter, but would not come any closer.

The Hornets’ running game, stymied most of the day, started to make an impact.

First Rashad Robinson swept left, weaved in and out, and went 19 yards for a score on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Junior Curtis got into the scoring column with a 12-yard TD with 4:38 left in the game.

Robinson was held to just 26 yards rushing in eight carries, and Curtis picked up just 44 on nine carries.

“That I definitely didn’t expect,” said Lincoln head coach David Dunn of how Grant stuffed the running game. “We got some big plays because of it. We’ll use it to get healthier.”