QB Gabarri Johnson engineers late scoring drive as Lincoln edges Lakes
Gabarri Johnson turned Lincoln High School’s senior night into his coming out party.
The Abes sophomore quarterback engineered a 96-yard scoring drive in the final four minutes, five seconds of the Friday night, then bulled into the end zone with the winning two-point conversion for a 22-21 victory over visiting Lakes at Lincoln Bowl.
“On the sideline, we all told the team, we’ve got to go fast,” Johnson said. “That’s what we did.”
Johnson converted a fourth-and-8 from the Lincoln 47 with just over a minute left on the clock to keep the drive alive, hitting senior Darius Bailey for 18 yards to the Lancers’ 35-yard line.
Five plays later, Bailey beat two Lakes defenders in the corner of the end zone with 3.8 seconds left, getting Lincoln within one point, 21-20. The Abes, who had an extra point blocked earlier in the game, never hesitated in keeping the offense on the field to go for the conversion and the win.
The Lancers helped the cause with two consecutive offsides penalties that moved the ball to the 1-yard line for the conversion attempt. Johnson got in behind the line and bulled his way over for the conversion.
“I promised my coaches I would punch it in, and that’s what I did,” Johnson said.
Despite the loss, the Lancers (3-2) still can share the league title in this pandemic-delayed and shortened season if they beat Spanaway Lake in the season finale next Wednesday at Harry E. Lang Stadium.
“I hope we bounce back,” Lakes coach Dave Miller said. “I told the kids, we did a lot of good stuff tonight. We’ve just got to get more consistent.”
Lakes appeared to have snatched this victory away with a sustained drive that ended with Abel Patu slipping into the end zone from 1 yard away with 4:10 left to play. That plunge capped an 11-play, 40-yard drive that actually went 54 yards after the Lancers began the possession with a holding penalty that put them in a first-and-24 hole.
Ultimately, Lakes faced a fourth-and-13 from the Lincoln 43. The Lancers lined up to punt, but the Abes jumped offsides. On fourth-and-8, Lakes quarterback Justin Brennan hit Jaedon Hall on a crossing pattern for 16 yards and a first down at the 24.
Seven plays later, Patu was in the end zone. Lakes added the two-point run to take a 21-14 lead. Lincoln then mishandled the ensuing kickoff, pinning the Abes (3-2) back at their own 4.
But then Johnson and company went to work.
Johnson scrambled for 16 yards, getting a first down at the 20. He later would add a 12-yard scramble for another first down, part of his 41 yards on 13 carries overall.
The Abes quarterback completed 4-of-5 passes for 40 yards on the final drive, as well.
“That’s all our quarterback,” Bailey said. “That’s the quarterback. That’s the youth. He came into this program and took the lead. He’s really a leader right now. These next years, that’s gonna be the man.”
Johnson threw for 198 yards and three touchdowns, completing 19-of-27 passes.
Lakes completed a final long pass with its only play after the winning touchdown and conversion, but it was 20 yards short of the end zone.
The Lancers broke a scoreless stalemate midway through the second quarter.
Caleb Kwalalon capped a quick four-play, 69-yard drive with a double cut in the backfield. That move gave the senior space to bolt up the vacated middle of the Lincoln defense.
Once through the first line, Kwalalon wasn’t going to be caught as he went 50 yards to give Lakes the 7-0 lead.
The Lancers had driven the ball from their own 32 to the Lincoln 18 on their previous possession, only to be stopped by the Abes defense on a fourth-and-2. Other than that drive, Lakes didn’t have the ball much.
Lincoln ran 6:14 off the clock in between those two Lancers drives, but had a holding penalty that ultimately stymied the drive. Then the Abes went 58 yards in 12 plays on their next chance after the Lakes touchdown, closing the score to 7-6 with 1:41 left in the first half.
Chance Bogan paid off the drive when he caught a 7-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone from Gabarri Johnson.
Lakes got to the Lincoln 25 as the half was coming to close, but Justin Brennan threw an interception in the end zone with 11 seconds left to end the threat and send the game to the half as a one-point affair.