Gabarri Johnson, Drake Granberry lead undefeated Lincoln past Lakes in 3A PCL matchup
Lincoln High School will enter the final week of the regular season still carrying an undefeated record.
The Abes, after winning three tough nonleague contests against Auburn Riverside, Skyline and Camas early on, and rolling past their first four Class 3A Pierce County League opponents, faced another important test Saturday afternoon in Tacoma.
Hosting another perennial 3A power in league rival Lakes, the Abes piled up 478 yards of total offense, and made defensive stops in key moments in an eventual 42-28 win at Lincoln Bowl.
“Today was real fun to just execute everything we were supposed to,” Lincoln quarterback Gabarri Johnson said. “The first half was a little bit shaky, but we just came out in the second half and just wanted to dominate.”
The matchup between Lakes and Lincoln has provided highlights in each playing since the 3A PCL was created ahead of the 2016 season, and Saturday’s contest certainly delivered its share.
The game was locked in a scoreless tie after the first quarter, before John John Nelson scored the first of the Abes’ six touchdowns on an 18-yard run less than a minute into the second. The two programs traded touchdowns on the final five drives heading into halftime.
Lakes answered when BYU commit Leo Pulalasi rushed for a 9-yard score on the Lancers’ next possession to tie the game. Lincoln responded 13 seconds later with an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Drake Granberry to retake the lead.
The Lancers tied it up again not long after, when freshman quarterback Legend Galeai found Oregon State commit David Wells for a 25-yard touchdown with 1:45 left in the second quarter.
But, Lincoln took the lead again just before the break, when Johnson, a Missouri commit, completed a quick seven-play drive with an 8-yard touchdown run with 2.9 seconds to go in the second quarter.
That gave the Abes a 21-14 lead at halftime. Lincoln never trailed during the contest, and extended the lead to two possessions three times in the second half, keeping the Lancers just out of reach.
Lincoln needed only four plays to score on the first possession of the second half, after a 62-yard completion from Johnson to Granberry helped set up a quick 4-yard scoring run by Navarre Dixon.
But, Lakes answered again on the next drive, when Galeai connected with Wells for a second touchdown, this time on a 23-yard scoring pass that Wells hauled in on a fourth-and-4 play.
The Lancers picked up some momentum after forcing a quick three-and-out from the Abes on the next drive, and had a chance to take the lead late in the third trailing 27-21, but a promising possession ended short of the goal line. Lakes had first-and-goal set up from the Lincoln 8, but the Abes’ defense held on four consecutive rushing plays to force a turnover on downs.
Johnson connected with DJ Ervin on a 41-yard touchdown pass not long after that pushed Lincoln’s lead to 35-21 early in the fourth.
Lakes responded again the following drive, when Galeai connected with freshman receiver Tristan Baker for a 74-yard touchdown. But, Lincoln extended the lead to two possessions again midway through the fourth on a 10-yard scoring run by Johnson.
Granberry then ended the Lancers’ final drive of the afternoon, hauling in an interception with 5:11 to play, and Lincoln ran out the clock from there.
Johnson finished a perfect 9-of-9 passing for 221 yards and a touchdown, and added another 87 yards and two scores on 18 carries.
Granberry piled up 227 all-purpose yards, including three catches for 107 yards and 120 on kickoff returns. Dixon added 84 rushing yards and the one touchdown on 18 carries.
Galeai completed 11-of-18 passes for 211 yards, the three touchdowns and two interceptions, while Baker led the Lancers in receiving with 103 yards and a touchdown on three catches, and Wells added 54 yards and the two scores on four receptions.
Ki’Marree Washington finished with with 89 yards on 16 carries for Lakes, while Pulalasi had 49 yards on 11 carries.
The Abes (8-0) are now one win away from wrapping up a repeat 3A PCL title, while the Lancers (5-2) are also in the postseason mix.
“This is playoff intensity,” said Lakes defensive coordinator Caleb Kellcy, who was the Lakes’ acting head coach Saturday, as the Lancers were without longtime coach Dave Miller, who was on medical leave. “It’s good for our guys to see it.”
“This shows us what type of teams are going to be in the playoffs,” Pulalasi said. “ … It just gives us a little check on where we’re at, and where we need to be.”
Lakes will look to return to the state playoffs this fall for a third consecutive season, while Lincoln, No. 5 in 3A in this week’s AP rankings, will look to get back into the bracket after a season-ending loss in Week 10 last year.
“We’re super motivated,” Johnson said.
3A PCL TITLE GAME AHEAD
Lincoln’s win over Lakes on Saturday afternoon, and Spanaway Lake’s win over the Lancers earlier in the week sets up the 3A PCL title game next weekend.
Both the Abes and Sentinels will carry undefeated league records into their Week 9 meeting, having both swept Bonney Lake, Lakes, Mount Tahoma, Silas and Stadium.
“I think it’s going to be exciting,” Lincoln coach Masaki Matsumoto said. “They’re a great program, they’ve got some good players, and we have to go there. It will be fun, and we’re looking forward to it.”
PLAY OF THE GAME
Johnson’s 31-yard completion to Granberry late in the third was one of several highlight-worthy plays in the contest.
The Abes had held the Lancers at the 2 moments earlier, forcing a key turnover on downs, but Lincoln’s offense had little space to operate.
Johnson kept the ball on the first two plays of the drive — gaining 3 yards on the first before he was tackled for a 2-yard loss on the second — but didn’t have much room to run.
Facing third-and-9 from the 3, Johnson dropped back into the end zone, looking for a quick pass with Pulalasi in pursuit unguarded at the line of scrimmage. Johnson took a step to the right, jumped and muscled a pass downfield to avoid a potential safety.
Granberry leaped into the air with arms outstretched and made the catch between a pair of Lakes defenders for a first down.
“That might be No. 1, to be honest,” Johnson said of where he would rank the play in his high school career. “I didn’t know I was going to go there with the ball at first, but I just know that my guy Drake, he’s always going to try to make a play for me. I was just jumping backwards and threw it. … He just made a great catch.”
Lincoln, hanging on to a 27-21 lead at that point, needed only four more plays to complete a 98-yard scoring drive and push the lead back to two possessions with 11:43 to play.
“That was huge,” Matsumoto said of the catch that keyed the drive.
Granberry made several game-changing plays during the contest, including that catch, the 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second quarter and the interception on Lakes’ final offensive possession.
“It’s probably my favorite game of the year, and of my life right now, actually,” Granberry said.
UP NEXT
Lincoln’s league championship matchup with Spanaway Lake (6-1) is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Art Crate Field in Spanaway.
Lakes is set to host Mount Tahoma (4-4) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Harry E. Lang Stadium in Lakewood.
This story was originally published October 22, 2022 at 7:52 PM.
