Week 7 Takeaways: Lincoln Park vs Southgate

The Southgate Anderson Titans welcomed in the Railsplitters of Lincoln Park for their 2023 Homecoming game. While the Railsplitters started strong, it was the Titans who ultimately came out victorious 35-21. 

Lincoln Park 

Tail of the Season: Turnovers.

There is an old saying in football: limit the turnovers, and you give yourself a chance to win the game. Well, the Lincoln Park Railsplitters need to learn how to limit those. Coming into this one, the Railsplitters had turned it over a crazy 30 times, and they added two more tonight. The first came with Lincoln Park looking to go up 21-14 right before the half. Quarterback Jacob Boykins was looking for one for Javion Cornett Tilman, but Andrew Porter of Southgate was right there to pick him off in the endzone. The second interception of the night came late in the fourth quarter, with them trailing 35-21. Boykins rushed his throw, and Southgate was there to make him pay. 

Youth Movement

The Lincoln Park Railsplitters boast a young team. The standouts on the team, Quarterback Jacob Boykins and Linebacker Logan Ferrell are both Sophomores, while Boykins’s top target Javion Cornett Tillman and power back Jamir King are both Juniors. Lincoln Park has 20 players that can return next season, and they have their most important positions in their Middle Linebacker and Quarterback for two more seasons following this season. If they can keep all the guys on the same page, Lincoln Park will be a team to watch for the next two seasons. 

Southgate

A Great Running Game Leads to…

The running game for the Titans of Southgate was on point in this one. Senior Chase Barbosa rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Add in 34 yards from Quarterback Jackson Sage and 40 more yards from other runners. The Titans knew what to stick with in this one.

… A Solid Passing Attack

If Southgate is a running team, they know when to pass the ball. Quarterback Jackson Sage only completed eight of his 13 passing attempts, but he made it work. Sage passed for 157 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Lincoln Park. In the win, Sage had a 9-yard, a 31-yard, and a 45-yard touchdown, and he found three different receivers for the three touchdowns. Thomas Laskowski, Andrew Porter, and Jace Walerski caught the three touchdowns, so Lincoln Park couldn’t just key in on one player. 

Flying Under the Radar

Flying under the radar for the Titans is Senior Andrew Porter. Porter isn’t the first or second guy you think of when you hear Southgate, but he has been putting together a solid senior season. As an offensive weapon Porter has 200 yards rushing and another 200 yards receiving. On the defensive side of the ball Porter acts as a hybrid defender, and he has racked up a team leading 68 total tackles and four interceptions this season. His two biggest interceptions came against Woodhaven and then against Lincoln Park right before half time.