Lincoln Prep ready to make a run

Glen Hall chalks up Lincoln Prep’s turnaround season to maturity.

Over the past two years, the Panthers struggled with knowing how to win — letting early deficits balloon and getting the same mistakes to pop up week after week as the struggles of a young roster and football inexperience took effect. The results were a 5-15 mark from 2022-23 with no playoff wins.

But sometimes the best learning comes from failure — learning what it takes to be great through tough times. And the 2024 Lincoln Prep Panthers are living proof.

Prep has not only returned to the postseason as the No. 19 seed in the Division IV Select bracket but already has more wins (7-3) than the last two years combined with a second-place finish in District 1-1A this year behind state title contender Haynesville.

How did Prep course correct in one year? Hall, nearly a decade into coaching at Lincoln Prep/ Grambling Lab, and his top players agree that player-driven determination sparked this season’s storybook success.

And they all agree there still might be more on the table, starting tonight on the road at No. 14 Central Catholic (5-4) to open the playoffs.

“Maturity is the biggest thing,” Hall said. “We have a lot of guys from a lot of different places. But they get together and lift weights, they watch film, they come out here. I’ve been saying that for 39 years if you put in the work, something is going to show up. They’re listening, and they found out, ‘ Hey, we can do this.’ I tell them all the time that no matter where you are — small school or big school — if you put in the work, somebody is going to find you. They’ve found out that’s true.

“They did it on their own. Coaches had nothing to do with it. These guys wanted it more, and they decided to come get it,” he added.

It helps when the Panthers’ best players lead the way, starting with D’Tavion Wright and Cenario Wilson — two seniors eager to go out the right way before their high school careers wrap up. They each left no doubt in the regular season what kind of impact they make on the field with the ball in their hands, each proving to be one of the best athletes in not just 1-1A but in Lincoln Parish.

Wright, the “bell cow” tailback for the Panthers as Hall likes to put it, earned his title in the regular season with 990 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, going over 100 yards in five games.

Starting his prep career at Ruston High as a freshman, Wright transferred to Lincoln Prep ahead of his sophomore season, which he had to sit out due to LHSAA rules. But over the last two years, he’s given Prep an explosive threat out of the backfield. It’s all he ever wanted to show.

“I came here wanting an opportunity. I took it,” Wright said. “You see what happened.”

Wright knew he and the rest of the Panthers had to put in extra work to get where they wanted to go. And it paid off this year.

“It feels very good,” Wright said. “Last year, we didn’t have everything we needed. This year, we’re decent.”

Wright and his teammates have spent their evenings, including weekends, coming to Prep’s field and facilities to get extra work in, sometimes as late as 8 p.m.

Wilson, a dynamic athlete in his own right, has marveled at what Wright has done week after week and the work ethic he’s shown for the Panthers.

“He’s brought a lot to the plate,” Wilson said. “In my eyes, he’s the best running back to come through Prep. That’s my dog. If I don’t score, I know he’s going to score. I block, he scores. And when I score, he’s right there. He’s that guy.”

High praise from Wilson, who has 6 interceptions, 8 pass breakups, and 9 total touchdowns between offense, defense, and special teams.

“That’s my goal is to score every time I touch it,” Wilson said.

The two share more than the ability to score in a flash. They both have come to realize what success demands. Practice is essential. Extra time is only a start. Their buy-in, along with the rest of the Panthers, has helped get Prep in position to win games in the playoffs.

“We come here late at night, tell coach (Hall) we want to come up and get this work in,” Wilson said. “ Unlock the gates and we’re out here – out here until the lights go off. Last year, we practiced, but we didn’t practice like we wanted to practice. We didn’t have our own facilities. Now that we got it, we use it.”

Hall believes the Panthers match up favorably with a Central Catholic team that mixes up run and pass to average over 25 points per game. Prep’s defense allowed just 14.1 points per game in the regular season while averaging 33.2 on offense.

Playoff games always come down to who makes the fewest mistakes, and Hall wants his team focused on the details heading into tonight.

“We gotta block and tackle. Our defense has been pretty good all year,” Hall said. “ We gotta maintain and not make mistakes and not give up big plays. Offense, we gotta hold the ball and run the ball well. This time of year, it has nothing to do with the other team. It’s about how your team does and how they do the little things. If we don’t make mistakes and we’re in the game in the fourth quarter, we have a chance to win.”

Lincoln Prep will try to earn its first playoff win since the 2021 season tonight on the road at Central Catholic. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Morgan City Stadium.