LINCOLN PARK — No place to practice on campus.
No home stadium.
No problem.
Road-weary Lincoln High School won its second Division 1-AA state championship in three years on Friday, when the Hornet beat Pittsburgh 28-26.
The victory at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo was the final road trip of the season for a team that also played in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Las Vegas.
And during the season, Lincoln had to practice at five different locations.
"We told them, 'hey, we have to fight through adversity,'" said Coach David Dunn. "It was against all odds. We told our kids we had to have the proper mindset for practice every day, for the games and everything we were enduring we had to have the right mindset.”
Lincoln (12-2) was forced to have its players constantly be on the move because its stadium was unsafe because of extensive water damage to the already worn-out turf from the January floods.
Senior quarterback Akili Smith Jr., an Oregon commit who will enroll early next month in Eugene for the No. 1-ranked Ducks, said Lincoln coaches kept everyone focused.
"The coaches pushed us so hard. We couldn't even think about all the negatives," Smith said. "It's been a blessing to be a part of this team and to be a part of this great school."
Dunn, one of four former NFL players who coach the Hornets, said winning a second championship in three years was remarkable.
That's because the team had to practice at some locations that didn't have field markings or goal posts. And, the constant travel cut into practice time.
"This season is so special because of everything we had to go through," Dunn said. "It's been a lot of traveling. I wish I was getting miles for this."
Construction has begun at the stadium, and the turf should be installed this spring.
