San Diego U-T Preps

What a difference a year makes.

A year after Lincoln was shut out and blown out by Carlsbad in the second game of the 2014 season, the Hornets came back on Friday night to beat the Lancers 20-16 at Lincoln High School in the second week of the new season.

Lincoln (2-0) scored its only two touchdowns in the final minute of the second quarter and used big plays on defense and special teams in the second half to exact revenge from last season’s 45-0 loss.

Micah Edwards led the way for Lincoln, rushing for 169 yards and a touchdown, including a 52-yard scoring scamper with seven seconds left in the first half that gave the Hornets a 17-9 halftime lead.

Edwards’ score came two plays after Lincoln recovered a fumble on a kick return and less than a minute after Lincoln’s LaTre Jacquess caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Asante Hartzog.

Carlsbad (0-2) looked likely to mount a second-half comeback, but two interceptions late in the game ended any hopes the Lancers had to get their first win of the season. Lincoln also blocked a second-half field goal that would have given Carlsbad a late lead.

A week after intercepting four passes and returning three of them for touchdowns in a 60-0 win over Serra, the Lincoln defense and secondary were outstanding again. The Hornets’ defense allowed Carlsbad to pass for just 63 yards and came up with two late interceptions to help seal the victory.

Jacquess recorded the first interception, picking off a pass on his team’s goal line and returning it 57 yards to kill a Carlsbad drive in the third quarter.

Then, with the Lancers driving inside the red zone late in the fourth quarter, Teddy Kahsay intercepted a pass to all but wrap up the game for Lincoln.