Hail Varsity was on the scene at Seacrest Field in Lincoln on Thursday night to see Lincoln East take on crosstown rival Lincoln Southeast. The game featured a fun atmosphere but both crowds weren’t in it for long. Lincoln East took a 7-3 lead early on and never looked back. The Spartans won by a final score of 47-10. Lincoln East moves to 4-1 on the season with Lincoln Southeast dropping to 3-2 on the season.
Here are my five thoughts from the game.
Noah Walters is a fun high school QB
The Lincoln East quarterback was terrific during the game on Thursday night. He showed poise in the pocket and some nice escape moves. That included evading a sack attempt by Knights defender Teitum Tuioti. Walters threw five touchdowns in the game. The first one being a strike to Malachi Coleman who called Walters the best QB in the state after the game.
“Walters called it. He saw exactly what they were going to do and he said, ‘If you run a skinny [post] it’s going to be wide open’ and that’s exactly what I did,” Coleman said. “Next thing you know, I’m moving down the field like it’s a track race.”
Walters is making a convincing case for being the best quarterback in Nebraska. He’s thrown at least four touchdowns in the last four games for the Spartans.
Look out for Malachi Coleman
More college football opportunities will come Lincoln East athlete Malachi Coleman’s way. He currently has one Division I offer from Northern Iowa. He put on a show during the rivalry game. Coleman caught a pair of touchdowns, had two sacks and forced a fumble in the game. At defensive end he’s got a high motor and uses his length well. When playing wide receiver his athleticism and leaping ability are tough to handle.
“Malachi’s a gifted athlete as well,” coach John Gingery said after the game. “He’s playing defensive end and wide receiver. He’s got a lot of tools. He can come off the edge and you saw him make some sacks plus big catches.”
If Coleman keeps making plays like he did in this game he will be on several college radars quickly.
Off night for Southeast
It was a rough night for the Knights. They got on the board first with a field goal during the opening drive of the game. Yet, they couldn’t put together much else until the fourth quarter on offense. When they did get on the board again, it was a very nice catch by Manny Appleget.
27-yard TD catch for Manny Appleget. Nifty catch for @SoutheastFB. Score is now 40-10 @LEHS_FB with the lead. 8:01 left in the game. #nebpreps pic.twitter.com/rWmyEjeDu5
— Greg Smith (@GregSmithHV) September 24, 2021
The offense has sputtered in the last few games for the Knights. The team will need to go back to the drawing board on that side of the football.
Playmakers for Lincoln East
Noah Walters will get a lot of deserved praise for his performance in the game. Credit is due to his playmakers too. Four different players caught his five touchdown passes. Luke Greisen caught one on a nifty pick play. Cooper Erikson hauled in a 20-yard score. Billie Stephenson had a nice 59-yard catch to kick off the second half. Coleman chipped in his pair of touchdowns in the first half. It was a nice all-around performance for the skill players for the Spartans.
Special Reunion
The Lincoln East Spartans had a special guest on the sidelines for the rivalry game. Nevada wide receiver Carson Walters was in town with his team on a bye week. He couldn’t miss the opportunity to see his younger brother, Noah, play for the Spartans.
“Oh, man, it’s awesome watching your brother play,” Carson said. “I’ve never seen him play before. So, it was really cool to come out and getting that opportunity, it was awesome.”
Carson was able to help coach his younger brother up during halftime of the game. He was just going over basic quarterback things like coverages. Carson couldn’t be prouder of how his brother played. This game was the first time since 2017 that Lincoln East beat Lincoln Southeast. Carson’s former teammate and current Husker Chris Walker helped jog Carson’s memory on that fun fact.
Greg is the Recruiting Analyst for Hail Varsity and has covered Husker athletics since 2013. He has always had a passion for sports while growing up in the Chicago area. As he got older and had to hang up his cleats and sneakers, he realized his passion for sports went beyond just watching and attending games. He has covered many events from the Rose Bowl to championship boxing matches. If he’s not talking sports, he’s hovering over his grill. He is married to an amazing woman, Kim, and they have a dog that barks when Greg yells at the TV during games.
