Top-ranked Cathedral Catholic steamrolls past third-ranked Lincoln

Top-ranked Cathedral Catholic and No. 3-ranked Lincoln came into Friday night’s game unbeaten and seemingly unstoppable.

Both teams featured high-powered offenses — Cathedral was averaging 44 points a game and Lincoln 51 points a game.

Both teams featured stingy defenses — Cathedral had allowed only two touchdowns in three games while Lincoln was unscored on in three games.

So what gives?

“I hope our defense takes over and the offense puts up points,” Cathedral Catholic coach Sean Doyle said coming into the game.

Doyle’s wish was granted.

The Dons defense spent most of the evening in the Lincoln backfield while the Dons offense ran up and down the field in a 41-0 victory at Cathedral Catholic High.

“We knew they were going to come out hard, so we practiced 10 times harder than we ever did — and it showed on the scoreboard,” Cathedral running back Lucky Sutton said.

Part of Cathedral’s inspiration was last season’s 23-19 loss to the Hornets.

“We knew we had to come out with a chip on our shoulder,” said Dons defensive lineman Alex Dilorenzo, who summed things up simply: “We just played hard.”

Seemingly every play.

Lincoln quarterback Samuel Cooper connected with wide receiver Jalil Tucker on a 67-yard pass play down the left sideline with 9 1/2 minutes remaining in the game.

The Hornets’ total offense the remainder of the game was minus-5 yards.

They managed only three first downs.

“Every single one of them likes to hit, which is nice to have on defense,” Doyle said. “They hit. They fly around. It’s incredible. They were rallying to the ball and punishing (Lincoln’s) runners, whether it was the quarterback or their running backs.”

With several of Lincoln’s starters playing on both sides of the ball, the Hornets got noticeably tired as the game played out.

“I can’t have linemen going both ways, they wear on you,” Lincoln head coach David Dunn said. “They got a lot of push (at the line), and it disrupted my quarterback’s and running backs’ rhythm. Can’t do anything without that.”

Sutton carried 29 times, including touchdown runs of 15 and 3 yards, for 234 of the Dons’ 362 rushing yards.

Sutton’s longest carry was his last one, a 52-yard romp to the Lincoln 2-yard line that set up Cathedral’s final touchdown with four minutes remaining.

“I’m not going to lie, they were beating me up,” Sutton said. “They stacked the box a lot, but I just kept my head in the game and pushed on. I got tired a little bit, but I had to keep on going.”

Neither offense seemed too interested in reaching the end zone in the game’s opening minutes before Sutton burst up the middle for a 15-yard score with 2:44 remaining in the first quarter.

The Dons added a 3-yard TD run by Tanoai Letuli midway through the second quarter on the way to a 17-0 halftime lead.

Cathedral’s other running backs got into the act in the second half, with Christian Hall scoring on a 36-yard run in the third quarter and Jack Kilpatrick scoring on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Cathedral kicker Ian Hawkins also added 34- and 35-yard field goals.

Cathedral closes out the abbreviated season next week against Madison while Lincoln plays St. Augustine.

Cathedral Catholic 41, Lincoln 0

Lincoln 0 0 0 0 — 0

Cathedral 7 10 7 17 — 41

CC — Sutton 15 run (Hawkins kick)

CC — Letuli 3 run (Hawkins kick)

CC — Hawkins 34 FG

CC — Hall 36 run (Hawkins kick)

CC — Hawkins 35 FG

CC — Sutton 3 run (Hawkins kick)

CC — Kilpatrick 2 run (Hawkins kick)

— Kirk Kenney is a reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune