SAN JOSE — The 79th Big Bone game, as so often has been the case in recent years, was no contest on the field. Lincoln opened a 43-point halftime lead en route to a 56-28 victory Friday night over host San Jose.
But that’s only part of the story. The grandstands on both the home and visitors sides were full and a spillover on the Lincoln side ringed that side of the field. The game between the two oldest public high schools in San Jose is a community event, and while it’s no longer played on Thanksgiving Day — this was only the second Big Bone game played in September — it’s a game that many want to see live on into the foreseeable future.
“I love continuing the tradition,” Lincoln quarterback Tayden Phillips said, giving voice to a sentiment heard on all sides, all around the field.
Phillips sparked the Lions to that big first-half advantage with his arm and his legs. He was 8-of-9 for 184 yards the first two quarters as the Lions built a 49-6 lead at the break. He ended up completing 9 of 11 passes for 220 yards and rushed for 53 yards on four carries.
“He’s phenomenal and a great kid,” Lincoln coach Kevin Collins said. “He’s a lot of fun to coach, makes me look smart.”
His preferred target was his brother, freshman Kyan Phillips, who caught five passes for 172 yards and three touchdowns. No accident the brother combination wound up at Lincoln. Their father is the JV coach and their mother is the school’s activity director.
Salvador Espinoza, another player with deep Lincoln connections, ran for three touchdowns. His four older sisters as well as his mother attended the school.
“I’ve always wanted to play football here,” Espinoza said. “I love football, so it’s always a good experience to play in the Big Bone. It’s always fun to play.”
Of course, it’s easy for the Lincoln community to enjoy the experience after the Lion won their 24th consecutive Big Bone game. But San Jose fans also stayed supportive until the end, and the Bulldogs gave them something to cheer about in the second half.
San Jose quarterback Raul Sandoval ended up having a noteworthy game. He was 14-of-15 passing in the second half and finished 22 of 31 for 247 yards. He also rushed for three of the Bulldogs’ four touchdowns. On pass play after pass play he went to JP Aguiar, who ended up with career-type numbers — 13 catches for 161 yards.
“We beat ourselves in the first half, but we fought very hard and I was very happy with the way we played on offense in the second half,” San Jose coach Prashant Kumar said.
Source: www.mercurynews.com