East Lincoln football completes unbeaten season, wins NC 3A title over Northern Nash
David Lubowicz remembers when he first thought this season’s East Lincoln High football team had the potential for something special.
“It was last spring, and we were having a day when the college coaches could come in and visit,” recalled Lubowicz, head coach of the Mustangs.
“We had more than 50 coaches show up,” he said. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘Hmm … maybe we are that good.’ ”
His hunch was right. The Mustangs were that good.
His team thundered its way to an unbeaten season, beating all but one of its 16 opponents by two touchdowns or more, and capped it all with a 30-15 victory Saturday night over Northern Nash in the 3A state championship game.
The Mustangs weren’t an overnight success.
“The groundwork for what happened this season was laid several years ago, when most of these kids were playing together in middle school,” Lubowicz said.
Lincoln County’s middle schools play in a conference with teams from Cleveland and Rutherford counties. That meant games against powerhouses like Kings Mountain, Shelby, Crest and Burns. East Lincoln lost a few of those contests, but Lubowicz said the young Mustangs learned.
“They found out what it takes to win against that kind of competition,” he said.
East Lincoln won state championships in 2012 and 2014. The community has high standards for Mustang football. Lubowicz and athletics director Chris Matile said some fans wished for more success in recent seasons.
“We had a couple of ordinary years, by East Lincoln standards,” Matile said. “But we knew what was coming.”
Mustangs turn the corner
This fall, it all came together.
Senior Ty Mizzell, a 6-1, lanky quarterback, threw for nearly 2,500 yards. Another senior, Ben Cutter, totaled more than 180 tackles, ran the ball on occasion, and punted well. Two other seniors, Keandre Walker and Markell Clark, were the team’s top receivers.
And a talented sophomore class stepped up, led by running back Christopher Daley, who rushed for more than 1,650 yards.
“The 2014 (title) team was a little more top-heavy in talent,” Lubowicz said. “This team was more balanced.”
The landmark point of the season came in the 3A playoff quarterfinals, when the Mustangs visited unbeaten Kings Mountain. It was a chance not only to slay the giant of 3A football this fall, but also settle a score from those middle school days.
“Winning that game the way we did gave us the big boost of confidence,” said Lubowicz, whose team won 46-20.
A winter refugee
Lubowicz, who grew up in a Cleveland suburb and admits to being a refugee from the snowy winters, arrived at East Lincoln in 2006. He served as defensive coordinator for 10 years under Mike Byus, who guided the Mustangs to a 41-4 record between 2014 and 2016.
Byus left after the 2016 season for a job in Rock Hill, and Lubowicz got the reins.
He said he is “more of a facilitator than a hands-on guy.”
He credits offensive coordinator Matt Beam and defensive coordinator Ryan Goffio for the Mustangs’ success.
But Lubowicz was a steady hand, guiding the ship, through a 2022 season that wasn’t as smooth as it might appear from the outside.
“We had our problems,” he said. “We had some sickness, and we had a squabble from time to time. These kids weathered some adversity. But in the end, they came together.”
A rough start
They weathered adversity Saturday night at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.
Northern Nash took the game’s opening drive and dashed 69 yards in three plays for a touchdown. Then East Lincoln fumbled the ball away on their first play from scrimmage.
The Mustangs trailed 9-7 after the first quarter.
“Give Northern Nash credit,” Lubowicz said. “They came out and punched us in the mouth. Our kids had to react, and they did it well.”
Mizzell, named the game’s Most Valuable Player, threw a pair of touchdown passes in the second quarter, and the Mustangs led 24-9 at halftime. In the second half, East Lincoln relied on its defense, which allowed only two opponents to score more than 10 points this season.
Mizzell, who will be a preferred walk-on next season at Wake Forest, finished with 145 yards passing and 43 rushing yards. Daley, who already received an offer from Appalachian State in the past week, rushed for 84 yards. Cutter, a West Virginia commit, had three tackles for loss, rushed for 63 yards in the fourth quarter, and had punts of 47 and 51 yards.
Virginia commit Keandre Walker caught a touchdown pass, and senior defensive end Diego Neira batted down three passes and had an interception.
After the game, Mizzell told reporters that the Mustangs felt the support of the eastern Lincoln County community.
“Look at all the people who are out here,” he said, pointing to the stands. “The community has been great to us. And this senior class worked hard to get here.”
Three who made a difference
Diego Neira, East Lincoln: A 6-1, 220-pound defensive end, Neira had an interception and batted down three passes. He was named Defensive Player of the Game.
Ty Mizzell, East Lincoln: Mizzell, a senior who will be a preferred walk-on next season at Wake Forest, passed for 145 yards and rushed for 43 yards.
Ashton Rhodes, Northern Nash: Rhodes, a 6-5, 230-pound tight end, caught a touchdown pass and was a big part of his team’s offense in the second half.
Worth mentioning
▪ First-Half Controversial Play No. 1: Midway in the second quarter, Northern Nash’s Randall King, the team’s leading receiver, was hit from behind by an East Lincoln defender after dropping a pass. King’s left leg buckled, and he was helped to the sidelines. No penalty was called, much to the consternation of the Northern Nash fans.
▪ First-Half Controversial Play No. 2: On East Lincoln’s final drive of the half, Northern Nash defender Elijay Pitt appeared to intercept a Mizzell pass at the Knights’ 30, but Mustangs’ receiver Markell Clark knocked the ball loose. Officials ruled it an incomplete pass. Northern Nash’s players and coaches argued, in vain, that it was an interception.
▪ Mike Byus, who coached East Lincoln to state football championships in 2012 and 2014, was on the sidelines Saturday night, supporting the Mustangs. Byus resigned at East Lincoln in 2016 and is now the offensive coordinator at Rock Hill.
Scoring summary
East Lincoln 7 17 0 6 — 30
Northern Nash 9 0 0 6 — 15
NN – Keno Jones 3 run (kick failed)
EL – Christopher Daley 35 run (Christopher Mileta kick)
NN – FG Bryson Jenkins 22
EL – Markell Clark 14 pass from Ty Mizzell (Mileta kick)
EL – Keandre Walker 18 pass from Mizzell (Mileta kick)
EL – FG Mileta 35
EL – FG Mileta 25
EL – FG Mileta 29
NN – Ashton Rhodes 5 pass from Jones (pass failed)
Final scoreboard
PHOTOS: Northern Nash vs. East Lincoln
This story was originally published December 10, 2022 at 5:48 PM.
