On a day when every yard had to be earned, Cumberland’s Junior Peewee Clippers earned enough—and made seven points stand up.
It was another statement game for Cumberland. After last week’s blowout win, this one showed the Clippers could win a tight game when execution and fundamentals mattered. Every inch. Every play. Every player doing his job. Against a well-coached Lincoln team, the little things made the difference.
Luka Demers found the end zone in the first quarter, and Jack Jodoin added the conversion for a 7–0 lead. Those would be the only points of the game. The opening score gave Cumberland an advantage; the work over the remaining quarters made it hold up.
Lincoln made Cumberland earn its yardage, closing quickly and tackling well. Jodoin’s running captured the kind of effort it took. On a direct snap toward the left, he met resistance, kept working through contact and fought for three hard yards.
Three yards do not jump off a stat sheet. But keeping a play alive and turning resistance into positive yardage mattered in a game where neither team could afford to give much away.
There were setbacks, too. A false start backed Cumberland into third-and-long, and a possession ended on downs. The Clippers had to turn back to their defense to protect a lead that remained just one score.
Bryce Wilson, number 14, came away with an interception in the secondary. Cumberland’s quarterback made his mark on defense as well, delivering a takeaway that kept Lincoln from turning another opportunity into points.
Patrick Wilson delivered a tackle for loss that helped put a Lincoln drive behind the chains. Cumberland’s pursuit then forced a runner wider, and Demers finished the tackle after a short gain. The Clippers followed with a fourth-down stop, protecting the lead and putting the ball back in their offense’s hands.
Late in the fourth quarter, Jack Travers, No. 9, supplied a seven-yard run that helped put Cumberland in position to move the chains again. The Clippers converted for the first down they needed, protected possession and finished in victory formation.
The first-quarter touchdown made the difference on the scoreboard. Jodoin fighting through contact, Wilson’s interception, the defensive pursuit and the late offensive execution made that difference last.
A week earlier, Cumberland showed it could pull away. Sunday against Lincoln, the Clippers showed they could finish a game with a rival still right there. Seven points can be enough when a team keeps doing the little things right.