SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — After winning a state championship while playing every game and practice away from home, Lincoln High School's football team is finally back on their own turf with a brand-new field.
The Hornets were forced to play the entire 2024 season on the road due to unsafe field conditions caused by water damage and years of wear and tear. Despite the massive inconvenience of practicing and playing games away from campus, Lincoln won its second Division 1-AA state title in three years.
"Last year was definitely a challenge not being here. Practicing at four different locations, catching the bus every single day. We ended up having 150 hours less preparation time than our opponents," Lincoln head coach David Dunn told ABC 10News.
The team's field had become dangerous for players, and while a new field was planned, the installation process took months, leaving the Hornets essentially homeless for a full season.
"We were all over the city, just trying to make it work. And still to come out as the only team to come out last year with a state championship was amazing," Dunn said.
The transformation is dramatic. Where there was once an unusable, deteriorated field 12 months ago, there is now a state-of-the-art facility ready for football, soccer, lacrosse and girls flag football. The school also has a usable track for the first time since 2019.
"The turf has the right amount of cushion under it, I mean it actually feels really good to work on. And the kids deserve it. The conditions before were just not acceptable at all for anyone's kids to be on it," Dunn said.
After opening the season with a win in Hawaii, the Hornets will christen their new field on Friday night with a game against perennial powerhouse Long Beach Poly as they pursue another state title.
"We're playing a really big schedule, and Long Beach Poly coming here is amazing. People are looking for tickets already," Dunn said.
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