Like many teams, the start of every Lincoln of San Francisco flag football practice starts with a circle and some general, monotonous, every day calisthenics.
The Mustangs (9-1) agreed to finish off their season the very same way but there was nothing ordinary about this routine.
This came on the floor of historic Kezar Stadium after a landmark season-ending victory, 12-2 over Academic Athletic Association nemesis Lowell on Thursday. Yes, the last Thursday of November, better known as Thanksgiving, or around these parts, the Turkey Day Game.
In this case, and from now on, it will be Turkey Day Games, because Lincoln and Lowell joined the boys club on the gridiron.
This was the first San Francisco Section flag football championships and the duo of senior Anya Tom and sophomore receiver Kai’Veyh Robinson made it quite special, combining on two long touchdowns in each half to not only take home the initial championship, but also avenge a 21-0 loss to Lowell on Nov. 2.
“We knew we were way better than we showed before,” Robinson said. “We knew we had to bring it this game.
Said Tom: “It was a huge (revenge factor), because the first game was not us. We had way more potential than that. And we wanted to put it all on this field and we did. And we did it.”
It was all the more meaningful because this was the 100th birthday of the AAA and to share in the celebration on a field where once more than 50,000 fans showed up for a Turkey Day Game was not lost on the Mustangs.
“It was an absolute honor to be the first (girls flag football team) to do it on this day,” Tom said. “So it made me happy to wak up this morning, and I’m not a morning person.”
She and Robinson didn’t play like they needed a caffeine boost as they connected on five passes for more than 100 yards.
After the two hooked up on a beautiful 30-yard bomb that gave the Mustangs a two-score edge in about seven minutes to play, Lowell got on the scoreboard as well.
The two-point conversion try was intercepted by Hannah Sheleigh Tandoc who returned it the entire 80 yards for the Cardinals’ only score.
It didn’t matter because Lincoln’s defense was stout, especially Janeice Lopez, who knocked away several pass from the truly strong and accurate arm of Lowell’s Diamond Altamirano, who last time scored three touchdowns against the Mustangs.
The two beautiful pass plays and defensive play set up for the best moment of the day, Lincoln’s post calisthenics celebration, which included some excellent rhythm from head coach Jacquez Williams-Chish and assistant Tae Branner. Once done, the team joined into one final cheer to help send them off to Thanksgiving glee.
“Definitely,” Robinson said when asked if Thanksgiving dinner will taste better after the win. “Anya and I wanted this real bad. Our whole team wanted it really bad. We had to make it happen.”
