The party is over, the cake is gone and the mullets are shaved.
Lincoln Cardinals football ended its season — one game ahead of schedule — with a 34-28 loss at Monroe City in the Missouri Class 1 State semifinal.
While a devoted Lincoln football fan, Cardinals basketball head coach Tyler Burke had just four practices before the team’s first game Tuesday in the Warsaw Tournament.
Burke described mixed feelings on Lincoln football’s deep playoff run.
“It was and it wasn’t (frustrating),” Burke said. “I’ve been coaching these seniors since they were freshman. It was tough, but, I’m also really close to those guys. I’m a big fan in everything that they do. We just tried to support them and cheer them on. We wanted them to go as far as they possibly could, and when we got them, we got them.”
The Cardinals, made up of 11 seniors and five juniors, appeared flat-footed at times in a 63-47 win over Warsaw in the opening round of the Wildcats’ tournament.
Lincoln advanced to face Cole Camp Thursday night in the tournament against a coach who can relate to Burke’s position.
Bluebirds head basketball coach Dan Schnell coached Smithton in the 1986-87 season. That year, the Tigers advanced to the Missouri state final four, limiting practice time for the basketball team.
“We got home at 3 o’clock in the morning,” Schnell said. “We practiced on Saturday afternoon, practiced on Sunday afternoon and played our first two games Monday and Tuesday.”
Smithton won its first Kaysinger Tournament in six years that season, its most recent title to date.
“I know exactly what he’s going through,” Schnell said. “It’s a tough situation, but he’s got great kids.”
Schnell said Lincoln’s athleticism and speed, however, is a multi-sport advantage no matter the hours practiced.
“They’re quick,” Schnell said. “It’s to the point that it gives you nightmares to think about their quickness. That’s why their football team was successful. They were quick, fast, aggressive and they’re the same way in basketball.”
For all its team speed and scheduled urgency, Burke said he did not rush to transition the Cardinals into basketball season.
“It’s a luxury to have so many old kids that are familiar with each other,” Burke said. “We gave them days off. That’s tough for most kids to turn around. Sometimes, they’re not really sure, ‘Do I even want to play?’
“I mean, they’re all beat up, they just played the final four game. Credit to those kids for coming out and saying, ‘OK, we’re going to do another 3-4 month season here.”
