"The normally dry Collins soaked in the moment, a celebration ignited by a stunning rally that lifted Lincoln to a NorCal championship on its home field and a spot in a state title game Friday night in Fullerton. We have nationals in Indianapolis after state, and then we got internationals, Collins said, tongue in cheek. It's in Brazil. So get your passports and get your oxygen mask, because we got the universes after that."
"Collins, 61, is new to the CIF state playoffs. And after 33 years at Lincoln, he's earned the right to be a little silly. And serious. I'm not looking for validation, but it validates what we do and what we've done, Collins said. So that's what is cool for me. For most of his tenure, Collins didn't have the chance to reach a state championship game."
Kevin Collins, 61, led Lincoln-San Jose to a NorCal championship and a spot in a state title game after a stunning rally on its home field. The victory over Branham in the CCS Division IV championship at San Jose City College on Nov. 29, 2025, earned Lincoln a CIF state playoff berth. Collins has coached at Lincoln for 33 years and previously lacked a state playoff opportunity because Lincoln traditionally played the Big Bone Thanksgiving rivalry against San Jose High. The Big Bone game moved earlier in 2021, creating an opening for postseason advancement. Collins celebrated the milestone with teammates and supporters.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]