LINCOLN — Alec Pitts doesn’t talk much about his accomplishments on the football field this season.
Pitts, a 5-foot-9, 160-pound junior with a shock of bleached blonde hair that once was a mohawk, really doesn’t talk much about anything. Quiet and unassuming off the field, his play this season has spoken volumes on the field, helping Lincoln to a 10-1 record. It also helped the Wolves advance to the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs.
Ask him about his dad, Russell, and Alec smiles and his eyes light up immediately.
FRIDAY’S TICKET
LINCOLN AT MALVERN
Leopards Stadium
KICKOFF: 7 p.m.
RECORDS: Lincoln 10-1; Malvern 9-2
BETWEEN THE LINES: Lincoln continues to rewrite school history every week. The Wolves had set school records for wins, and won the program’s first playoff game last week. … Lincoln RB Tyler Cummings, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, has rushed for more than 1,600 yards and 26 touchdowns. … Malvern QB Trace Collie has passed for more than 1,000 yards and junior RB Monte Hernandez leads the team in rushing with 1,200 yards. … Lincoln junior QB Drew Harris has compiled more than 2,500 yards of offense.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Lincoln, RB Tyler Cummings (Sr., 6-1, 175), QB Drew Harris (Jr., 5-10, 160), WR/DB Alec Pitts (Jr, 5-9, 160). Malvern, QB Trace Collie (So., 5-10, 165), RB Montae Hernandez (Jr., 5-11, 190).
HOOTEN’S RANKINGS: Lincoln is No. 14 is Class 4A; Malvern is No. 7
HOOTEN’S LINE: Malvern by 11.
OUR TAKE: Lincoln 24, Malvern 21.
— CHIP SOUZA w @nwachip
“He loved Lincoln football,” Alec said. “He’d be on the sideline with me today if he was here. He coached all three of my brothers in peewee football.”
Russell Pitts died of a heart attack when Alec was a fourth-grader, working on the family’s farm outside of town. Even though his father is no longer here to see the Wolves enjoying their best season in school history, his son carries his memory on his helmet with the initials RSP, and in his heart.
“I’ve been thinking about him all season,” Alec said. “Every time I play.”
Lincoln coach Brad Harris has relied on Pitts’ versatility this season, using him in every way imaginable.
On offense, Pitts has played slot receiver where he has 26 catches for 604 yards and 8 touchdowns. He’s also carried the ball 17 times for 125 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, he’s been a stellar defensive back with 32 tackles, 9 pass breakups and 1 interception that he returned for a touchdown.
“Alec has done a little bit of everything for us this year,” Harris said. “That’s been the great thing about him. We knew that he could help us as a receiver and he’s also started at corner. And that’s been probably the biggest surprise, because we really didn’t have him penciled in there.
“Now he’s a two-way player for us. He hardly ever steps off the field. We try to get him a break every now and then, and he’s out a couple of plays, and he’s ready to go back in.”
The Wolves are riding high this week after winning their first playoff game ever last week at home against Nashville.
Pitts drew the unenviable task last Friday of covering Nashville’s highly touted LaMichael Pettway. Although Pitts gave up about six inches and 30 pounds to the Scrappers’ star, he held Pettway to just six catches for about 60 yards in the Wolves’ 27-14 win.
“It was tough,” Pitts said. “All week long everybody talked about how tough he was. The coaches told me I had to ‘D’ up on him. He caught a few balls. I mean you can’t totally stop him.”
This week the Wolves will face Malvern on the road, a team Harris said is very similar to Nashville. “They won’t have the 6-3 kid like Nashville did, but they have a lot of great athletes,” Harris said. “They are very quick, very explosive.”
Pitts will again have his work cut out for him trying to contain the Malvern receivers, but he continues to carry his father’s memory every time the ball is snapped. Even though Russell Pitts is gone, his love for the Wolves carries on through his son.