CHARLESTON -- After looking out of sorts for much of the first half, Charleston finally looked like a team worthy of a conference champion.
Thanks to scoring 44 points in the 44 points in a 23-minute span, the Tigers clinched a share of the 3A-1 championship with a 51-14 victory over Lincoln Friday at Alumni Field.
Charleston (8-0, 5-0 3A-1 Conference) can wrap up the outright conference crown with a win at West Fork next week.
"I told the kids that we are sharing the title tonight. Next week, though, we really don't want to share it," Charleston Coach Ricky May said.
For much of the first half, it was Wolves who were playing like a conference title was at stake. Lincoln led for much of the first half and made plays all over the field – blocking a field goal, recovering an onside kick and turning a muffed punt into a touchdown.
"It wasn't just special teams," May said. "We weren't very focused and we weren't ready to play. Maybe from here on out, they will be focused."
Keller Price's fumble recovery at the Tiger 38 led to a 19-yard touchdown pass from Drew Moore to Kyler Calvin with 7 minutes left in the first half for the 14-7 Lincoln lead.
The last seven minutes of the first half, though, would belong to the Tigers.
After recovering the onside kick after the Lincoln score, Charleston moved 50 yards in 3 plays, the final play being a 35-yard run by Brevyn Ketter. Quarterback Brandon Scott kept for the 2-point conversion giving the Tigers their first lead of the game at 15-14.
The next Charleston score was keyed by a Daniel Hice fumble recovery at the Wolf 19. Two plays later, Reece Merechka scored from the 9 and Brevyn Ketter added the two-point conversion for the 23-14 lead with 1:11 left in the second quarter.
The second half was all Tigers, scoring on fourth consecutive possessions to turn the game into a rout.
The defense also stepped up, getting a pair of turnovers, one of which ended a goal-line stand, to fuel the 28-0 second-half run.
Charleston opened the second half with a 54-yard kickoff return by Bryton Ketter, leading to Merechka 11-yard touchdown run for a 30-14 lead less than two minutes into the third quarter.
Ketter then picked off a Moore pass and returned it to the Wolf 20. Three plays later, Scott hit Tyton Jones for a 13-yard touchdown pass and the Tiger lead had increased to 37-14 midway in the third quarter.
Though Lincoln did march to the Tiger 3 for a first and goal, three plays netted just 2 yards. On fourth and goal, Brycen Kendrix picked off a pass in the end zone to end the threat.
Charleston then marched 80 yards, capped by Brevyn Ketter's 1-yard run with 9:13 left in the fourth quarter for a 44-14 lead.
Another Hendrix interception led to Breven Ketter's third touchdown of the game, a 23-yard run, with 8 minutes left. Ketter finished with 84 yards on 13 carries and also added a two-point conversion run.