LINCOLN – There were far too many penalties to his liking, but other than that Lincoln High football coach Dave Waycott was generally pleased with how his young squad performed this fall.
The Lions, a team that consists of just seven seniors, finished their league campaign in Division II-B with a 3-4 mark. Entering its season finale against Johnston this Thursday morning on Thanksgiving, Lincoln (5-4 overall) has won three of its last four games.  
“Our goal was to improve each game with the kids we had,” Waycott said. “The kids did a lot of work over the summer, and it showed.”
Lincoln was just a win short of earning a playoff berth this year when it lost a close 20-15 decision to neighboring rival Cumberland the first weekend of November. But it was more than a dropped pass near the end zone late in the fourth quarter of that contest that determined its fate for the postseason.
Except for their most recent game - a 7-6 win over non-league foe Woonsocket on Nov. 15 - the Lions have often put themselves in a hole with a number of unnecessary penalties.
“That has been our Achilles’ heel,” Waycott said. “Penalties have been a nagging problem. It’s been tough this year, but we have been getting better.”
Lincoln will be looking to limit those mistakes when it ends its season on Turkey Day versus a quality Johnston squad.  The Panthers, who are currently in the mix for a trip to the playoffs in D-III with a record of 5-3, are an explosive offensive team that scored 231 points in nine games overall.
“Johnston is a very good team,” Waycott said. “They have a lot of team speed, very aggressive. We definitely have our hands full.”
Leading the way for the Panthers is quarterback Brandon Parillo, who is dangerous with his arm and his legs. The senior QB has a 54-percent completion rate (47-for-87) for 868 yards. On the ground, he’s even more lethal. When he steps on Ferguson Field this Thursday for the 10:30 a.m., contest, Parillo will be aiming to break the 1,000-yard plateau. Currently, the La Salle Academy transfer has 947 yards on just 50 carries.
In the Panthers’ last contest – a 46-24 victory over Central on Nov. 14 – Parillo carried the ball for 200 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run. 
“He’s a special quarterback,” Waycott said. “He’s very elusive, very shifty. He can throw and can run. Basically, we’ve got to put pressure on him. Once he scrambles, he’s (hard to contain). He’s really an explosive quarterback. We’ve got to put pressure on him.”
Lincoln is certainly not without its offensive threats. According to the Lincoln coach, sophomore quarterback Ryan O’Dell has performed admirably behind center in his first season as a starter.
“Ryan’s done exactly what we’ve asked him to do this season,” Waycott said. “Sometimes I have to remind myself that he’s only a sophomore. He’s really a strong player and he’s only going to get better in the next two years.”
On both sides of the ball, senior captains Harry Oakley (WR/LB) and Dan Reddington (WR/LB) have also proven to be valuable assets this season. Oakley sparked the Lions in their win over Woonsocket with a 70-yard TD reception from O’Dell. He’ll also be a player Lincoln will be relying on to make Parillo nervous. Oakley finished fifth in the league in quarterback sacks. Reddington was seventh in tackles.
If the Lions can make things uncomfortable for Parillo and stay away from those “nagging” penalties, Waycott likes his squad’s chances of putting a positive close to what’s been a solid season.
“We just have to play our game and do what we’ve done in the past,” he said. “We still haven’t played our perfect game yet, and we still got one to go.”