Joe Little was overcome with emotion Friday night as he stood in front of his Lincoln High School teammates. He knew the best medicine for his brother, Thomas, will be the Zebras’ thrilling victory.

Oscar Fernandez’s 4-yard touchdown with 44 seconds to play lifted Lincoln to a 28-21 win over Woodcreek in Roseville. The players and fans chanted “42” as the final seconds ticked away.

That is Thomas’ jersey number, which he would have been wearing Friday night if he was not recovering in a Roseville hospital. The senior linebacker was injured in a car accident Tuesday night.

“Thomas isn’t here, so we had to step it up for him,” Joe Little said. “We won the game for him. We’re dedicating everything to Thomas."

The Zebras entered their season opener with heavy hearts, and their play in the first half reflected as much. The Timberwolves scored three touchdowns in the final 2:44 of the second quarter to lead 21-7.

Two of those touchdowns came after fumbles by Lincoln. Head coach Ken Lowe did not try to fuel his team at halftime with an inspirational speech. All the Zebras had to do was think of Thomas.

Quarterback Christian Perkins and a few of his teammates visited Thomas before the game and received their marching orders. Perkins said Thomas told them to take care of business – and the Timberwolves.

“It was about all heart,” Perkins said as he wiped away tears. “All we talked about at halftime was if Thomas was out there, what would he do? He’s not just any player. He’s the heart of the team.

A 14-point halftime deficit was not going to rattle a team that had already faced adversity this week. The Zebras knew they could mount a comeback in the second half once they remembered how to hang on to the ball.

Then Woodcreek forgot how to do so. A fumble by backup quarterback Bobby Kovach, who replaced starter Shaun Mize after Mize sustained a leg injury, shifted momentum in Lincoln’s favor.

Fernandez capped a seven-play, 63-yard drive by the Zebras with a 1-yard touchdown run.

Woodcreek’s ensuing possession also was ended by a fumble. Kovach completed a short pass to Michael Blair, who lost the ball when he was drilled by Aldo Aguilar.

Lincoln followed by driving 63 yards in seven plays before Perkins scored on a 1-yard run. The Zebras were left trailing by a point, however, when Sam Hunt’s PAT attempt was low and got blocked.

The Zebras got the ball back with 8:54 to play after the defense forced the Timberwolves into a punt. Lincoln’s offense did the rest, marching 80 yards in 18 plays for the go-ahead touchdown.

Lincoln faced a fourth-and-3 at Woodcreek’s 37-yard line with 3:33 to play, and Anthony Esparza plowed for 4 yards. The Zebras had failed to convert two earlier fourth-down plays.

The Zebras were not as fortunate in the junior varsity game, losing 34-7. Jordan Tayee prevented the shutout by scoring on a 4-yard run in the fourth quarter.