Why Godby wanted to make a statement in 50-10 win over Lincoln

Why Godby wanted to make a statement in 50-10 win over Lincoln

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In a town with no formal city championship, Amos P. Godby wanted to ensure that there was no doubt about who the best high school football team in Tallahassee was.

“It’s been a lot of talk about city champs and who runs the city; who’s the best in the city? We wanted to make sure that it wasn’t a question after the game,” Godby head coach John Holston told the Tallahassee Democrat after the game.

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Therefore, the Cougars made a point of securing a dominant win to cap off the regular season, beating Lincoln 50-10 at Gene Cox Stadium in Friday’s Week 11 clash.

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Highlights from Godby vs. Pensacola Catholic, high school football

The Godby Cougars and the Pensacola Catholic Crusaders met on the turf at Gene Cox Stadium for a Thursday night football game, Sept. 3, 2026.

(Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat)

“It’s a little rivalry they want to create, but we just got to keep putting in the work to shut that down,” said Kyle Estimond, a junior wide receiver and safety for the Cougars.

“We know that we’re the better team when we do what we got to do. So we came out here and executed. It was definitely one we had checked off on the schedule since the beginning of the season. Everyone was looking forward to this game: the city, all of us, the players. This week, we’ve just been really focused, trying to do what we got to do to come out with a win like this.”

The Godby Cougars dominated the trenches and even nabbed three interceptions at the expense of Lincoln Trojans quarterback Thomas Hutchinson. Defensive back trio Terrian Akins Jr., Auceon Mitchell Jr., and Xavier Randolph all got a pick apiece.

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Three-star running back and South Alabama commit Kamren McMillan also got in on the action with a score.

But the star of the show was, in fact, Estimond. The 6-foot-2 deepball threat and transfer from North Florida Christian scored four total touchdowns, three on passes from three-star quarterback Landon Dougherty.

“I’m so happy he had a game like this because he deserved it,” Holston said about Estimond. “For him to go out and have this type of night, he deserves it.”

Godby head football coach John Holston speaks at 4Quartersonline Media Day at Hangar 38 in Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

Godby head football coach John Holston speaks at 4Quartersonline Media Day at Hangar 38 in Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

Estimond’s most impressive touchdown was an 86-yard punt return, which initially looked like the Cougars were going to let the Trojans down, but he picked it up and took it to the house.

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Since it fell to Wakulla in a 35-34 loss, the Cougars are prepared to enter the FHSAA Class 3A playoffs as a No. 2 seed.

Friday’s victory kept those hopes alive. A loss could have negatively impacted their tournament seeding, Holston shared.

Since falling to Wakulla, Godby has posted two consecutive 50-point games to add to their season total of three. Last week, Oct. 23, the Cougars beat Suwannee 52-0, and earlier in the season, the Cougars traveled to Niceville and left with a 57-22 win on Oct. 2.

Godby Cougars wide receiver Lacari Murray (4) makes his way down the field. The Godby Cougars and the Pensacola Catholic Crusaders met on the turf at Gene Cox Stadium for a Thursday night football game, Sept. 3, 2026.

Godby Cougars wide receiver Lacari Murray (4) makes his way down the field. The Godby Cougars and the Pensacola Catholic Crusaders met on the turf at Gene Cox Stadium for a Thursday night football game, Sept. 3, 2026.

“We dropped the ball against Wakulla, and we wanted to do after that was set the tone,” Holston said. “Let anybody know in the playoffs that if they see us, they’re going to see a lot of 50-point games back-to-back.”

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Teams are off next week, and then the FHSAA playoffs are set to start on Friday, Nov. 13.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Why Godby wanted to make a statement in 50-10 win over Lincoln

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