They didn’t win the game, but they earned a ton of respect.

The Lincoln Hornets gave up 17 unanswered fourth-quarter points to Mission Viejo to see their upset hopes disappear in the non-league clash at Lincoln High School, losing 34-24.

“I have nothing but praise for Lincoln, their coaches and their kids. They played a great game,” said Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson, whose team is ranked No. 9 in the country. “I’m a big public school fan and like us, I know the challenges you face. Those kids played hard.”

Trailing 17-10 at the half, the Hornets (2-1) came out fast in the second half.

They took the second half kickoff, established their ground game and then hit the big play to knot the score with 9:14 remaining in the third quarter. The big play was quarterback Kainan Manna (13-for

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