LINCOLN FIREFIGHTERS TO WEAR EAST LINCOLN TEE SHIRTS
Mustangs Defeat Wolves at David Clark Stadium

By Jon Mayhew

DENVER -- Both East Lincoln and Lincolnton's marching bands performed the Star Spangled Banner on the field at David Clark Stadium Friday night, in front of a standing-room-only crowd before the start of a county rivalry that goes back 35 years.

That was the only sign of unity between the two teams. Once the whistles blew and the cannon fired at the beginning of the game, all bets were off....except one.

Firefighters from the Lincolnton Fire Department and the East Lincoln Fire Department made a friendly wager. The wager, simply, was the fire department of the losing team had to wear tee shirts representing the fire departments of the winning team.

This coming week, Lincolnton firefighters will don "Station 3" tee shirts while working at the Lincolnton Fire Department.

In what many are viewing as an upset -- "we weren't expecting the game score to be like this" was heard mor ethan once over the weekend -- East Lincoln trounced Lincolnton 49 - 14.

Lincolnton Coach Scott Cloninger told The Carolina Scoop earlier in the week that while his team was excited about the upcoming game, they were also cautious.

"Going into the game, we were 29 and 6," said Cloninger.

Within the first several minutes of play into the first quarter, East Lincoln struck first -- and second -- blood, scoring two touchdowns. The game, heard on WLON radio, was a downer for Lincolnton fans.

East Lincoln firefighters joked about the bet on the sidelines of the stadium, much like Lincolnton firefighters joked at the fire department earlier in the week.

"I hope we have shirts they can wear," said Lincolnton firefighter Mike Shrum.

All joking aside, however, the fact remains that Lincolnton firefighters will now be wearing the shirts bearing the logo of "Station 3."