By the numbers: Previewing Lincoln at Ida B. Wells football, PIL title game

The 59th meeting between Ida B. Wells and Lincoln High School football is going to be a little extra special on Friday night.

The two Southwest Portland foes are not only rivals, but the matchup will decide the 2026 PIL champion as both sides enter 7-0 in league with the Guardians 8-0 overall and the Cardinals 7-1 overall.

Not only is the title on the line, but the home playoff game that comes with the league title is also up for grabs.

And to twist the tension even further, the game could be the last ever on the field at Wells with construction on the new building set to begin in December on the field.

To help get you ready for the game, which is at 7 p.m. at Wells, here are 10 numbers you should know:

36-21-1

That’s the all-time record in this rivalry matchup in favor of Wells, which first opened in 1956 as Wilson High School and the first matchup with Lincoln happened a year later in 1957 (a 47-12 Cardinals win).

While Wells may hold the all-time lead, this century has seen better results for Lincoln with a 14-9 record since 2000, including a 54-38 victory last season.

90

That’s the amount of points Wells has given up in seven games played this season (with one game forfeited).

Average that out and it’s only 12.9 points per game allowed by the Guardians who reached a running clock in six of their seven games this season. The 90 points are also the fewest allowed in 6A this season, besting No. 1 Lake Oswego by a point with 91.

1,305

That’s the number of rushing yards Lincoln junior Antayus Wilkins has this season, a new Cardinals single-season record and currently the most in all of 6A this season.

Wilkins, who transferred from Jefferson in the summer, has flourished in the Cardinals offense and recently picked up an offer from Oregon State. He has quickly vaulted the rankings to be considered by most as the top running back in the state.

2,786

That’s how many yards Wells has rushed for this season in its vaunted power-T offense. That’s nearly 400 yards per night, coming in at an even 398 average.

The Guardians get it done by committee too with the individual leader being junior Lucius Coon with 604 yards. Senior Kannon Walter is next with 408 yards and senior Oliver Hamzaoui is third with 385.

372

That’s the number of career tackles Lincoln senior Leonardo Correani has after starting on varsity all four years of his prep career, setting a new program career record.

The linebacker has been a mainstay during the Cardinals’ climb back to the top of the PIL, and he recently received a PWO offer from Oregon State. He’s been one of the best LBs in the league and the state since stepping into the Friday night lights back in 2023.

12 and 9

Those are the number of PIL football titles for Lincoln (12) and Wells (9) since the league started play back in 1906.

Three of those titles for Lincoln came before Wells was even established, so in their shared history together, they both have an equal number of crowns. The last league title for Lincoln was a split in 2018 (last outright was 2017) while Wells recently won in 2023 and 2024.

21

That’s the number of seniors on the Lincoln side who have all seen the program rise from nearly rock bottom.

Prior to the seniors’ freshmen season, the Cardinals went 2-7 in 2022 and were looking for a new head coach. Cody Schnaufer came in for 2023 and it’s been a climb from 4-6 in 2023 to 6-4 in 2024 to 7-3 in 2025 and now 7-1 so far in 2026.

7

That’s the number of years Wells head coach Robby Scharf has been involved with the program when he came aboard in 2020 alongside Keith Bennett.

The Guardians went 0-8 the year prior in 2019 and were looking for answers with no youth program to speak of. Scharf helped get the youth program moving and this year’s seniors were all sixth graders when that got reestablished.

6

That’s the number of non-offensive touchdowns Lincoln has scored this season.

Senior Greyson Murff, who recently committed to Colorado State to continue his track and field career, has half of those with two kickoff return TDs and one pick-six. Auden Rose, Bodhi Knight and Ben Azerrad have the other three.

24

That’s the number of pass attempts Wells has this entire season, all thrown by senior QB Jude Nolan.

There’s no surprise in what the offense is going to look like for Wells come kickoff, and Nolan is the master of it with getting the backs into place and disguising the ball in order to pull off the explosive ground game.