Lincoln High School is bringing home one of its own to breathe new life into its long-suffering football program.

Aaron Fricke, a 2006 graduate of Lincoln High School and former standout quarterback on the gridiron, was named earlier this month as the newest head coach of his alma mater. He calls it bittersweet to be departing Warrensburg-Latham for the job in Lincoln, but says a lot of good memories are being recalled recently.

Fricke got his first coordinator job as a defensive coordinator at Clinton High School before getting his first head coaching gig at Piasa Southwestern and eventually became the head coach at Warrensburg-Latham High School. He sees a lot of similarities to Lincoln High School that he encountered in both those stops. 

Fricke wants to play an aggressive, flying-around style of defense and hopes to throw the football around on offense and get lots of kids involved.

With the recent expansion of the playoffs, Coach Fricke recognizes that it certainly benefits Lincoln's chances to get in, but he still wants to see the Railsplitters reach that four-to-five-win total and earn that traditional playoff spot. 

Coach Fricke will also be taking a teaching position at Lincoln High School.