Friday, November 6, 2009
By Rick Curl, Sports Writer
Greene County Daily World
Going into Friday’s championship game of Class A Sectional 40, the Linton-Stockton Miners felt they still had unfinished business with the North Daviess Cougars.
Back on September 25 the Cougars handed the Miners a lopsided 34-6 setback that sent them into a two-week long nosedive that cost them the Southwest Seven Conference crown and forced head coach Steve Weber to reevaluate where his team was headed.
“Linton is a great community to coach in, but it’s also a tough community to coach in,” Weber said. “You don’t lose games, but if you do the natives get restless and it was getting real restless.”
As a result of that loss — and a 15-7 defeat at the hands of North Knox the next time out — Weber went back to the basics.
“I don’t know if they wrote us off but a lot of people were concerned and a lot of people started saying this is that rebuilding year,” Weber said. “The guys don’t buy into that, they played hard.”
He changed the offense back to the wing-T that been so successful and went back to a basic defensive set.
Both changes paid large dividends when it counted most.
“They’re great kids,” Weber said. “They struggled to learn things but they’re hard-nosed kids. They don’t quit, they keep battling and fighting.”
Weber said the loss to the Cougars put his team into a different mindset, one he knew could be turned around.
“That game is what molded this team right now,” Weber said.
Kaleb Bridges made up for a near-fatal fumble with 2:58 to play and Evan Magni slammed the door on the Cougars’ hopes with an interception in the shadow of the Miners’ goal posts to seal a 28-24 victory and secure the sectional title for the third year in a row.
Bridges had fumbled the ball twice in the third quarter. Once to set up North Daviess at the Miners’ 32-yard line which led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Cougars’ quarterback Jano Davis that erased an 18-14 Linton-Stockton lead and a second on the next drive that prevented a retaliatory score.
Fortunately for the Miners, Bridges second miscue was negated by a Kyle Smith fumble recovery on North Daviess’ next possession.
Smith’s heroics also set up the Miners for a touchdown that would keep their dwindling hopes alive at their own 18-yard line.
It took only three plays for the Miners to find new life as Stefan Sparks, Tylor Scott and Evan Magni combined to cut the gap to 24-21 with :49 seconds left in the third quarter.
First Sparks ripped off a 37-yard rumble through the North Daviess defense ahead of a Cougar offside penalty that left the ball at the 40 and an aerial hook up between Scott and Magni.
Magni hauled in Scott’s throw and outraced the defense to the end zone. His scamper combined with Dyllanne Deischer’s third extra point of the night, cut the lead to 24-21 and set in motion the final heroics.
The first rally for Linton-Stockton came defensively when North Daviess was denied a trip to the end zone thanks to a sack by Bridges that forced a punt.
Bridges’ defensive gem stalled a North Daviess drive that appeared headed to the end zone, which would have most likely put the game out of reach.
Instead his sack of Davis at the Miners’ 46-yard line forced a punt and ultimately set Bridges up to make full amends for earlier miscues.
With 9:36 left on the clock, the Miners took over on their own 27.
Magni, Bridges, Sparks and Scott combined to move the football the Cougar 25 yard line. If Bridges touchdown run on the drive-capper was the biggest play, then Sparks second-effort surge forward on fourth down at the ND 46 was next.
“We needed a half-inch,” Weber said. “And maybe we got that a half-inch more. It was a great conversion.”
With the ball sitting just short of the first down marker to keep the drive alive, Weber decided to go for the first down and Sparks didn’t hesitate.
The big offensive lineman turned fullback used his 230-pounds to bully his way through the ND defensive line. He was able to gain just enough to record the first down and keep things moving for the Miners.
“He wasn’t going to stop,” Weber said about Sparks’ effort on the critical play. “He told me, ‘coach they won’t get me in the backfield’ and he lived up to his word.”
Seven plays later — also on fourth down — Weber took a timeout and called “37 Power”. The play gave Bridges one more chance to show what he could do.
“I was nervous as hell, I couldn’t even believe running the ball,” Bridges said. “The fumbles really tore me up, I thought I’d lost the game for us. I thought it was over.”
What the senior did was bang his way through the hole opened up by the Miners’ line and take the lead back at 28-24 with 1:32 to go.
“I was so nervous, I knew I had to get those 4 yards and I didn’t know if I could do it,” Bridges said. “I went up into the hole, just cutback and they couldn’t stop me. So I ran for a touchdown.”
When asked if the play went as he had drawn it up Weber was quick to note that it was the final result that made the difference.
“I know about that,” he said. “But it went. I think he made a nice run, made a nice cut and found the seam and celebrated to the end zone.”
The rest was up to the Linton-Stockton defense and it didn’t disappoint despite giving up a 32-yard rumble from Davis that left the ball sitting at the Miner 14 with 1:05 to play.
“We just had to play tougher when they got down in the red zone,” Magni said.
With the home field fans rattling the bleachers, the Miner defense responded in kind rattling the North Daviess offense one last time.
Davis failed to connect with Kendall Wittmer on first down before a sack by Linton-Stockton’s defensive duo of Smith and Tyler Gwaltney stuffed Davis at the 20.
“The guys could have quit, but they didn’t, they tracked him down,” Weber said. “I was nervous. They’re down there and they can throw the ball. Jano has a great arm and great receivers.”
That left 49 seconds on the clock and handed things to Magni who also didn’t disappoint the crowd who were into a complete frenzy by that time.
Davis dropped back, looked to the middle of the secondary and threw up a ball that Magni tipped to himself.
“We were just in a deep zone trying to make sure they didn’t make a big play on us,” Magni said. “He threw the ball out in the middle and I just ran my butt off and broke on the ball as hard as I could and got the interception.”
The win leaves the Miners at 9-3 and facing another tough opponent in the regional — 12-0 Fountain Central who defeated Rockville 39-0 Friday night as well.
“We’ve played them in the past and they’re a solid program,” Weber said. “They’re going to be a quality team.”
The game will be played at Roy Williams Field Friday, Nov. 13. Game time has not yet been announced.
Fans are reminded that Miner Pride Passes will not be honored due to the game being an IHSAA Tournament Game.
MINERS 28, COUGARS 24
North Daviess 0 12 12 0 — 24
Linton-Stockton 7 7 7 7 — 28
First Quarter
L — Reid Firestone 14 pass from Tylor Scott (Dyllanne Deischer kick), 8:56.
Second Quarter
ND — Jess Tribby 33 pass from Jano Davis (kick failed), 11:34.
ND — Tribby 91 run (pass failed), 4:43.
L — Evan Magni 3 run (Deischer kick), :51.
Third Quarter
ND — Ryan Webster 5 run (pass failed), 7:53.
ND — Davis 1 run (pass failed), 4:54.
L — Magni 40 pass from Scott (Deischer kick), :49.
Fourth Quarter
L — Kaleb Bridges 25 run (Deischer kick), 2:58.
ND L
First downs 13 12
Rushes-yards 45-303 42-291
Passing yards 103 109
Total 406 400
C-A-I 6-13-1 4-7-1
Punts-avg. 3-30.3 2-28.5
Penalties-yards 3-20 3-15
Return yards 96 34
Fumbles-lost 4-2 3-3
Time of possession 23:40 24:20
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — North Daviess, Ryan Webster 27-136, Jess Tribby 2-98, Dalton Sellers 3-2, Jano Davis 13-67. Linton-Stockton, Evan Magni 11-98, Kaleb Bridges 14-86, Stefan Sparks 12-84, Tylor Scott 5-23.
PASSING — North Daviess, Davis 6-13-1-103. Linton-Stockton, Scott 4-7-1-109.
RECEIVING — North Daviess, Tribby 3-58, Sellers 1-5, Drew Harkness 1-28, Kendall Wittmer 1-12. Linton-Stockton, Josh Ivey 1-35, Firestone 1-14, Anthony Morin 1-20, Magni 1-40.
