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It would also be a way to break the stranglehold central Indiana schools have on championships … given the relative scarcity of goats in central Indiana. Southern Indiana schools would have “inherent advantages.” We may have to go with some form of “goat multiplier” eventually.

Then Hendrix Magley's team might have negative points. Mike Goebel is usually between the numbers and the hash. LOL.

Really? 3 year starter and I will not tell you his number. Nice try. You asked and I answered. Are you the coaches brother?

Okay, but if you try to use a live one, the PETA people will be all over you.

Dont be sorry, that wasnt long... have you read any of Minerdudes posts ?

I find using the dead goat to be a little disrespectful, but I wouldn't mind putting half of each team on a horse at any given time. (players who get a horse can be decided by the coach and can changed at any given time, to promote strategic gameplay.)

I’m guessing @Rodneywould prefer to do away with football altogether, the way it’s currently played, and replace it with Buzkashi.

That’s where I’m at. Southridge’s starting defense hasn’t allowed a single point this year and the JV only gave up 7 to Washington in week 1 or something like that between that and GS’s rushing defense, I just have a hard time thinking this is a high scoring affair. I think anything the winning team needs to score 28 I’ll take GS 28-17 with a late TD to seal the game….but otherwise I see the game as a one score game for most of matchup

Any conversation about 2A state title talk has to start with Luers, regardless of their record. Nobody in 2A plays the schedule they play year in and year out and almost nobody in 2A has the athletes they have. Now, they don’t win the state title every year, but for anyone to dismiss them based on their regular season record is just not paying attention. Carry on…

I guess I'm just in favor of a punt returner having the option to catch the ball without getting his helmet taken off while standing there defenseless. But that's just me.

Northview, Owen Valley meet for WIC supremacy In West Central Indiana, two programs on the rise will meet on the gridiron this Friday night as Northview and Owen Valley meet in a matchup of 4-0 programs. Owen Valley is ranked No. 10 in Class 3A, while Northview sits just outside the IFCA Class 4A poll. OV has rolled up its record with an offense that is averaging 58 points per game and has scored at least 40 points in each of its four outings, including a 57-7 victory over rival Edgewood last week. Meanwhile, Northview’s defense has allowed three touchdowns in the last three weeks, downing West Vigo 41-6 last week after a 28-7 victory over a solid Sullivan squad the week before. Northview has been the team to beat in the WIC since coach Mark Raetz took over in 2013, posting nine consecutive winning seasons heading into this year, including a 9-2, sectional runner-up season last year, but hit the ground running with a 27-21 victory over 5A Terre Haute North to open the year. “We have a smaller senior class this year, but where we had our returning senior experience is on our offensive and defensive lines,” Raetz said. “We've relied heavily on our line group to provide leadership and promote our culture as we've gotten our younger skill players up to speed. The win against Terre Haute North was big for our program. It gave our team confidence and showed them they could play with a bigger, senior-dominated team.” Defensively, the Knights’ success begins up front, where all four defensive linemen - Gabe Stockrahm, Dalton Simmons, Devon Barnhart and Dakota Mackey - are returning varsity starters. Several are also part of that strong offensive line. Offensively, the Knights have relied on a powerful running game that averages 332 yards per contest. It’s led by junior quarterback Kyle Cottee - who has 581 yards and averages 7.7 yards per carry in addition to 233 passing yards - and junior running back Imer Holman, who has 478 yards and averages 8.2 yards per carry. “It's no secret that our offense is based off having a strong run game, and Imer and Kyle are our two main ballcarriers,” Raetz said. “Our offensive line has done a great job opening holes and running lanes so far this season. The level of competition is going to crank up a notch, so hopefully we will continue to run the ball well.” Owen Valley had a resurgence in 2021, going 10-2 and winning the program’s first sectional title since 1992. The Patriots have built on that in head coach Rob Gibson’s second season. They posted a 57-34 victory over South Putnam - Gibson’s alma mater - in Week 2 before a 41-39 OT win over Indian Creek the following week. “Our coaches and players have all bought into a big challenge of changing the way we do everything. The seniors last year really took the lead over our team and never looked back, so the example that they set for the younger classes really benefited us going into this season,” Gibson said. “Our group this year picked up in November right where we left off in terms of the level of dedication and relentless effort that it takes to win games in this league. Games are won from December through July and our guys have bought into that. “We can say a ton of positive things about all four of the teams that we have played. The Week 2 game against South Putnam was a good test for us to find out how we would play for four whole quarters. Indian Creek Week 3 has to be a WIC classic. Two teams showed up ready to play and whoever had the ball and the marker last was going to win.” The strong 2021 rolled into the start to 2022. Senior quarterback Brody Lester is completing 69 percent of his passes for 751 yards and 12 TDs so far, leading an explosive offense. Running back Christian McDonald has run for 471 yards and nine TDs and also has caught nine passes for 208 yards and two scores. Gibson said Lester is the first two-year quarterback he has had, and seeing how he grew in the scheme in a second year has been a significant benefit. “Knowing we were losing a lot of really talented players last year even further sparked our staff to find ways to maximize what we believe we are good at and improve what we believe we weren't. That starts with Brody and Christian. Both of them would tell you to look to the offensive line, who is playing well right now,” Gibson said. “But Brody is in command of everything we do right now on offense.” Owen Valley, which will host this year’s contest, won last year’s meeting 24-14, but the standard for success has been set by the Knights for years. “Northview is the team in the WIC that everyone has been chasing and striving to be like for a long time,” Gibson said. “They are still the team to beat every year. They are incredibly well coached, make very few mistakes, and they play for 48 minutes - regardless of who is in and who they're playing. Mark does a really good job understanding his guys and putting them in positions to be successful based on their strengths. We all try to do that, but he does it very well. So in order for us to be successful against them, we have to understand that good teams make plays. We have to manage the highs and lows of a game of this magnitude.” The Knights see a strong opponent on the opposite side of the ball. “Owen Valley will be the toughest opponent we've seen so far this season,” Raetz said. “They really have no weaknesses. They are explosive on offense in both the run game and pass game. They play sound, fundamental defense. They are solid in the kicking game. And they are very well-coached. We will definitely have our work cut out for us. We'll have to play well in all phases of the game to be able to win at their place.” Lancers finding new-found success In Edinburgh, the Lancers are in a position they’ve not been since the JFK administration - undefeated after Week 4. The last time Edinburgh won its first four games was 1961. “It is great around the school and community,” coach Tyler DeSpain said. “Everywhere you go you hear someone say ‘How about them Lancers’ or ‘Great job out there Coach.’ We have always had support with the community, but they are going above and beyond now.” The Lancers posted a 19-0 shutout at Switzerland County last week, and host 3-1 North Daviess this week. Defensively, Edinburgh has allowed four touchdowns total in four games. It’s been based on a mindset of flying to the football. “Our defense has been playing great. We preach to fly to the ball and have fun with it,” DeSpain said. “I became friends with John Preston, the DC at Whiteland, and learned a lot from him the last two years. We run pretty much the same defense as them. The kids have fun with this defense and how we have a lot of moving parts and it allows them to be free at times. This year has been different though. The last few years we have had one or two guys that really liked to play defense. Now we have all 11 on the field that want to be a part of every tackle.” The success has been part of a turnaround under DeSpain’s leadership. Edinburgh is one win away from clinching its first winning season since 1993. It begins with an offense led by sophomore quarterback Caleb Murphy, who is completing 57 percent of his passes for 691 yards. Senior Jarrett Turner has 590 yards from scrimmage in the running and receiving game and senior Caleb Dewey has 268 receiving yards and four touchdowns. “Caleb (Murphy) has done a fine job,” DeSpain said. “We have really tried to be a more balanced team this year and I believe that has helped Caleb not feel the pressure of everything being on his back. He is only a sophomore and still has a lot to improve on, but if we keep playing defense and running the ball we have I believe he and the team will continue to have a successful year.” Edinburgh was once known for futility - the program lost 68 consecutive games from 2002-09 and had won one game in the two seasons before DeSpain took over. The Lancers went 1-9 in his first year in 2019, then improved to three wins the following year and five wins in 2021 - their first .500 season in decades. Continuity has been key - DeSpain is the sixth coach in Edinburgh history to spend four years at the program’s helm. “It has really just been continuity with the coaching staff and buy-in from our kids,” DeSpain said. “Once kids realize that you are not here just for a year or two then kids really start to buy-in. The kids never really have had some they could get to know and be close to when it came to football.” Tri lighting up scoreboards In East Central Indiana, another Class A program has seen a meteoric rise into a contender. The Tri Titans were not long removed from a 33-game losing streak and were two years removed from a fourth winless season in five years when Andrew Totheroh took over the program in 2016. The Titans went 8-3 in 2020, then posted an 11-3 record with the program’s first sectional title since 2007 and first-ever regional championship last year. Tri has picked up where it has left off, scoring 60 points per game through four wins to start the season, while allowing just 19 points through three games. The Titans blanked Wes-Del 55-0 last week for their second straight shutout. The success from last season has bolstered the program - they had 27 players dressed for the semistate game against eventual state champion Indianapolis Lutheran last year. They have 48 on the roster this season, a large number for a Class A school. “Our youth programs have done an excellent job of keeping our kids together, and as they come up through the feeder programs playing together really helps as they mature and get older,” Totheroh said. “Our current senior group has played together since they were in third grade. Those bonds and chemistry developed pay dividends.” They have a meeting with a strong Centerville squad this week at home - the Bulldogs are 3-1 and handed Tri its only regular-season loss last year en route to the Tri-Eastern Conference championship. Centerville is now in Class 3A and is the largest opponent on Tri’s schedule. “Centerville is a very good football team,” Totheroh said. “To us, we are looking at this as a great opportunity and a test to see where we are at the midpoint of the season. They do a lot of good things on both sides of the ball, and I’m excited to see if we can hold up vs them, execute and play with a passion for the game of football Friday night.” Tri’s Wing-T offense features a powerful running game that is averaging 424 yards per contest. It is led by senior Parker Burk, who totals 587 yards and 14.3 yards per carry. Junior Tyler Brooks (336 yards), senior Gary Paull (308 yards) and senior quarterback Mason Wilson (245 yards rushing) are all averaging more than 10 yards per carry. Wilson has attempted 11 passes all season, but four of his seven completions have gone for touchdowns. “Our offensive scheme is unique and forces defenses to play disciplined football,” Totheroh said. “Our offensive line made up of Ryan Craft, Vance Dishman, Sam Mondrush, Larry Reamer and Garrett Moffett have done an excellent job of identifying fronts, communicating with one another, and adjusting if need be to what we’re getting from our opponents Friday Nights. Mason Wilson, Parker Burk, Tyler Brooks, Gary Paull, Kyler Engle and Grant Cash, our skill positions, have done a great job complementing one another. We’re a team offense and it shows on Friday nights.” Notable Cooper Simmons-Little of Traders Point Christian is the state’s leading passer with 1,357 total yards. He threw for 400 yards and three TDs last week in a 47-42 loss to Park Tudor that was a quarterback shootout - Park Tudor’s Darrell Gordon threw for 297 yards and five TDs. … Another QB putting up big numbers is Indianapolis Lutheran’s Jackson Willis. He threw for 301 yards and three TDs last week in a 52-14 win over Lapel, a week after he and Triton Central’s Jace Stuckey both threw for 400 yards in a 54-41 Saints win. … Roncalli’s Luke Hansen is the first running back in the state to cross the 1,000-yard mark. He has 1,057 this season, tallying his second 300-yard game of the year last week with 307 yards and four TDs in a 38-17 win over Columbus North. He also had 66 yards receiving and a TD … Triton’s Anthony Schuch is averaging 15 yards per carry. He had 219 yards in a 51-10 win over Bremen last week, his second straight 200-yard game. … One game to watch in Grant County is the matchup between 4-0 Oak Hill and Madison-Grant. Oak Hill’s Kyle Turanchick is one of the state’s top rushers with 745 yards. Oak Hill’s next win will be the 150th for coach Bud Ozmun … After a 36-0 win over Shenandoah last week, North Decatur still has not allowed a point this season. … In Class 6A, Ben Davis and Warren Central meet for the 98th time this week. … Kankakee Valley is 3-1 for the first time since 1995. The Kougars have shut out three straight foes. Other key games this week 6A No. 1 Brownsburg at 6A No. 9 Fishers 6A No. 4 Hamilton Southeastern at 6A No. 8 Westfield 6A No. 5 Ben Davis at 6A No. 10 Warren Central 5A No. 6 Fort Wayne Dwenger at 6A No. 7 Carroll (Fort Wayne) Penn at Elkhart Martinsville at 5A No. 7 Franklin Vincennes at 5A No. 8 Castle 4A No. 3 Mooresville at 5A No. 9 Decatur Central Perry Meridian at 5A No. 1 Whiteland Homestead at 5A No. 4 Fort Wayne Snider 4A No. 1 New Palestine at Pendleton Heights 3A No. 5 Guerin Catholic at 4A No. 2 Roncalli Warsaw at 4A No. 6 NorthWood 3A No. 1 West Lafayette at Rensselaer 3A No. 3 Gibson Southern at Southridge 2A No. 1 Linton at Boonville 2A No. 8 Heritage Christian at 2A No. 3 Indianapolis Scecina Indian Creek at 2A No. 9 Triton Central Oak Hill at Madison-Grant Rochester at Tippecanoe Valley 1A No. 1 Indianapolis Lutheran at Cascade 1A No. 2 Adams Central at Heritage 1A No. 10 Monroe Central at 1A No. 6 South Adams Eastern (Howard) at 1A No. 7 Carroll (Flora)

THRU WEEK 4 STATS Team PPG Vincennes 38.5 PPG Reitz 37.25 PPG Castle 29.75 PPG Jasper 26.0 PPG North 23.25 PPG Mater Dei 21.5 PPG Harrison 14.0 PPG Memorial 13.25 PPG Bosse 10.0 PPG Central 4.75 PPG Team Defensive PPG Allowed Castle 11.5 PPG Memorial 13.5 PPG Vincennes 16.25 PPG Reitz 16.25 PPG Mater Dei 16.75 PPG Jasper 21.25 PPG North 21.5 PPG Harrison 29.5 PPG Central 34.25 PPG Bosse 37.5 PPG Team Offensive YPG Reitz 431.0 YPG Jasper 379.5 YPG Mater Dei 335.5 YPG Vincennes 332.5 YPG North 296.0 YPG Memorial 280.3 YPG Castle 272.8 YPG Bosse 196.0 YPG Harrison 192.5 YPG Central 179.25 YPG Team Passing Defense(allowed) Reitz 51.5 YPG (206yards) Memorial 73.75 YPG (295 yards) Bosse 77.25 YPG (309yards) Harrison 95.5 YPG (382 yards) Castle 116.75 YPG (467 yards) Mater Dei 143.5 YPG (574 yards) Central 174.0 YPG (696 yards) Jasper 186.0 YPG (744 yards) Vincennes 200.0 YPG (800 yards) North 202.25 YPG (809 yards) Team Rushing Defense (allowed) North 60.5 YPG (242 yards) Jasper 70.75 YPG (283 yards) Vincennes 108.25 YPG (433 yards) Mater Dei 140.0 YPG (560 yards) Memorial 153.5 YPG (614 yards) Central 165.5 YPG (662 yards) Castle 169.0 YPG (676 yards) Reitz 174.0 YPG (696 yards) Harrison 230.5 YPG (922 yards) Bosse 244.5 YPG (978 yards) *Missing stats for a game or opponent is

So what number is your kid and where does he fall on the depth chart?

Right from the Definitions section of the rule book: “ART. 9 . . . A lineman is any A player who is facing his opponent’s goal line with the line of his shoulders approximately parallel thereto and with his head or foot breaking an imaginary plane drawn parallel to the line of scrimmage through the waist of the snapper when the ball is snapped.“

Thank you for letting me know!

SV over CT 49-18 The visors are rolling. FC over Attica 60-6 King let’s his QB run wild. G.O.W.——NV over RP 35-34 OT Crabtree will be putting lots of pressure on the freshman QB, heard he may be better than previous starter, so could benefit the Panthers in post season. PH over Seeger 24-21 Wolves score 3 touchdowns on defense and a kickoff return to win in the 4th!

Dress like Bill Belichick -15

Limited to a single horizontal line under each eye. When I observe a crew, I always walk through the teams in pregame noting uniform violations, to see if the crew cleans them up before the game. Face paint is definitely one I see a lot, and I frequently let the crews know about it in the post-game debrief and write up. Sometimes it looks like half the players are going to a Kiss concert after the game.

I wanted to focus a bit more on smaller schools this week since we'd been a bit 6A/5A-heavy the last couple, but Tri is a program I've kept my eyes on for quite a while, especially since they'd really struggled not long ago. Let's just say the talk of "forcing consolidations and contractions" was never any talk other than of one troll. More opportunities for high school football players means a better game. With the right coaches, the right culture and the right amount of buy-in from players and community (and sometimes a good cycle of talent), a team can turn things around.

I agree there. Of course having Mr. Kiser helped too 😉

Sokeland did it too and I think he said they didn't set restrictions on the flex spot. So basically whichever position they doubled up on is the flex player. Probably a good choice to go with QB there.

It has been SEVERAL months since I have logged on and I have been trying to play catchup on all of the other threads. Now, This (on paper) should be a dogfight... but, Gibson Southern is a different animal compared to every team Southridge has played this year. Southridge D is TOUGH. giving up only one TD through the first 4 games, and that was during garbage time in the Washington game.

Jacksonville....something the Colts haven't had much luck in a number of years, especially in Florida.... I don't consider this Sunday a given...especially if they come out like they did against Houston I just thought it was interesting that Wentz isn't in Indy anymore and you continue to disparge him....especially a day after he throws 4 TD's and his teams wins, which is something Indy couldn't do against the hapless Texans. I get it...Wentz didn't get a Covid shot.....let it go....he's gone. If you want to stay on the anti-vaccine thing, go after Leonard and Q. At least they are still here in Indy and somehow escaped the wrath that Wentz took.

No wonder the goats get real nervous when fall approaches.

They lost to CG on the road in the last minute and lost a close one to a national top 100 team in Trinity (KY)...how much lower can one honestly have them? Also, can you be specific about how they are being "outcoached?" This is the second time you have claimed that unless I am mistaken.

Boo freaking Hoo for Hunter.

Et tu, brute!

Sometimes simple is the most effective. I always thought that Pioneer was a great example of that ... nothing flashy, no trick plays, no screwy formations ... just line up and play ball and win.

I was trying to decide who has the best team. Real life and fantasy are a bit different and all the teams are stacked lol. Assuming it is default scoring settings...I would rank them: 1. Kristensen, 2. Magley, 3. Sokeland, 4. Washington

Because it gives Merrillville a share of the conference title....that's why.

The Bell Game is back Baby!!!

Another big game I would add that I realize isn't the "flashiest" of games to promote, but 4-0 Rochester at 4-0 Tippecanoe Valley. Both teams put up a lot of points (Rochester averages 51 ppg while Valley is averaging 40 ppg). Tippecanoe Valley has won 13 straight regular season games and is the defending TRC champion. These two rivals did not meet last season due Rochester having to cancel two games with a COVID outbreak.

Or Linton

I fully agree. That loss to Marshall was BAD, VERY BAD. I get the following: Charles Huff has Penn State and Saban ties on his resume and is on his way to getting a Power 5 job Marshall's roster is full of portal transfers from legitimate Power 5 programs But, Notre Dame essentially let Ohio State beat them twice. They looked like they never recovered from the Ohio State loss and were completely out gameplanned and schemed by Marshall. I heard on one podcast that Marshall's coaches were happy ND never adjusted and didn't just go with a power running game in the 2nd half. They didn't think they could stop ND if they put some power on the line and tried running the ball. This is clearly an outsiders viewpoint as I've made it clear I have no love towards Notre Dame, but I feel like they were shocked to be dumped by Kelly, saw they had a pretty backup they could take to the dance in Freeman, and rallied around his charisma and outstanding recruiting abilities. But, sitting one state away, was a proven coach in Fickel that seemingly was never even considered. Who knows. Maybe ND used agents to send feelers out to prospective coaches and the responses they received made it clear Freeman was their best option.

Holy hell. I like GS, but... holy hell. Guess I need to give the GS kids some bulletin board material this week with my internet forum picks so they are inspired to get that running clock.

OV will be as competitive as any of the top dogs in Sectional 30. They return a large talented senior class from their regional team a year ago (defeated VL 14-0 in sectional championship). This is the same team that defeated the Northview squad that upset then SIAC champ Jasper in Sectional 24. I know the WIC isn’t exactly the SIAC or PAC, but OV is the defending 30 champs and needs to be taken seriously.

I tend to agree … although, with so many schools having multiple uniform sets, I think the impact is somewhat diluted.

Kind of a dead week in the Duneland. Nothing noteworthy on the schedule until the 23rd when Crown Point travels to Valpo and then the following week when Valpo takes down Merrillvile. Chesterton @ Valpo: The Trojans are spiraling down the drain after a promising showing in Week 1 vs Hobart. Valpo is gearing up for a run at the Duneland crown. Vikings by about 17. LaPorte @ Lake Central: Good gets back in the win column and Lake Central moves to 3-2 heading to Michigan City. Blue Indians by 23. Michigan City @ Merrillville: I would love to see Mason pickup another W against The Ville, but it's not happening this year. Pirates by 18. Portage @ Crown Point. The Red Indians have apparently twice caught lightning in the bottle: the 1977 season and the hiring of Craig Buzea as the football coach in 1993. Unfortunately, Buzea now holds court on the Crown Point sideline and Portage is the way to their 10th losing season since the Buzea/Portage divorce. Crown Point by 28.

I’ll stand by that ! I think their line is that good . Was not saying the skilled players are not talented athletes.

How about this one? You’re probably a big fan of the blindside block, too. Video (1).mov

i got 4 right this week, not just 1, i mean it was terrible, but not as bad as your trying to make it out to be. here were my picks Castle Mater Dei North Jasper Vincennes Boonville Tecumseh Tell City Heritage Hills South Warren (Ky.) so i should have gotten Heritage Hills, Tecumseh, Jasper and Vincennes right?

It will all play out as Triton plays Pioneer and North Judson in the next 3 weeks!

Covington @ South Vermillion - Wildcats aren't as mild as in years past. Covington still slings it just not like they did last year. Mildcats might just be benefiting a little from the big fish in a small pond effect. SV rolls 42-6 Fountain Central @ Attica - FC is better than they've shown so far and they have a HOF coach, sometimes that matters. Attica unfortunately become the punching bag of the WRC. FC and the HOFer take care of business early and play some youngsters late. FC 45-6 North Vermillion @ Riverton Parke - Falcons are well coached and have to be a little disheartened by their performance last week against big brother. That can make them dangerous. The Panthers looked a little lost against Seeger. Maybe the windmills up there distracted them? I think both these teams regroup and refocus to make this the Game of the Week. RP grounds, pounds, and repeats to get back on track and grind out a HoCo W. RP 22-20 in OT Rockville Parke Heritage at Seeger - The Rox Wolves got their W last week and scored aplenty while doing it. Not sure they'll score that many points the rest of the season. The Patriots, by all accounts, Rick James slapped the Panthers and weren't sorry about it. Seeger stays on track and disembowels the Wolves. Seeger 56-6

Covington @ SV - Sounds like SV will be the WRC Champs. SV wins by as much as they want FC @ Attica - FC wins 48-12 NV @ RP - Game of the week. Wonder how both teams will respond to the losses last week. I think it'll be a close high scoring game. I'll take RP 35-32 PH @ Seeger - Seeger wins 40-6

South Vermillion Fountain Central Riverton Parke Seeger

Covington at South Vermilion Fountain Central at Attica I think I've picked wrong on Attica every week this season. Is this the week I get it right? The boys on the patio at Robie's ain't gonna be happy. North Vermilion at Riverton Parke History is important and I'll say it right to your face. The Woofs of Parke Heritage at Seeger I may have picked wrong on Seegers every week also. Yet here I am, hoping I can Turn the Page this week.

Several such incidents have resulted in spectators being treated by EMS for breathing difficulties, and there have been a few cases of asthmatics being hospitalized. If you’ve ever seen someone struggling with status asthmaticus, you wouldn’t be interested in joining in the fun.

I would think there will be a scrimmage Friday night to keep the routine. I think it's a shame that the Irish couldn't find an opponent. Maybe teams just don't want to play at Arlington. I don't have the answer for sure. After watching the replay last night, it was good to see the Irish play a total game. They were good on both sides of the ball, and there's still room for improvement.

By the way.. .you can listen to the broadcast on the air with myself and Kevin Rader at WQTY 93.3 Sunrise FM... and /or hear the live audio stream at wqtyradio.com or network1sports.com Getting set to head up to Linton in an hour or so.. thought I'd throw some thoughts... The Linton Sullivan game is always a little more special for me... Why? well besides the obvious facts of being a natural enemy to Linton, being 15 miles to the west... like cats n dogs.. stones vs beatles... Coke vs Pepsi... Britney vs Christina... Topps vs. Donruss... GIbson vs Fender... beef vs vegans... you get the vibe... My family moved north from henderson ky where I spent my first 7 years of life....where my dad was 1st assistant to Bull Dawson at Henderson City High... home of the Flashes. YEs.. pre Hendo County consolidation. It was there, but it was the enemy much like Sullivan is to Linton. I went to practices, stood on the sideline during games, and have great memories of the whole scene including my pretend games of catching game winning throws to beat Owensboro Senior or dreaded Hopkinsville. Any way... Dad was supposed to succeed Bull...but Bull kept putting off retirement, and Dad got tired of waiting... so one day boom... we were moving from the bluegrass state to the hoosier state and in particular...Sullivan. i want to say 1971 but I was just in 3rd grade. Dad started the youth league in Sullivan but had an uphill battle with the Arrows. They were 1-9 then back to back 3-7 seasons. His work ethic, and theory of you work hard in practice you see playing time... and a big one--the best talent plays. Well that didn't sit well with some folks in power and he was forced out... and I rode with dad as he went to places like Paris Ill and Brownstown Central where he had offers...but Linton wanted an Athletic Director and Assistant Principal... and that's where we ended up. I was in 6th grade.. an ex-Dart..ex future Arrow in Linton. Ugh. But as youngsters do, I weathered the storm and have been a die-hard Miner since. But I always was very fired up to play Sullivan in ANY sport... Football, Baseball Basketball, Croque, Beer Pong, Cow Tipping... had to win. Had to avenge my Dad's situation. Now...I always have had friends for Sullivan, still do have a lot of friends and folks I remember from living there. But seeing that purple and old gold always made me put on blinders...and game on. We never really beat the in my basketball years...but i never lost to the Arrows in my football years from Jr High onward. granted..I had a broken leg my freshman year and didn't play... and we lost. That's not on me LOL. So yeah, it is always special. And I almost always get chills when a cool wind blows up on me as I walk the field in pre-game... and even more so when I walk across the field post game when the lights are all out and it's just me and the memories of my old man... who taught me all about the glory of football... from knee football as a little boy in the living, to pool football trying to dunk each other as the tackle chasing everyone away in holiday inns across the nation...to backyard punt games dad invented, and just working on pass routes when I was in high school... to endless amounts of football card games and NFL Strategy... to roadtrips to watch high school games once Linton was eliminated... and IU games...and his alma mater Aces of Evansville where he was a punter and tight end for 4 years.... yep it's easy to feel his spirit on nights light tonight and I will treasure that feeling once again! Now.. let's get to it. * A Side Note- Just after we got settled Linton, Dad got a call from Coach Hollowell.. .a legend at Henderson County. He was announcing his retirement but had one more season in him... and wanted Dad to come back down and be his replacement after a year being his top assistant... it was something Dad would have loved to have done... but he didn't want to cause us kids.. my sister and I... to have to move again so quickly....and stayed at Linton where he was eventually AD and Junior High Principal for many years... a good move I think.