(5 - 3) Linton @ (3 - 4) Providence

[itiswhatitis]

It's week 9 already.   Seems like the season just started a couple of weeks ago.   This week Linton travels to take on the Pioneers of Providence.  This will be the fourth meeting between these 2 programs.  Linton is 2 - 1 in the first 3 games they have played.   Harrell predicts a 31 - 24 Miner win.  2 of Providence's losses have come against undefeated 4A Silver Creek (8 - 0) and 5A Floyd Central (6 - 2) so they have played some tough competition.   I think it will be a close game and turnovers will be a factor.  Good health to both teams. 

[Miner_Pride]

Dang I had to search for this all the way to page 3 or 4!  For once I have a little time to spare....

I will be watching how the Miners start this game.  It's a long trek, and I recall the last time we went in 2018 we were down so fast in the first quarter.. other than last year's debacle with Mater Dei at the Reitz Bowl... it was prolly the worst start I had seen in my years...  As has been stated-- at 3-4, folks who don't dig a little are going to think Linton at 5-3 has the edge... but yeah...Silver Creek, Floyd Central,  Holy Cross are all very good programs.  The loss to 3-5 Clarksville is a head scratcher I suppose...   They graduated a lot of guys- 12; and by my calculations have just 2 offensive starters and only 1 back on defense.  RB Jeremy Gettelfinger stands out on both sides.  800 rush yards this year...  he didn't play against us in 2018 due to injury, but as a sophomore ran for 65 yards on 6 carries and a TD.  At LB he is 3rd in tackles with 44.  Jaxon Murphy is the QB, and likes to run... he has 80 carries  334 yards 5 TDs.  There hasn't been a bunch of passing for the Pioneers... just 57 attempts... Murphy is 24 of 56  3 TDs 4 picks.. 42.9%,  7 of those to Carson Heldman #3 for 149, 6 to Gettelfinger for 71 and a score.  #47 Kole Krininger at 5'11 190 is the Fullback...but lines up more like and H Back.  Gettelfinger is 5'10 180 at RB,  Murphy 5'8 160.  The wideouts feature a freshman #28 Brian Wall at 6'0 140, and senior #18 Isaac Ohlmann at 5'11 160.  These skill guys are all seniors other than Wall.  So.. despite the fact there's only 2 returning starters... they still seem to be senior laden.  The O line has 2 seniors... 1 returning starter in Senir #51 David Wall at 6'4 215 at Tackle.  The other senior is 5'11 250 lb #77 Michael Vaughn. Center Jr #70 Devin Goodrow at 5'11 235; On the Right side in #63 Soph Grayson Abel 6'2 215 and #54 Roy Shrout a junior at 6'0 195. 

Linton is led by QB Soph Hunter Gennicks (#14 5'10 175) with 522 yards rushing, and 687 passing (46-92 11 TD, 2 INT).  #15 Trey Goodman is one of 4 seniors on the offense, who was the starting QB his Sophomore and Junior Years... after the opening game of 2020 moved to WB and has 359 yards 6 TD on 70 carries.  #7 Kaulin Padgett is the fastest back, and his 1st game was week 3, had 258 yards on 33 carries with 6 TD.  The RB is Drew SMith with 55 carries for 311 yards... Smith at 6;2 215 in a grinder and a load to bring down.  Any of those four could be the leading rushing in any game.  The main receiver has been #24 Jr Eli Poe with 23 catches for 276 yards and 5 scores, but Goodman has 12 for 170 and Padgett has 2 TDs in his 3 catches for 87 yards.  Hunter Johns, #12 a Soph, gets his nods as well with 102 rushing and 2 catches with 1 being a TD.   The Miner oline are all 6'0 or more and start with senior brothers Damien and Landon Giles both at 6'2 and 230).  Damien at Center, Landon at tackle.  Sophs Aiden Giles (yes another brother) at 6'2 230 and #51 Wrigley Franklin (6'2 220) man the left side. at 6'0 275 pounds #58 Jr Donovan DeBruhl is at Right Tackle.  Dalton Carpenter #77 jr 5'10 215 is basically another starter at Guard... he has been a starter as a Soph and Freshman as well.   TE is also in the mix with #8 Levi Grounds 5'10 205 who has caught a TD pass as well. 

Providence defensively led by safety (as well as QB) Jaxon Murphy with 52 tackles.  The Miners are led by Jr Drew Smith at ILB with 75 tackles, 6 for loss.  LB's Craig Bratcher (jr 5'7 160) and Gettelfinger are at 46 and 44 tackles with Gettelfinger 7 tackles for loss.  A lot of 2 way players for the Pioneers... 8.  David Wall also stands out with 7 TFL at DE with 35 over-all tackles.  Linton has a solid LB group with Smith-- #2 Jr Gabe Eslinger (6'0 195) with 55 tackles ,was the leading tackler last year as a soph.  Johns and senior Braymon Lannon at at the outside backers. #32 Jr Jaydan Miller (5'8 150) has been solid at safety with 43 tackles. DeBruhl at DT with 33.  Eslinger leads Linton with 11 TFL, and Padgett at CB has 4 of Linton's overall 12 intereptions (Poe with 3).

In a game that could come down to PAT or FG's.... Linton really has not kicked the ball at all.. other than in 2 games!.  Last week out of nowhere Miller kicked 6 of 7 PAT's... but I don't know that we won't go for two...as that seems to be the prevent move.  Linton is 14 of 24 on 2 point plays.  On the Providence side they have a designated kicker in #46 Nathan Sirby.  He is 13 of 14 in PAT's... and hit on 2 of 4 Field Goals with a long of 36.   One area Linton has been very good at is Red Zone... 26 of 29,  and I think 2 of those that weren't scores were kneel downs at the end of a game. 

Linton needs to come out  strong and be physical.  For me this game is a must have.... because we have to get confidence going into sectional with another long long trip to Tell City... a team that has to be a favorite in Sectional 40.  If we make that long trek to Clarksville to get handed our tails by the Pioneers.. I worry about the team going forward.  The Pioneers are playing good with back to back wins over 1A Milan 29-21 and 2A Mitchell 34-16... they've won 3 of their last 4.  Linton was a 3-1, but has gone 2-2 the last 4.  The loss to North Knox was hopefully an eye opener, and yes we did see the  Miners romp 56-0 last week... but over a 1-6 freshman laden Eastern Greene.  Still... the Miners executed in both the run and pass, but still had things to correct in that win.  QBs Murphy and Gennicks both run the ball well... can make moves in the open field and at tough runners.  The Pioneers basically run Murphy and Gettelfinger with Krininger getting 4 touches a game.  Linton will come at you with any of the four at any time, and certainly aren't afraid to pass the ball... it just hasn't been a consistent passing game.  Linton has shown it can be done though, and that will be a huge plus to a usual run heavy team. 

 

 

 

 

 

[hick]

I'll take Linton by 4-5 scores