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Sectional 47 Semi FInal 7-3 Southmont @ 10-0 Linton


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Miners to Face Southmont in Sectional Semi-Final

 

It will be quite the night for Jock and Nancy Hannum as they watch their son Desson, or “Doc” as most know him, lead the Southmont Mounties on to the Roy.  Desson has been at the helm of Southmont since 2007 with this his 16th year being one of his best.  A win Friday ties his 8 win seasons in 2009 and 2010 as best under his tutelage.  His over-all W-L tally is 75-94.  Jock, as any Linton high schooler knows, was a fixture on Linton’s campus and naturally a well-known figure at Roy Williams Field over the years.  I’m proud to say that my father hired Jock and always had such positive things to say at the mention of Hannum’s name.  The humor in it was Jock was a Dugger Bulldog class of ‘68, 5 miles to the west and always, particularly back ‘then’, a bitter enemy to Linton’s Miners.  Desson was also a Dugger Bulldog and yearly faced the Miners and certainly knows what style of football Linton plays.  The Mounties have for the last several years made a summer jaunt to Linton to scrimmage the Miners, this past in a 3-way meeting including Riverton Parke (who is enjoying their best season in years at 8-2). 

 

Southmont plays in the tough Sagamore Conference that includes typical juggernauts Western Boone, Tri-West, Danville and Lebanon.  Southmont is the lone 2 school in a conference of 3A and 4A schools. The Mounties opened with 5 wins with big wins of 1A 4-5 Fountain Central 55-12, 2A 4-6 North Putnam 42-21 and 4A 1-9 Frankfort 60-7.   They escaped 3A 5-5 North Montgomery 14-12 and defeated rival 3A 3-7 Crawfordsville 26-13.  They had done this same thing in 2020 with 5 wins to begin the season only their next 4 to the Sagamore big dogs.  However 2022 the Mounties served notice with a 28-14 win over Danville (3A 4-6), their first over the Warriors since 2015.  A game that saw Southmont put up 367 yards on the ground. Western Boone at 9-1 proved to be too much as WeBo rolled to their typical 38-7 win for the 1st loss of the year.  4A 6-4 Lebanon pulled out a 20-13 win at New Market but again the Mounties racked up over 300 rush yards in the loss and had about 100 yards more offense than the Tigers.  The monster stretch of games ended as 3A 7-3 Tri-West, who hadn’t lost to Southmont since 2011, proved superior with a 35-0 win.

Southmont made a statement with a 31-0 win at home in the opening salvo in Sectional 37.  Linton had also blanked the Warriors in week 7 42-0 in the only common opponent the 2 share.  Linton ran for 202 in that game, as well as 173 in the air while Southmont ran for 193 and threw for a season high 254 yards. A big difference was Linton shut NK’s run game down (40 yards on 32 carries) while the Warriors has 199 on 38 in their meeting with the Mounties.  Now, that could have been against second teamers as well.  Both the Miners and Mounties are run orientated teams but with the ability to pass with several options to choose from.  Both teams also feature very good defenses.  Linton gives up 14.67 ppg Southmont 17.2.   Linton has run the table as they did in 2021 before losing to Evansville Mater Dei 28-27 in the same week in Linton.  The Miners also made a statement last week on the road with a 47-21 win over 7-3 South Vermillion. They had defeated 7-3 South Putnam on the road to close out the season 35-10.  Linton had quality wins over 6-4 Sullivan 40-20 and 4A 7-3 Boonville 50-40.

 

The Skill players at Southmont are dominated by seniors as well as size at all positions.  They run the ball 74.8% of their offense with 2,165 yards, 216.5 per game and feature 2 main weapons in FB #9 Wyatt Woodall (11, 6;2, 225) and HB #23 Carson Chadd (12, 6'4, 210). Woodall the workhouse with 789 yards on 172 rushes with 12 TDs and Chadd at 660 on 80 touches with 6 scores.  They are augmented with HB #5            Sam Line (12, 6'2, 185) with 21-110-0 and QB #4           Nick Scott (12, 6'0, 175) with 36-86-1.  Scott has 10 TD passes and 4 Int’s in a year passing for 892 yards on 50 of 126 attempts. However that’s just 39.7% completion rate however, he’s coming off a season high 12 of 20 for 3 scores and 254 yards last week and had a 12 of 18 night for 247 in week 2 vs North Putnam.  Line, at HB, leads the team with 13 catches for 207 and 2 scores.  The Mounties have height across the board with two 6’4 guys Chadd, who has 7 for 138 and 2 scores, as well as WR #88 Seth Tolliver (12, 6'4, 200) with 6 for 46 and a score.  WR #24   E J Brewer (12, 6'2, 185) has 9 catches for 131 and 2 scores. Woodall adds 5 for 167 and 2 more scores. Still 2 more 6’2 receivers get in the mix with #18 Kyler McCandless (11, 6’2 180) and #13 Aaron McMasters (10, 6’2, 205) another combined 8 for 124 yards.  You can see there isn’t really one favorite target for Scott.  The Offensive Line starts with Soph Tyler Davis (#73, 5; 9 215) LG #67 Waylon Gomez (11, 6; 4 250) and LT #70 Kasey Line (11, 6’2 245) with RG #62 Will Cody (Jr 6’3 250) and RT #77 Gabe Brenda (10, 6’0 235). 

They will match up against a Miner defense allowing just 82.6 rushing yards a game (826).  They have also faced 57 pass attempts the last two weeks facing spread style offenses.  Other than Monrovia’s Brayton Belcher in week 3, no opponent has had a 100 yard allowed rusher, and kept South Vermillion’s Dalton Payton and South Putnam’s Luke Switzer in relative check.  Linton’s D features 2 sophomores and 2 freshman in the starting 11, and is led by #6 Russell Goodman (9, 6’2 180) with 87 stops and a full time starter since week 6.  #33 Ashton White (11, 6’0 195) moved into a starting role on the DLine at the same time has 71 stops with 12 TFL.  #14 Hunter Gennicks (12, 6’0 195) adds 69 from Strong Safety.   White is joined up front by #69 Hank Gennicks (10, 6’2, 250) and #56 Aiden Giles (12, 6’3 200) as well as #54 Ty Boyd (11,6;1 210).   Along with Goodman at ILB are #5 Bradyn Cox (12, 5; 10 185) and #4 Christian Shonk (11, 5’10 180), with the outside manned by #51 Wrigley Franklin (12, 6’3 225) and #13 Paul Oliver (9, 6’3 205).  Oliver lead Linton with 14 TFL, Franklin 12, White, along with Goodman, with 7.5. Boyd had 4 last week to push his total to 8.  The corners will certainly be at a disadvantage size wise but have played very well the last several games in the same scenario.  #12 Hunter Johns (12, 5’8 180) and #8 Jesse Voigtschild (10, 5’7 150) and likely #15 Hayden Feltner (10, 6’1 165) will be those cornerbacks while Gennicks along with #16 Braden Walters (11, 6’5 190) are safeties.  Gennicks has 3 of Linton’s 9 picks (2 for TD returns).  Oliver leads in QB sacks with 5, White with 2.5 Franklin with 2.  Oliver and Franklin combine for 27 QB hurries, Shonk with another 11. 

The Miner offense has racked up 2,995 yards on the ground, 1300 of that from the legs of Hunter Gennicks.  Behind the line consisting of LT Hank Gennicks, LG Wrigley Franklin, C #74 Nathan Watson (12, 6’0 255) RG Aiden Giles and RT #77 Jacob Breedlove (11, 6’7 300), they average 299.5 rushing per game with 48 rush TDs.  The Elder Gennicks (#14) averages 11.1 per carry with 22 TDs of his 117 carries.  Like Southmont, the Miners have multiple backs who can each become factors in any ballgame.  #12 Hunter Johns came into last week with 650 yards, 12 scores on 83 carries, and left with 6 carries and 0 yards.  However Wingbacks #16 Walters and #8 Voigtschild combined for 109 yards on 11 carries, along with Gennicks 175 to put 320 yards on South Vermillion. #5 Braydon Cox, while rarely seeing action at RB, had 6 for 34 yards a score last week.  The Passing Attack has been a positive for Linton in 2022 with Gennicks throwing for 17 TDs, just 3 picks while connecting on 93 of 165 for 1,271 yards. Linton has almost always been known as a ground and pound offense, and while still basically the same, they’ve gone to the air for 127.8 per game and throw the ball 31.5% of the time (68.5% runs).  The Miners also have height on their group of receivers with 6’5 Walters, 6’4 #23 Logan Webb (12, 6’4, 205) and 6’3 Oliver.  Webb leads all with 25 catches (258 yards) with Walters lead in yards on 22 for 393.  Oliver has caught 19 for 309, and he and Walters each have 5 TD catches.  #8 Voigtschild adds 10 for 187 with 2 TDs, #12 Johns 7 for 73 and a score. 

The Mounties defense has seen some good offenses with WeBo, Lebanon, & Tri-West and still allows only 92.9 rushing yards per game.  LB’s #9 Woodall leads the D with 89 tackles, #23 Chadd with 69.  Both Linebackers are big at 6’2 225 and 6’4 210.  Soph #14 Dylan Howell (6’0 170) at what they call the Drop LB has an impressive 21 TFL and 8 Sacks#8 Trip Ward (11,6’0 175) has 13 TFL of his 75 stops from the SAM LB, with Rover #11 Kion Cornelius (12,6’2 160) adding 41.   #88 Seth Tolliver at 6’4 200 has been a monster at DE with 68 tackles and a whopping 27 TFL and 10 sacks.  He’s joined up front at NT #55 Ayden Dickerson (11, 5; 10 260) and DE #67 Gomez.  The Defensive backfield is anchored by #24 Brewer (46 tackles) and Corners #18 McCandless and #5 Line. 

The Kicking game is always something to look at in big games, and both seem to be in good shape.  Trip Ward has only missed 4 times in 35 PAT’s for and 88.6% mark, and is 1 of 3 in Field Goals with a long of 32 hit last week.  Linton’s Nathan Frady joined the team in week 5 and has been 21 of 30 (70%).  He has tried one FG and it was good from 40.  Aaron McMasters has punted 27 times for 31.5 average for the Mounties, Paul Oliver for 32.5 but only 11 punts on the year for Linton.  Southmont’s Ward has kicked deep on kickoffs at 45.9 per kick with 10 touchbacks.  Linton’s Braden Walters averaging 35.1 per kick usually down to the 15 unless he does a squib kick.  Both would seem to have dangerous return specialists as Linton’s Johns has 2 kickoff return TDs and with Voightschild teams are leery to kick to either.  E J Brewer has a 60 yard punt return for Southmont. 

Linton and Southmont have only met twice, and it’s been 24 years ago that Linton won at the Roy in 1998 24-21 to even the series 1-1 after a 61-13 Mountie win in New Market in 1997.  Southmont does not own a sectional crown in their school history, having only been in three sectional championship games losing all three: 2017 41-14 to Brebeuf Jesuit, 2008 24-8 to North Montgomery, and 1998 47-14 to Western Boone.  The Miners are still looking for their 1st sectional title in 2A.  They had become a 1A power with 12 sectional titles from 1997 to 2016 and 7 semi state appearances before finally reaching the 1 finale in 2015, then winning it all in 2016.  Linton has reached a sectional championship game just since being moved to 2A.  The winner of this game faces the winner of the other semi-final matchup with 6-4 Cascade travelling to Sullivan to face the 6-4 Arrows at Sportland Field.  It’s an intriguing game with Sullivan’s losses coming to unbeaten 10-0 Linton and 10-0 Owen Valley, 7-3 Indian Creek in OT and to 4A 6-4 Northview.  The Cadets losses to 8-2 Triton Central, 9-1 Indy Scecina, 10-0 Indy Lutheran and in OT to 3A 6-4 Speedway. 

Obviously it’s a big game for both teams, and being at Roy Williams Field in Linton should be a benefit to the Miners.  To achieve that we once more need everyone to fill the Roy and line the field and make plenty of noise for this group of Miners who have gone 20-1 these last 2 seasons.  Linton would be on the road next week regardless of Cascade/Sullivan outcome and of course to get there they must get by the Mounties.  It’s time to let Miner Pride shine with the best showing of the year when it matters the most!

 

Go MIners

 

 

 

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2 minutes ago, TigerFan20 said:

Always enjoy these in-depth previews Miner!

Thank you Sir.  By the time I write these things I don't need rosters or  stats for my broadcasts!!  It's also nice to go back and look at these a few years down the line... along with game recaps... but I guaruntee I will sooner or later deal with wrist injury.... not to mention playing guitar for 45 + years!

 

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Tale of two halves.  Linton 1st half 35-7  with Gennicks 6 carries 219 yards 3 Scores... to all Southmont 2nd half 22-0.  191 yards in the air, and keeping the ball away from Linton's offense.  Souhmont scored on 48 yard pass with 2:13 In 3rd after Linton had stopped their first 2nd half possession 3 and out only to muff the punt return gving the mounties life.  Then did a pooch kickoff that they recovered at Linton 35... quickly scoring 1st play of 4th qtr to pull within 35 to 21.  Linton had three punts in 2nd half...no offense.  great adjustments by Mounties.. and all the momentum...  hit a 64 yard bomb for a score with 7:20 left.. botched the pat snap but hit the pass for 2... 35-29.  Stopped Miners... punt with 5:30 left...   drive from own 38 to Miner 27.. 3rd and 7 .. miner freshman LB Goodman with pick return to southmont 25 2:12 left.  Miners get 1st down.. run out time at southmont 14. Holy Moly...

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