CLASS 2A FOOTBALL SECTIONAL: Miners dig in, win second half to oust Tiger Cubs

Greencastle's Owen Huff reels in a 41-yard pass from Cole Stephens for the first of his two scoring receptions Friday night against Linton in IHSAA Football Class 2A Sectional No. 37 play. The Tiger Cubs held a 21-14 lead over the No. 1 Miners at halftime but the offense misfired throughout the second half and the hosts chipped away for two scores to advance to the sectional final with a 26-21 win.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

LINTON – Greencastle got the ideal start it wanted Friday night against Linton.

An interception and a one-play scoring drive, a three-play replay to a Miner touchdown and a score before halftime, nearly two, saw the Tiger Cubs take a 21-14 lead into halftime and getting the second half kickoff.

But the visitors couldn’t replicate their quick-strike ability in the second half and the hosts, who ran 78 times throughout the night, kept pounding away, scoring twice in the second half to advance to the IHSAA Football Class 2A Sectional No. 37 final next week with a 26-21 win.

“I feel confident with where we’re at but playoff football is a tough atmosphere,” Greencastle head coach Dave Stephens said. “I am super proud of our boys’ effort and I’m proud of the gameplan our defensive coordinator came up with.

“Every yard (Linton) made was hard earned; we kept hitting them and they put the ball on the carpet a lot, seemingly more than they had all season combined. Our kids played their hearts out. I’m proud of this senior class and proud to be their coach.”

No. 1 in the AP Poll heading into the state tournament, Linton made no bones about what it wanted to do as four different ball carriers toted the rock across the first seven plays of the game.

Play eight was where the Miners got into trouble as quarterback Paul Oliver was pressured on his first dropback, flinging the ball away to avoid a sack but instead found a leaping Lamar Moore for an interception.

Moore didn’t get a chance to run the pick back but got the handoff on the next snap and raced 66 yards past the Linton defense for a 7-0 lead.

The Miners picked up where they had left off on the ground, though Oliver, who doubled as the hosts’ punter, picked up a key first down on a fake punt to keep their 15-play drive going, later.

A holding call didn’t deter Linton as Oliver scored on the next play on a 21-yard run, though the missed extra point left the Tiger Cubs with the lead at 7-6.

Brendle Brennan returned the following kickoff to near midfield and three plays later, Cole Stephens hit Owen Huff for a 41-yard score with three seconds left in the opening period for a 14-6 advantage.

“We felt like we could move the ball on (Linton), especially through the air,” Stephens said about the quick-hitting scores. “That was an area we had an advantage on them and we were able to take advantage of that early.”

Following an exchange of punts, Linton tied the game after an 11-play drive, Jesse Voigtschild scoring from seven yards out while Russell Goodman added the conversion.

Another trade of punts left Greencastle a minute before halftime, which was more than enough for the visitors after a roughing the passer penalty negated an incompletion a play before Stephens hit Huff for a 48-yard score.

Opportunity knocked on the following kickoff as the ball was fumbled and Jake Miller recovered for the visitors, who held the ball at the Miner 28-yard line.

A pass interference call halved the distance but a holding call two plays later meant Ian Williamson attempted a 40-yard field goal instead of shorter kick, a try that was just shy, leaving the lead at 21-14.

“We had a quick hitter called,” Stephens said about the play before the field goal. “We were going to throw to Lamar on a wheel or rub route to the back of the endzone.

“To get a hold call on a play that the ball was out that quickly was discouraging. I don’t know if being up 10 yards means that ball goes through the upright as I didn’t have a good view from my vantage point.”

The Tiger Cubs received the second half kickoff and picked up one first down but opted to go for it on fourth-and-eight on their own 37-yard line, a play that ended with a pass in one spot and the intended receiver in another.

Linton took 11 plays to capitalize as Oliver scored from a yard out, though a failed conversion allowed Greencastle to retain a 21-20 lead.

A three-and-out followed, and though Brayden Monroe recovered a fumbled handoff, a second three-and-out put the defense back out on the field where the Miners pounded out another 10-play drive that ended with an Oliver two-yard run and failed conversion, taking a 26-21 lead with 8:12 to play.

Moore looked to have broken off another monster scoring run but a block in the back penalty negated most of what would have been a 66-yard touchdown.

The Tiger Cubs picked up a first down and were bailed out by a defensive holding call following a third-and-16 incompletion but, on the next play, Stephens’ pass for Moore was slightly off and the back, trying to adjust for the ball, instead tipped it to Oliver for an interception.

It would turn out to be the last time Greencastle had possession as Linton ate up the remaining 6:33 with a 13-play drive that got to the Tiger Cub one-yard line before the Miners took three knees to seal the win, advancing to face Southmont in the sectional final after the Mounties defeated Cascade 22-21 in overtime.

“Credit to (Linton head coach) Brian Oliver and his staff, the work they put in and continue to do with their program,” Stephens said. “I’m proud of our guys as they played well enough to win.”

Greencastle finished its season 8-3, winning the WIC Small School Division for the first time, with Stephens pleased with the speed at which the Tiger Cubs made inroads in the county, conference and nearly the sectional.

“To win our side of the conference with South Putnam being a perennial top-5 team in Class A, to beat all the county teams and North Putnam twice, I’m pretty satisfied with what we accomplished,” Stephens said. “We probably overachieved compared to people’s expectations for us.

“We thought we could be here because we are a good team and got better as the season went along. We thought we could win here and make it to semistate and it’s one of those things where, if Linton makes a run to semistate, it’s going to be aggravating to watch as we felt we had them in a situation where we had an advantage at their place.”

Scoring

1st Quarter

G — Moore 66-yard run (Williamson kick) 8:01 0-7

OV — Oliver 21-yard run (XP no good) 1:00 6-7

G — Huff 41-yard pass from Stephens (Williamson kick) 0:03 6-14

2nd Quarter

OV — Voigtschild 7-yard run (Goodman run) 3:39 14-14

G — Huff 48-yard pass from Stephens (Williamson kick) 0:28 14-21

3rd Quarter

OV — Oliver 1-yard run (Conversion failed) 4:13 20-21

4th Quarter

OV — Oliver 8-yard run (Conversion failed) 8:12 26-21

Statistics

Individual Statistics

Rushing

Greencastle — 10-76, TD — Moore 6-76, TD; Stephens 3-(-5); Huff 1-5

Linton — 78-358, 4 TD — Oliver 35-192, 3 TD; Voigtschild 16-68, TD; Shonk 9-25; Goodman 7-29; Scott 6-28; White 5-19

Passing

Greencastle — Stephens 7-19-120, 2 TD, INT

Linton — Oliver 0-4-0, INT

Receiving

Greencastle — Huff 6-118, 2 TD; Moore 1-2