This Friday will see the fifth meeting in a row with this latest series with the Monrovia Bulldogs. It was renewed in 2016, after playing from 1999 thru 2003. It has produced a couple of truly memorable games that indeed came down to final plays of the game to decide the victor. Not so in the last two meetings, though, with Linton blasting the Dogs 35-0 at Monrovia last year, and a 23-0 Bulldog win at the Roy in 2018. Overall, through nine meetings that I have on record, Linton has a 5-4 edge in wins. Last year was very tough for the Monrovia faithful, suffering through a 0-10 in a football loving town, which is not unlike Linton.
It was just a few years removed from a 34-9 three-year run that produced three Semi-State appearances, as well as a 2A State Championship in 2015 under then Head Coach Kevin Hutchins. Hutchins left after a 5-5 2018 season, leading to the one-year tenure of Nathan Aker. Monrovia welcomed back Andy Olson this year, who was no stranger to the Bulldog players and fan base. Olson was a coach on Hutchins’ staff from 2011 to 2017, and he vowed to bring back the physicality and toughness Monrovia has always been known for as Head Coach. It should be noted that the Bulldogs play in one of the perennial tough small school conferences with the Indiana Crossroads that includes Lutheran, Ritter, and Triton Central, among others.
Both the Miners and Bulldogs come into this third week with much needed “wins” under their belts. To open the season, Monrovia was overrun by 3A Cardinal Ritter 40-6, surrendering 366 rushing yards along the way. Linton did not fare much better in a 28-0 blanking to 3A Southridge and producing a mere 88-yards of total offense. Both bounced back in week two with Linton’s emotional overtime win over rivals 3A 1-1 Sullivan 22-16, as well as the Bulldogs a 20-8 win over 3A 1-1 Edgewood.
Similarities between the two teams is undeniable. Offensive and Defensive styles are much the same. Both are heavily run-orientated, and use multi backs instead of having one feature back. Passing games on both sides have had much impact, but cannot be ignored.
Ret
5
att
Yds
Per C
TD
Per G
Rec
Yds
Yd/C
TD
Yrd/G
QB
9
Clements, Dalen
12
5’11
165
10
20
2.00
1
10.00
0
0
0
46.00
FB
42
Belcher, Brayton
9
6’2
180
31
126
4.06
3
63.00
1
8
8.00
0
RB
4
Camic, Todd
11
5’9
145
27
153
5.67
0
76.50
1
5
5.00
0
WB
27
Followell, Gavin
11
6’1
155
11
118
10.73
1
59.00
1
6
6.00
0
SE
36
Payne, Ethan
12
5’9
150
0
0
0
1
-1
-1.00
0
TE
30
Whalen, Jaden
12
6’2
215
0
0
0
0
0
0
LT
52
Eastman, Cole
12
6’1
210
LG
51
Petty, Cole
11
6’5
235
C
78
Bales, Adam
10
6’1
275
RG
63
Huffman, Jayden
12
5’8
245
RT
55
Massey, Jett
11
6’3
195
QB
9
Clements, Dalen
12
5’11
165
Comp
Att
Yds
%
TD
Int
Yds/C
Y/g
3
12
12
25.00%
0
2
4
17.00
Ret
6
RK
TKL
Solo
Asst
TFL
Sack
INT
FR
ILB
40
Wray, Hunter
12
6’4
195
1
24.0
14.0
10.0
2.5
0.0
0
0
ILB
25
Scdoris, Alex
11
5’11
170
9
4.0
2.0
2.0
0.0
0.0
0
1
OLB
44
Arnold, Nick
11
5’10
165
2
10.0
2.0
8.0
1.0
0.5
0
0
OLB
36
Payne, Ethan
12
5’9
150
8
5.0
4.0
1.0
0.0
0.0
0
1
DE
55
Massey, Jett
11
6’3
195
9
4.0
1.0
3.0
0.0
0.0
0
1
DT
78
Bales, Adam
10
6’1
275
9
4.0
1.0
3.0
0.0
0.0
0
0
DT
52
Eastman, Cole
12
6’1
210
13
3.0
2.0
1.0
1.0
0.0
0
0
DE
30
Whalen, Jaden
12
6’2
215
9
4.0
4.0
0.0
1.0
1.0
0
1
CB
9
Clements, Dalen
12
5’11
165
2
10.0
5.0
5.0
0.0
0.0
1
0
CB
12
Padgett, Eli
12
5’11
150
4
9.0
4.0
5.0
0.0
0.0
0
0
FS
4
Camic, Todd
11
5’9
145
6
8.0
4.0
4.0
0.0
0.0
0
0
Ret
6
pk
att
Yds
Per C
TD
Per G
Rec
Yds
Yd/C
TD
Yrd/G
QB
14
Gennicks, Hunter
10
5’10
175
0
13
69
5.31
1
69.00
0
0
0
RB
13
Smith, Drew
11
6’2
215
2
16
54
3.38
0
27.00
0
0
0
RB
15
Goodman, Trey
12
6’1
175
0
21
72
3.43
0
36.00
1
15
15.00
0
7.50
WB
12
Johns, Hunter
10
5’8
170
0
7
9
1.29
0
4.50
1
8
8.00
0
4.00
TE
45
Lynn, Jackson
11
6’0
185
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
WR
24
Poe, Eli
11
6’1
160
0
0
0
0
4
43
10.75
1
#DIV/0!
LT
58
Debruhl, Donovan
11
6’0
275
3
LG
77
Carpenter, Dalton
11
5’10
215
2
C
69
Giles, Damien
12
6’2
220
0
RG
56
Giles, Aiden
10
6’2
230
1
RT
57
Giles, Landon
12
6’2
230
0
INJ
2
Eslinger, Gabe
11
6’0
195
0
27
38
1.41
0
19.00
3
13
4.33
0
6.50
Ret
6
Comp
Att
Yds
%
TD
Int
Yrds/C
QB
14
Gennicks, Hunter
10
5’10
175
6
13
42
0.4615
1
0
3.2308
RB
15
Goodman, Trey
12
6’1
175
3
13
37
0.2308
0
3
2.8462
Ret
6
rk
TKL
Solo
Asst
TFL
Sack
Int
FR
ILB
13
Smith, Drew
11
6’2
215
1
32.0
10
22.0
2.0
0.0
0
0
ILB
44
Breneman, Bracey
11
5’11
185
9
5.0
0
5.0
0.0
0.0
0
0
OLB
12
Johns, Hunter
10
5’8
170
14
2.0
1
1.0
0.0
0.0
2
0
OLB
45
Lynn, Jackson
11
6’0
185
8
6.0
2
4.0
0.0
1.0
0
0
DE
57
Giles, Landon
12
6’2
230
5
9.0
2
7.0
2.5
0.0
0
0
DT
58
Debruhl, Donovan
11
6’0
275
5
9.0
1
8.0
0.0
0.0
0
0
DT
63
Fields, Jackson
11
6’0
205
13
3.0
1
2.0
0.0
0.0
0
0
DE
8
Grounds, Levi
12
5’10
205
9
5.0
3
2.0
2.5
0.0
0
1
CB
24
Poe, Eli
11
6’1
160
9
5.0
3
2.0
0.0
0.0
0
0
CB
15
Goodman, Trey
12
6’1
175
7
8.0
4
4.0
1.0
0.0
1
0
FS
32
Miller, Jaydan
11
5’8
150
2
15.0
9
6.0
0.0
0.0
1
0
CB
7
Padgett, Kaulin
11
5’8
160
0.0
0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0
0
OLB
14
Gennicks, Hunter
10
5’10
175
2
15.0
3
12.0
1.0
0.0
0
0
DE
77
Carpenter, Dalton
11
5’10
215
14
2.0
1
1.0
0.0
0.0
0
0
INJ
2
Eslinger, Gabe
11
6’0
195
4
10.0
4
6.0
2.0
0.0
0
0
DE
62
Jackson, Cody
11
5’10
180
0.0
0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0
0
DE
69
Giles, Damien
12
6’2
220
12
4.0
1
3.0
0.0
0.0
0
0
LB
52
Lannan, Braymon
12
5’9
220
0.0
0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0
0
INJ
2
Eslinger, Gabe
11
6’0
195
4
10.0
4
6.0
2.0
0.0
0
0
Photo by NEOSiAM 2020 from Pexels with additional editing by The Lintonian
