Here we go again. Linton – Sullivan Football Week. Friday evening the Linton Miners and the Sullivan Golden Arrows will square off for the 107th time at Roy Williams Field in what I believe is the oldest high school football series in Indiana. It’s not the oldest as far as games played because Peru and Logansport holds that honor. There was an eleven year gap in this series after the Elmer “Catchy ” Oliphant led Miners beat the Arrows 125 – 0 in 1909. The two teams didn’t meet again until 1920. I’m sure there’s a story there, but I’ve never heard it, and it’s probably too late to find out now.
Beginning with the 1926 season the two teams have met every year for 87 years. Linton dominated the series in the earliest years, winning 15 of the first 19 games with one tie, a 0 – 0 standoff in 1920. Interestingly, Linton’s early dominance ended with a 27 – 0 shutout by the 1933 Wabash Valley Championship Miner team, which was one of Linton’s most dominate and oddly the most forgotten team in Linton High School football history.
The ’33 team was undefeated and gave up only 6 points all season, that being in a 19 – 6 win over Bloomington in the 6th game of the season. The players were devastated after allowing that TD to the Panthers.
The tide quickly turned in 1934 as Spike Kelly became the coach at Sullivan. The Miners didn’t win the Armistice Day game again until 1945 when the undefeated Miners won 22 – 0 at Sullivan which touched off one of the greatest post game celebrations in Miner history. I was there, of course, as a LHS freshman in the band.
In fact, in the next 61 years beginning with 1934, Linton won only 18 times with one tie, that being a 7 – 7 tie on Armistice day 1942 which won the Wabash Valley Championship for Linton which was determined by a point system base on won and lost records and Strength of Schedule. Ironically Sullivan had held the title since 1937.
That game was perhaps the only Linton – Sullivan home game I have missed since 1937. I was in the midst of a long stay at the Riley Hospital in Indianapolis on that cold November 11th day.
After the 1994 game, the series stood at Sullivan 45 wins, Linton 33 wins with 2 ties. Then came 1995. After a five game Sullivan run, Linton’s fortunes took a big leap forward.
In the 26 seasons beginning with 1995 the Miners have won 20 games, while losing 6. The coaches and their records in the series during this run were Rick Wellington 4-1, Steve Weber 10 -3, and Brian Oliver 6 – 2.
It was a long climb, but the series now stands at Linton 53, Sullivan 51, with 2 ties.
GO MINERS !!!
Rex is hands-down a local legend, and thankfully also a guest writer for The Lintonian, as well, who generously donated his writing fee to the Linton Miners High School Football. Go Miners!!!
Featured photo is a file photo of The Lintonian.