I’m sure the folks in Tell City would be happy not to see the Linton-Stockton school buses roll back into town anytime soon. At least in Football Sectionals time. Linton had ended the Marksmen season last year amidst Covid quarantines and a monsoon at Legion Field by a 34-0 score. This year Linton was favored to win, and racked up 46 points before pulling the starters and winning 46-13. You add the 2015 score of 76-8 and Linton has really dominated Tell City three blow-out wins by a 156 to 21 margin.
This year Linton would hit equally in the air as they normally would on the ground. Jr QB Hunter Gennicks was on target 10 of 14 passes for 183 yards a one scoring toss all occurring the opening half. Meanwhile the running attack was versatile with multiple backs contributing to the cause to the tune of 6.63 yards per carry, and a total 252 on the ground with 6 TDs. Of course, all of this is due to protection for Gennicks in passing situations, and the efforts of the offensive line in the running plays. Linton has been blessed with decent health and continuity, but also with a next man up philosophy that did survive a couple early injuries without loss of quality. Every play starts off with the center’s snap, and with the graduation of Damien Giles last year, the question of who stepped into that role was wide open. By week one that person was 6;0 255 junior Nathan Watson. To my knowledge to this point, I’ve not seen anyone else snap the ball in Varsity 1st unit play. There has equally been very few is any snap issues in his first season at center, as he was a tackle for the JV last year. The Miners knew there were returning 3 starters from an offense that ground out nearly 2800 yards in 2020. Aiden Giles and Wrigley Franklin were starters as sophomores, and both are a Guard this year. Franklin at 6’3 225 and Giles 6’3 215 are frequent pullers on Miner counter plays, with Franklin leading the team in pancake blocks at 33. Giles is next up with 18. Donovan DeBruhl is the big load at 6’0 275 and was a starting Tackle last year. He remembers the Tell City game last year as he severely injured an ankle (on defense in the mud) that kept him out of the Mater Dei game. “Don-Jo” didn’t start the season as the starter on offense, as he would be the nose tackle on defense, although he did see action in overloaded power packages. Joining him at Tackle is a converted tight end from 2020 Cameron Goodman (6’3 200).
To start the 2021 season Freshman Hank Gennicks at 6’2 235 was the starter at Tackle in weeks 1 and 2, then a substantial knee injury kept him crutches the bulk of the season until just recently. The Coaches moved yet another 2020 Tight End-Jackson Lynn (6’0 185) to the interior line where he had never played before. We also saw senior Cody Jackson (5’10 195) in that mix. In both cases Giles had moved to Tackle. What caused more issue was DeBruhl being one of several Miners to be sidelined by being quarantined and missing 2 weeks. Once DeBruhl was cleared and back, he moved to Tackle, and Giles back to his normal Guard Position, and Jackson dumped the #65 jersey for his standard #45! With Gennicks back in uniform the last couple weeks being eased back into actions, as well as Jackson, Lynn as well as Jackson Fields the Linton offensive line has been solid and key reason for a 10-0 season.
Linton has averaged 426.10 in total offense, with 279.9 of that on the ground. Hunter Gennicks led the charge last Friday with 120 yards on 13 carries and 3 TDs. He has scored 6 rushing TDs in the last 2 weeks. However, it was the pass the opened things up on the 2nd play from scrimmage at Hunter found Sr Wingback Gabe Eslinger for a 27-yard pass to the marksmen 35. Then, something we just have not seen all year for the Miners; a Turn-over. Alto technically there was a turnover in the South Putnam game when Gennicks was stripped on the ball after an interception, there had not been a normal ball on the ground lost fumble since 3 of them in the opening week against Southridge. This time a great play by Tell City’s Keaton Lloyd seemed to cause confusion and the pitch to Eslinger was well behind the senior. Gage Meunier picked p the pigskin but fell at the TC 45 to the cheers of the home town crowd.
Those cheers did not last long though as the Miner Defense dominated the Tell City front line all night. The Marksmen utilized a tight formation that would see the Junior QB Tyco DuPont, or FB Junior Trenton Cail carry on 25 of the teams 38 rushes. DuPont (5’11 170) nor Cail (5’9 176) had much success totaling 47 yards between them for the game. Keaton Lloyd punted to the Linton 27 where the Miners took five plays to go 73 yards in just 1:48 to score on a 1-yard Bracey Breneman dive. Key plays were an 18-yard Gennicks keeper, and then another 27-yard run by Gennicks to the TC 1. Eddie Cecares Oliver’s PAT was no good, but it put Linton up 6-0 at 7:54.
The Marksmen started off well on their 2nd series from the own 45 with a 3 Yard from Cail, then a first down achieving run of 8 from Lloyd on an option. Tell City’s 2020 QB Aden Dodson was stuffed by Eslinger for no gain, then Cail was stopped 2 yard short of the line to gain by Gennicks and Breneman. Facing 4th and 2, TC went to a pitch to Dodson who was stopped for no gain again by Gennicks and Breneman right where it all started at the TC 45. Eslinger started off with an 11-yard run up the gut with his typical power, then Gennicks hit senior wide-out Eli Poe with a 17-yard strike to the Marksmen 17. Coming into the game Linton had been 34 of 42 in the Red Zone-a 81% success rate, but ended up with a 3rd and 9 and the 16. Gennicks again to his left and nearly got in except for a shoe-string tackle from Kelby Glenn at the 3. 2 plays later Gennicks went in untouched for his 14th rush TD of the year. Linton elected to go for 2 points, but despite running the width of the field looking to pass, Hunter’s throw for Gabe was too far out of reach. Linton led 12-0 with 2:49 in the 1st quarter.
With good starting position again from their own 45 DuPont locked in behind his fullback for 5 on 1st down but stops successively from Giles and Eslinger forced a 4th and 5, and DuPont’s first pass attempt was well off for Lloyd with coverage from senior Kaulin Padgett, and pressure from Jackson Lynn from outside linebacker. Linton junior Hunter Johns got in the mix with a 5-yard run, then Gennicks connected with Eslinger and a big collision at the Marksmen 40 with Lloyd moved the chains. However, Linton has stopped by the Tell City defense, albeit temporarily. On 4th and 1, Gennicks would go off tackle and sprint 31 yards for another Miner score, his 15th of 2021. This time the 2-point play worked at Gennicks hit junior wide-out Logan Webb on a perfect out pattern that put Linton up 20-0 with 10:21 in the first half.
There was little to nothing to cheer about for the red-clad Marksmen on their next possession, which again was good at the Miner 49. Giles and Jackson Fields combined to stop Cail for 2, then Eslinger dropped DuPont for 0, and Gennicks a 2-yard loss on Lloyd. 4tth and 10 produced a pass play that was blown up by Lynn, and then with Fields became a seven-yard sack back to the TC 45. It was Webb catching a quick 6-yard gain, but still yet facing another 4th and 1 Gennicks eked out 2 yards to the 34 with a fresh set of downs. Then the aerial attack took center stage with a 13-yard pass to Poe to the 21, followed by a picture-perfect corner fade thrown by Gennicks to the waiting over the shoulder catch of Webb. It was Logan’s 5th TD of the year, and Hunter’s amazing 19th TD pass against just 1 interception thrown. Keaton Lloyd broke up what looked like a wide open Gennicks to Eslinger 2-point conversion which left the score 26 nil Miners at 6:12 in the 2nd.
Linton finally was able to put Tell City’s starting point deeper in Marksmen territory with a kick from Jose’ Sevilla-Garcia reaching the 18, and Cody Jackson and Aiden Giles stopping Lloyd at the TC 21. Sevilla-Garcia had 6 kickoffs on the night for195 yards and a 32.5 average. Eddie Caceres Oliver kicked twice, once a squib kick, for a total 47 yards 16.50 per kick. The Marksmen had their best varsity drive of the night with a Tyco DuPont keeper nearly going the distance but for Hunter Gennicks making the stop at the Miner 43. It was by far the longest offensive play of the night for the varsity unit, a gain of 20. Lloyd converted a 3rd and 4 with a 15-yard hard-nosed run to the Miner 36 and the first threat of the game for Tell City. However, a bad pitch from DuPont well behind Lloyd would put the nails in the drive with a loss of 14 as Fields made the final stop. Breneman dumped DuPont on 3rd and 24 for a 4-yard sack, then TC punted the ball away to the Miner 17. Gennicks took the punt and had a solid runback but a block in the back pinned the Miners at their own 9 with 2:20 left in the half.
This provided an excellent opportunity for Linton to work on 2-minute game, as well as have to work the full length of the field. Gennicks went deep to Hunter Johns on first down but seeing the ball possibly sail into the safety’s hands, Johns got nabbed with an offensive pass interference call that pushed Linton to their own 4. Then Gennicks there a bomb that Eli Poe made a stellar catch at the Miner 45 that was called back on a holding penalty, which pushed Linton to their 2-yard line. Gennicks ran for 6 to the 8, but then he hit Webb in a short out designed to go out of bounds, the first-time playing junior came to a stop before going out, and heading up the Miner sideline. It took 2 hits to get Webb out of bounds for a gain 24, 12 of which came after the catch. It also moved the chains. After an incompletion, Gennicks again connected with Poe, who had 100 receiving yards on 5 catches on the night. This one was for 16 yards to the Miner 48. 2 plays later it was the same partnership. This time deep across the middle and perfectly spotted, Poe cause the ball at the 11 and battled to the 1-yard line before 2 Markman got him down. You almost hoped Poe would line up at RB to get the TD, but that honor went to Hunter Johns on the next snap, his 11th of the season. Eslinger ran in the 2-point play and Linton had executed a 7 play 91-yard drive that actually needed 98 yards in 2:03 to lead 34-0 at the half.
Little to say stat wise at the half other than total Miner dominance. 332 total yards to 39. 16 First Downs to 3. The only areas the Miners could be negative were 4 penalties, 1 turnover, and perhaps giving good starting position after kick-offs. Gennicks already had 103 yards on 11 carries. And as mentioned already had thrown for 183. The 2nd half didn’t seem to get over quick enough with the cold wind blowing, but yet a perfect October Football Night for those who play the game. Of course, you could not forget the conditions in this same meeting in 2020, so anything was better than that.
The 3rd Quarter opening from the TC38, where QB DuPont kept straight ahead for 7, then converted a 3rd and 1 for the Marksmen’s 4th first down of the game. They reached the Miner side of the field but another 4th and 3 failed and Dodson was just shy of the needed yards which required measurement and the disgruntlement of Tel City fans. That series featured 3 stops by Aiden Giles, and Jackson Lynn and 2 from Hunter Gennicks. It became the Bracey Breneman show as Linton tool over at their own 38. Breneman again playing at RB as Senior Drew Smith was still not a 100% after an ankle injury suffered in week 7 at North Knox. Breneman powered out runs of 6, then 10 to the TC 46, then Johns rambled for another 10. Gabe Eslinger very nearly closed it out with a 32-yard jaunt to the 4 where Bracey chugged into the endzone at the 7:07 mark. Another missed extra point left the score 40-0 Linton, and also triggered the running clock rule.
The next series was the bleakest for Tell City as they lost yards on 3 of their 4 plays. Senior Cody Jackson, and Sophy Ty Boyd getting in on the action. DuPont was mercilessly under pressure and sacked twice involving Boyd, Jackson, Breneman and Lynn. Eslinger, from the TC 30, gained a quick 13 to the TC 17, but Linton very nearly gave the ball back to the Marksmen. Gennicks appeared to hand the ball the Breneman who didn’t think he was getting it. The ball bounced forward, but Gennicks was able to get to it first to keep possession. Hunter decided to keep the ball himself and ran in from 12 yards on 2 plays later. This time the PAT was attempted by Sevilla-Garcia only to be blocked by J.C. Buckendahl on a low kick. Linton was up 46-0 with 1:38 in the 3rd.
Frim here on it was the JV defense in the game, as well as on the offense as coached tried to get everyone a moment on Legion Field and sectional action. Tell City would score twice, and actually had a third called back on a penalty in that span of time. It was great to see the younger guys get a chance, but you grimaced a bit at the non-tackling that led for a 47-yard score by senior Keaton Lloyd, then a 16-yard run by freshman Landon Terry that saw several missed tackles. Not be miss a stat though it was Hank Gennicks who got a blocked PAT on the 1st score, and TC kicker Chance Martin got the 2nd through for the 46-13 final tally. Miners on the field that I saw were juniors Thomas Edwards, Bradyn Cox, Luke McDonald, Jaylen Deardorff & Mathew Hayden. Sophomores-Christian Shonk, Colten McKinnon, Cody Pigg, Ashton White, Easton Russell, Drake Fields, and John Pittman. Freshmen Cam Read, Zeke Brinson, Devin Pavey, Brayton McBride, Tyson Walker, Eli Scott, Colin Webster, Hayden Feltner, and Jesse Voigtschild. Apologies to anyone left out by accident.
Linton finished with 432 total offense, 249 on the ground 183 in the air. Gennicks led all with 120 yards on 14 totes and 3 scores. He has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark with 1,039 on 129 carries with a team high 13 TDs. Eslinger had 61 yards on just 5 touches giving him 703 yards on the ground on 73 carries with 11 TDs on the year. Breneman 5-33 with 2 TDs, Johns 6-27-1 TD (58-425-11 TD for year); Cox 1-3, Scott 1-1; Edwards 1-1; McDonald 1-3; Pigg 1-1; Feltner 1-(-1); Shonk 1-0. Hunter threw 14 times and hit on 10 for 183 and 1 score. This up his 2021 statistic to 69-116 for 1,338 yards, 19 TDs 1 Int.
Hayden Feltner attempted 1 pass to Tyson Walker incomplete. Eli Poe had his season high night in both catches (5) and yards (100). He now has 23 receptions for 459 yards and 6 TDs. Logan Webb had 3 catches for 51 yards and a score. He is a 12 for 260 and 4 TDs on the year. Eslinger hauled in 2 passed for 32 yards upping his year totals for 18-326 and 2 TDs. The Miners have scored 44 TDs on the ground and 18 in the air.
Defensively Breneman led with 9 stops, 2 TFL and 1.5 sacks. With 8 tackles were Eslinger and Giles. Gabe with 1 TFL and leading the Miners now with 102 total tackles and 12.5 TFL. Jackson Lynn and Jackson Fields were in on 6 tackles, Lynn with a Sack and 2 QB Hurries, Fields with 1.5 TFL and .5 Sack. Ty Boyd and Cody Jackson were each with 4 stopes, with 3 from Wrigley Franklin. Overall behind Eslinger’s 102, Breneman sits at 54 tackles, Gennicks 51, Franklin 46, and Giles with 41. Franklin’s 12 TFL are just .5 behind Eslinger’s 12.5, Drew Smith has 8.5 Fields with 8. The Miners have picked off 12 passes with 2 each from Padgett, Gennicks and Poe. Padgett has defended 23 passes, with Gennicks 12. The Miners have recovered 12 fumbles 2 each from Jaydan Miller, Breneman and Lynn. Linton has also been very active going after the QB with Franklin and Lynn each 12 Hurries, 10 from Eslinger, 8 from Johns. I have Johns with 4 sacks, Smith 2.5 Breneman 2.4, Jackson and Lynn with 2 each. What makes this even more amazing is that Linton is a Plus 17 in the Turnover department. Ball security is a key factor when you get into colder more typical October weather.
It is worth mentioning that senior co-captain Drew Smith has been a big contributor to this team’s cohesion and athleticism. He has missed 3.5 games of his senior year which I know is very hard for him. He is also the kind of kid who is willing to look at the big picture. I’m sure he could have played in either of the last 2 games, but nowhere near his level, and in fact he stated to me that he would be a hindrance to his team by trying to play. A lot of guys wouldn’t feel that way preferring to play and put themselves first above the team. I can only hope that Drew is close to 100% this coming week as this is a game he, like all the Miners, has been aiming for all year. His numbers don’t seem like much with 241 yards on 47 carries and 5 TDs, but he is a brutal runner and an even more brutal blocker but plays with total sportsmanship you love to see in a kid with talent. He had 85-yard rushing against Boonville and helped wear them down. He had 2 TDs and 35 hard interior yards in the 1st half at North Knox before the injury, and definitely was missed in the 2nd half. Defensively his move to OLB was a key ingredient to the success of the 3-man coach Mark employs this year. At 6’2 215 he is a force to block, and he still is 7th in tackles with 30, 6th in solo tackles, and 3rd in TFL. We are so blessed to have people step up without missing a beat as Bracey Breneman has done offensively and as Jackson Lynn and others have done at Outside Linebacker.
So, Linton heads back to Roy Williams Field for a circled rematch with our nemesis the last 3 years in Sectional 40. The Evansville Mater Dei Wildcats. I only show 4 meetings between the schools from 1990’s on, and the first was in the brief period Linton was 2A in the early 90’s. In 1993 it was a 32-0 loss. More recently it been more losses with last year’s 37-20 loss in Linton, 2019’s 44-20 loss at the Reitz Bowl, and 40-21 in 2018 at the Roy. All three were games that did not see Linton play their best, but then again, a lot of that due to the play of the Wildcats. They come in 8-2 playing in the always tough SIAC, made even tougher with the addition of Jasper. Those 9-1 Wildcats were 1 of 2 losses for Mater Dei, the other to 8-2 4A Evansville Memorial, who have been a staple at the Oil Can in recent years. They’ve beaten 7-2 5A Castle along the way, and play the likes of Evansville Reitz and North, Harrison & Bosse and Vincennes Lincoln. It’s a schedule with a lot of speed and size week in and out. Mater Dei will take the field with 77 players Friday to Linton’s 53. That’s just how it is. Their 30 sophomores are more numbers than our combines junior and senior classes. But you still line up 11 on 11. Mano a Mano.
The best way we can support our Miners is through crowd noise and insanity. Keeping our Miners fired up, and lifting them up when they need it, because it is bound to happen in a game against a quality opponent…. Big plays are gonna happen. In the past, Linton has not been able to respond when that happens. These kids have worked all off season, and all summer, and all of this schedule to improve for one thing. And that is this week. We have all got to be there with them. Evansville embarrassed us last year with how their crowd was bigger than our crowd at the Roy. This Can’t Happen in 2021. These are the kind of game you wish you as a kid in Linton. These are the games you play out as a kid in your neighbors’ side yard. This is what you play for on Saturdays in the youth league, and what you yearn to have a chance at. I know these guys are ready and will play their hearts and souls out to the final horn. We have to have their back. Pack up the blankets, get out the raincoats and galoshes if necessary… lets pack the Roy and make it loud.
Featured photo is a file photo taken by Austin Gordon Photography from the 2020 football season.