Indianapolis Colts Friday Night Football Tour adds excitement to big game at Linton

There's not much anyone needs to do to get the Linton, Odon, and Elnora communities excited about Friday night's football game at Roy Williams Field.

Linton-Stockton vs. North Daviess. 4-1 vs. 4-1. Southwest 7 Conference championship on the line. Class A No. 7 (Cougars) vs. No. 8 (Miners).

It could turn out to be a classic.

Add that it's homecoming and the Indianapolis Colts Friday Night Football Tour will make a stop in Linton before the game, and fans have a lot to look forward to Friday night.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

The Colts are highlighting nine prep games this fall on their Friday Night Football Tour. The Tour will be open an hour-and-a-half before kickoff and will feature the Colts traveling museum, Colts in Motion.

Colts in Motion is a 42-foot trailer equipped with interactive videos, a chance to feel the Lucas Oil Stadium field turf and a behind-the-scenes look at the team. Other elements include Colts cheerleader autographs, Quarterback Challenge toss, Colts giveaways, and fans can register to win Colts prizes.

"It's going to be set up on the east side of the football field outside the ticket gate," Linton-Stockton Athletic Director Charlie Karazsia said. "It's going to be exciting. They're only doing this for nine Friday nights, and they asked us to be one of the nine."

Another positive is that the Colts will make a donation to the Linton-Stockton Athletic Department.

"They're going to present us with a $500 check to the athletic department, so it's a win-win situation," Karazsia said. "It's a cool thing. A lot of kids are going to enjoy it, and I think a lot of adults will enjoy it. It will help showcase our facilities and our town."

Karazsia said he checked with school officials before agreeing to the Tour stop, considering it was homecoming.

"My main concern was homecoming. I checked with Nick (Karazsia, the high school principal) and the homecoming people to make sure it was OK. I didn't want to step on anyone's toes. I was told it wouldn't affect homecoming because (the Tour is) going to close down at 7 and be out of here by halftime," Karazsia explained.

Karazsia added that the Colts do a lot of good things for high school football in Indiana. He said the Miners were invited to participate in a 7-on-7 passing tournament this past summer at the Colts Complex on the northwest side of Indianapolis.

"This past summer only 16 teams were invited to play in a 7-on-7 tournament. It was a neat experience being there to watch the kids play. There were a lot of big schools there too," Karazsia said.

He added that the Miners were probably invited because "of our football background, heritage and the team we had last year and the team we have coming up this year."

Other Class A powers at the tournament were Indianapolis Ritter and Sheridan.

The Colts also host a Web site dedicated to high school football -- www.myindianafootball.com .