Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor

Monday, November 2, 2009

Great job

Linton Miners!

To the Editor:

It has been another outstanding football season for the Linton-Stockton High School Miners and I want to express my appreciation to the entire team and coaching staff for the enjoyment I have experienced attending and watching the games.

I also thank Mr. Puckett and the band, the cheerleaders, the volunteer workers, and yes, all the Miner fans, who all contribute to making these football seasons such a great experience for me and others.

In some ways this season has been even more enjoyable than some of those in the recent past because, even though there were a few bumps along the way, it was great to watch the several young and inexperienced players grow and develop as the season progressed. True, we have some outstanding seniors concluding their careers, but the potential of these younger players is limitless. If the coaches set the goals high and these young players dedicate themselves to putting forth the effort to achieve those goals, this group, along with the younger boys coming on, can reach the ultimate goal that has so far eluded all the other great Miner teams.

I am amazed at the seemingly endless stream of good football players that come through the program. In reality, it isn't really endless. It would end quickly if not for all the dedicated volunteer coaches who give of their time to work with these boys from the lower grades on up. No matter what the endeavor, success never happen without dedication and effort. One would be hard pressed to find a high school coaching staff anywhere with the knowledge, experience, and desire to win as Coach Weber and his staff of assistant coaches. I watch practices. Our young Miners are taught by the best.

Early next season Coach Weber will become the winningest coach In Linton-Stockton High School history. He will eclipse the record of 96 wins, held by Gerald "Two-Penny" Landis, who coached from 1923-38. There have been 21 coaches at Linton since Landis. Interestingly, Coach Weber and Charlie Karazsia, whom Weber passed in wins this season, have accounted for 45% of all the wins since Landis. I suppose that I am one of the few around that actually remembers Gerald Landis as coach. I went to games back then as a small child with my father and having grown up near the football field, was hanging around the field during practices back then as I still do now. That was more than 70 years ago.

Friday night our Linton Miners will once again play for the Sectional 40 championship. At this point in the season, I believe this Linton team is very nearly as strong as last year's great team. That would have been a ludicrous statement a few weeks ago. But again, Coach Weber and his staff have brought this team of outstanding seniors and underclassmen to a level most of us did not expect.

I fully expect the Miners to win against a strong North Daviess team. But even if they don't, it has been another great, enjoyable season. I know I speak for most, if not all, Miner fans when I say thank you Coach Weber and to everyone who contributes in any way to the success of Linton-Stockton High School football.

As you might suspect by now, this old guy loves Linton Miner football.

Rex Tuttle

Linton