No. 2 - Record setting year for Miner football

The Linton-Stockton Miners football team earned the No. 2 spot on the Greene County Daily World's 2011 top sports stories. Miner juniors Koye Kaiser (with football) and Austin Karazsia (in background) led the Miners to their sixth semistate. Kaiser earned all-state honors as a defensive back while Karazsia set many school records as quarterback. (By Shad Cox)

A record-setting year for the Linton-Stockton Miners football team earned the No. 2 spot on the Greene County Daily World's top sports stories for 2011.

The dream of a class A state championship came to a painful end for the No. 3 Miners on a cold Friday night in November at the University of Indianapolis' Key Stadium.

The No. 5 Scecina Crusaders turned the tables on the potent Miner offense (one that had led the state in scoring all season) on their way to a 17-0 win.

How the season ended will likely be the most glaring memory even though it was filled with more moments and records more worthy.

The Miners returned to dominance in the Southwest Seven Football Conference (6-0), ran off 13 consecutive wins, put one player on the all-state ledger (junior defensive back Koye Kaiser) and another player (junior quarterback Austin Karazsia) carved his name into the school record books.

Kaiser finished the season with a total of 47 tackles. That translates to 25 solo and 22 assisted with one sack, rushed for 770 yards on 76 carries and added 17 TDs to his total of 25.

Kaiser hauled in 35 passes for 525 yards and seven touchdowns and he returned both kickoffs and punts for the Miners for a combined 570 yards as well as scoring three conversion attempts.

Karazsia earned a place at the top of the Miner list for single season passing yards (3,473), touchdown passes (43), pass completions (244) and passing attempts (361).

Karazsia also now tops the Miner career list in attempts (718), completions (434), career passing yards (6,029) and touchdown passes (68).

He also set school standards in passes completed (30 vs. Eastern Greene) and passing yards (408 vs. North Daviess) in a single game.

Karazsia was bested by Austin Munn, senior quarterback of class A state champion Lafayette Central Catholic, for first team all-state honors.