It's Sullivan Week -- Need I Say More?
Sports fans, it just doesn't get any better than this.
It's that time again - the annual Sullivan-Linton rivalry game takes place Friday at Roy Williams field.
Fans on both sides of the Greene-Sullivan county lines circle this date on their calendars every year.
And it doesn't seem to matter if Sullivan is good and Linton-Stockton isn't, or vice versa.
It's even better when both teams are good, as has been the case in recent years.
Many fans on both sides consider it the biggest game of the year.
And it's a big game for the coaches and players too. I'd heard speculation from some that the Miners might be looking ahead to North Vermillion in Week 4 and overlook Sullivan.
Not a chance of that happening.
Adding to the drama, I work for a Sullivan guy now.
Welcome back, Travis.
My last sports editor, B.J. Hargis, is now the sports editor at the Sullivan Daily Times. I look forward to seeing B.J. roaming the sidelines, camera and clipboard in hand.
Linton-Stockton will be looking for revenge for a last minute 24-21 loss at Sullivan last year after it looked like the Miners had the game in hand. The Golden Arrows mounted a last-minute drive covering 74 yards in five plays. Cameron Marx scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 2-yard run with 28 seconds remaining.
Both teams return veteran squads and both are coming off huge wins. Sullivan romped 62-12 over graduation-depleted North Knox and Linton-Stockton came out strong in the second half to overtake Speedway 35-19.
After a season-opening scrimmage against the Golden Arrows, North Central head coach Travis Nolting said, "Sullivan is the best team we'll face all year."
He added, "That's the best Sullivan team I have seen since I've been here."
The series dates back to 1904 with a break from 1909 until 1920. The two teams have met every year since 1926.
Sullivan leads the series 52-43-2 but Linton-Stockton has won 14 of the last 18 contests.
Obviously the rivalry between the two neighbors goes back a lot farther than I can remember. But it was just as big a deal when I was in high school forty years ago.
This has nothing to do with football - and everything to do with the Sullivan-Linton rivalry.
When I played basketball for Linton and coach Jim Callane and it was Sullivan week, Callane put just one word - "SULLIVAN" - on the bulletin board.
Enough said.
Those of you who remember coach Callane know that Jim was artistically talented. The word "Sullivan" wasn't just scrawled on the bulletin board with Magic Marker. It was neatly hand-lettered in eight-inch rounded block lettering, purple letters outlined in gold.
It was so well done it looked like it might have been done by Shad's Signs. Except Shad was in diapers then.
I'll never forget the line of fans stretching for two blocks waiting to get into the old Linton gym for the Sullivan game in late February 1976.
I can't wait for Friday. Both teams are good and this game is huge for both.
I expect to see a hard-hitting, hard-fought game with plenty of offensive excitement on both sides.
Play hard, play clean and let's hope for no serious injuries.
May the best team win!
Terry Schwinghammer is a sports writer for the Greene County Daily World. He can be reached by telephone at (812) 847-4487, ext. 27. He can also be reached via email at tschwing32@yahoo.com.
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