Linton’s Super Bowl Weekend

Linton football and Linton volleyball will play there most important games of the season within 24 hours of each other. From left: football players Paul Oliver and Christian Shonk. Volleyball players Maelee Pilant, Ally Brownfield and Kylie Cooksey.

If you think things are getting crazy in “Miner Country” you would be right. It is to the point where no matter what I do I am sure my performance would be inadequate as sports editor.

That is because we have the biggest football game Linton has played in six years followed by the biggest volleyball game the school has ever played in just over 15 hours later on the other side of the state.

I asked Linton historian and super fan Rex Tuttle if there has ever been anything like this.

“Considering the importance and significance of the games, this is certainly one of the biggest weekends ever for LHS sports if not the biggest,” Tuttle said. “Playing for the 1A state football and basketball titles were awfully big though, but for two teams playing in huge games in one weekend, this has to be tops.”

The weekend could be one Linton remembers fondly for decades if not more. On the other hand, if things go poorly against Sullivan on the gridiron and in the volleyball title game at Ball State, it could be a painful November.

Sure, Linton has played in sectional finals before in football but never against Sullivan. Friday at Sullivan will be the 109th time Linton and Sullivan have played but the first in a postseason contest. Linton has won eight out of the last 10 in the series since Brian Oliver became head coach of the Miners. Linton leads the series 55-51 but how much weight is added on to a postseason win? Especially if it is Sullivan knocking off a No. 1 Linton team? Would beating Sullivan in a sectional final on the field of the Arrows mean more to Miner fans than the 2016 state championship? My guess is no but it would be a conversation.

I don’t know how to put this weekend into historical context, but Linton residents will when it is all said and done. The volleyball team keeps beating the odds every week. Linton started the year 2-3 with defeats to the elite programs in the area. The girls looked like another athletic volleyball team from Linton that couldn’t break through the traditional volleyball powers in Southern Indiana.

Now, Linton has become a regional volleyball power and will go up against a state powerhouse in Wapahani. Wapahani has won five state championships in its program history. Linton will be making its first appearance on this stage. Yet, there is just something about this group girls on Linton. Most of them play other sports, are involved in other clubs, dedicate time for academics but they just mesh on the volleyball court. The volleyball team has already defeated Sullivan in a sectional final. It beat the area volleyball powers and even beat a private school that could recruit the Indianapolis area in the semi-state. Think about it. A team filled with girls from rural Western Greene County beat one that picked up talent from Indianapolis. I doubt Norman Dale could have done that but Scott Vanderkolk sure did.

At this point, if you live in Jasonville, Worthington and Bloomfield you are tired of this. I get it. Keep in mind though that your “Super Bowl Weekend” is coming some day soon. Until then, buckle up and enjoy this.

Nathan Pace is the Sports Editor of the Greene County Daily World and can be reached at npace@gcdailyworld.com. His “Low Budget Sports Show” airs weekly on Facebook Live.