Linton aiming at course correction in another daunting matchup

A group made up of mostly linemen sprint on the track inside Roy Williams Stadium on Monday at practice. The Linton football squad is looking to rebound from an opening loss to Marion Local (Ohio) against Monrovia on Friday.

Photo by Hunter Tickel

Linton Stockton rarely gets “rocked” at Roy Williams Field or any football field.

“Last Friday was definitely a shot in the mouth,” senior Hank Gennicks said. “We don’t like doing that. I can’t remember the last time that’s happened to us, but it’s really an eye-opener. It’s a good thing it’s Week 1 and we still have a long season. We can learn a lot from it.”

In the past three seasons, the Miners (0-1) have lost by more than two points just once.

The outlier was a 51-28 loss to Evansville Mater Dei in 2022 at semistate. The Wildcats won state.

That’s what makes Linton being outmanned last week against Ohio small school powerhouse, Marion Local, 45-6, such an anomaly.

“We had a lopsided loss and we watched a lot of film,” coach Brian Oliver said. “We’re going to have to learn from it if we want to win a championship later in the year. We told our guys, ‘We got eight more games before it gets real.’”

In three seasons prior, the Miners have gone 33-4. One of those defeats came by a sliver to Monrovia 27-26 last September after two overtime sessions.

“We had an opportunity to win on a power play for a two-point conversion,” Oliver said. “We stopped them on their two-point conversion. We didn’t have our kicker ready to go, so ran power. We stopped, we didn’t get it. That was probably the big thing. It was power to the right we were just a little short of.

“It wasn’t three yards, it was probably more like five inches or three inches,” he added.

The Miners were thwarted by another goal-line stand up the gut on a belly run play, according to Oliver. He added that there was a similar concept that didn’t pan out against Southmont when they fell in overtime, 36-34 in the sectional final.

Linton is looking to avoid just the second 0-2 start since 1994 when it hosts Monrovia, on Friday. It’s a team that will rely on production out of the backfield. It’s a stark contrast from Marion’s blazing quickness on the outside.

“We know Monrovia wants to run the ball,” Oliver said. “They are probably going to run the ball 95% of the time. If they start throwing the ball then we know we are stopping the run or we got a lead on them. They are going to throw some play-action pass. We have to be very disciplined. They are going to run option stuff. They are going to run the belly, they are going to run the dive and the double dive. And if we fall asleep, when we aren’t responsible, there goes the wing up the sideline.”

Gennicks said the Bulldogs only put the ball in the air four times in last year’s matchup.

If Linton can successfully hit the reset button for this campaign it will come down to stymieing the Bulldogs’ run game and developing a consistent ground game on offense.

Junior starting linebacker and quarterback Paul Oliver will be a game-time decision after hurting his right shoulder in Friday’s loss.

Monrovia (1-0) graduated several pieces from a squad that averaged 397.6 yards as one of the most potent rushing attacks in the state, according to the IndyStar.

The Bulldogs topped Greencastle 35-21 in the opener.

The Bulldogs function as an option offense while Linton utilizes a Wing-T formation, Oliver said.

“It’s a unique opportunity for us to kind of get things going again and see what progress we make,” Oliver said. “We are going to have to play pretty good football again on Friday against a very good Monrovia team. They are well-coached. Their offense is very simple but complex, as well. Because what they do, they do it so well.”

The Bulldogs have moved back into Class 2A with Linton to bring more implications to the billing of this tilt.

Photo by Hunter Tickel Linton football players finish one of their sprints during practice on Monday during practice. The Miners put up six points in the opener. They take on Monrovia Friday in Week 2.

“It’s been in the back of my mind every single day I have a workout,” Gennicks said. “Every single time something big happens in the weight room. It’s just being hungry for that game again. And just being one play away.”

Oliver noted the miscues the squad has to clean up in Week 2. Senior defensive back Braylon McBride echoed his coach and said their secondary has to make leaps.

“I definitely want to say defensively our secondary we gotta get that together,” McBride said. “We had a few miscommunications. A few guys out playing both sides of the ball, just a lot going on there.”

Projected Linton Starters

Offense

(Position Name Class Height Weight)

QB Braylon McBride senior 5-9 165

RB Jesse Voigtschild senior 5-9 165

RB Cooper Smith junior 6-2 175

RB Russell Goodman junior 6-2 185

WR Hayden Feltner senior 6-3 170

OL Dresden Kenworthy junior 5-11 185

OL Tyler Franklin sophomore 5-11 195

OL Jacob Bredeweg junior 5-10 165

OL Hank Gennicks senior 6-2 250

OL Corey Andrews junior 6-3 215

OL Chris Lyons junior 5-11 185

Defense

DL Hank Gennicks senior 6-2 250

DL Trentin Howard senior 6-0 235

DL Chris Lyons junior 5-11 185

LB Cooper Smith junior 6-2 175

LB Tate Gambill freshman 5-11 165

LB Russell Goodman junior 6-2 185

LB Corey Andrews junior 6-3 215

DB Jesse Voigtschild senior 5-9 165

DB Braylon McBride senior 5-9 165

DB Hayden Feltner senior 6-3 170

DB Collin Webster senior 5-9 155

Punter

Russell Goodman junior 6-2 185

Kicker

Russell Goodman junior 6-2 185

Projected Monrovia Starters

Offense

(Position Name Class Height Weight)

QB Clay Thacker junior 5-9 165

WB Ryder Pool senior 5-9 175

HB Noah Bryant senior 5-8 170

FB Jozy Hand senior 5-11 180

WR Truman Todd senior 5-11 140

OL Lane Whitney senior 6-2 305

OL Bentley McClellan junior 6-4 315

OL Conor Denaut junior 5-10 240

OL Brody Clampitt junior 5-11 265

OL Colin Mann junior 5-11 230

TE Ethen Followell junior 5-11 190

Defense

DL Lane Whitney senior 6-2 305

DL Bentley McClellan junior 6-4 315

DL Conor Denaut junior 5-10 240

DL Brody Clampitt junior 5-11 265

LB Sylas Bunton senior 6-0 205

LB Ethen Followell junior 5-11 190

S Isaiah Ramos senior 5-9 180

DB Ryder Pool senior 5-9 175

DB Jay Neal senior 6-0 180

S Parker Hale senior 6-1 155

S Jozy Hand senior 5-11 180

Punter

Aiden Parker junior 6-0 180

Kicker

Emery Newlin senior 5-7 125