LINTON —
Linton’s Miners were 1 for 2 on fourth-down plays from inside the Indianapolis Scecina 1-yard line Friday night.
And unfortunately, the one the Miners didn’t convert came in overtime, a win-or-lose play in Class A high school football semistate action that let the visiting Crusaders escape with a 17-14 victory and a trip to Lucas Oil Stadium next Friday.
The Miner defense had more than done its part — with the exception of two running plays — and the Miners stoned the Scecina offense to start overtime. Luke Frain, who had badly hooked a field goal attempt midway through the fourth quarter, was good on this one from 25 yards away, but still the home team seemed in perfect position to win.
Three running plays went for 3, 2 and 41⁄2 yards. But the Crusader defensive line made the play that counted, ending the game and the Linton season.
The home team had a 111-yard edge in total offense and a huge dominance in first downs — ironically controlling the ball like the visitors had been expected to.
When the Miners forced a Scecina punt to start the third quarter, then marched 69 yards in 15 plays — and 7 minutes and 20 seconds — to take a 14-7 lead on Austin Karazsia’s fourth-down quarterback sneak (deciding if he’d crossed the goal line seemed to take an eternity) it looked like Linton had grabbed momentum. A high snap oin Scecina’s first play after the kickoff, resulting in a 15-yard loss, made it look even more so.
But Crusader fullback David Tarver had broken one long run to set up the visitors’ only score in the first half, and on second-and-25 he struck again, this time going all 75 yards for a touchdown that tied the score.
Despite two Linton turnovers — a fumble on a fourth-down gamble that would have been successful if the ball carrier had maintained possession, then a tipped pass that was intercepted — the Miners preserved the tie. Even when Scecina got inside the 15-yard line after the interception, they got no points thanks to the missed field-goal attempt.
Linton mounted one final drive as the fourth-quarter clock wound down, getting a first down at the Scecina 31-yard line with about a minute left. A second down pass in the end zone was just off the hands of a Linton receiver and a fourth-down run came up short with 39 seconds left.
The first half had been a punting duel until late in the first quarter, when Tarver broke free for a 42-yard run. He scored on a 6-yard run on the first play of the second quarter.
Linton’s offense started to gain some traction the rest of the half, and the Miners tied the score with a 58-yard, 11-play drive. Karazsia connected with Zane Hayden for a 21-yard gain, Abram Neff picked up a first down on a fourth-down carry and Karazsia found Dane Rupska for a 12-yard gain on third-and-6. On second-and-goal, Karazsia hit Rupska again in the back of the end zone for a 5-yard scoring pass with 56 seconds left in the second quarter.
Scecina dropped as many as eight defenders into coverage all night, which often limited the Miners’ deep passing options. Karazsia was still 21 for 28, although for just 139 yards, and the 6-foot-7 senior also helped by becoming more of a running threat than usual. As a team, however, the Miners averaged only 3 yards per carry.
Tarver ended up with 162 yards on 14 carries for Scecina, which had just 173 total yards for the game.
High School
Related Photos
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Going nowhere: A trio of Linton defenders tackle Scecina running back Thomas Allgood during the team's semistate showdown Friday in Linton.
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Proud of you: Linton's Taylor Kanen listens as coach Steve Weber tells Kanen and the rest of the Miners how proud he is of them after the team's loss in the semistate to Scecina Friday in Linton.
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Disbelief: Members of the Linton football team walk away in disbelief with the ball just inches from the goal line after the team's semistate loss to Scecina Friday at Linton. The Crusaders won 17-14.
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Up the middle: Linton's Mitch Eberhardt runs between two Scecina defenders during the Miners' semistate game against the Crusaders Friday at Linton.
Discussion
So close: Linton stopped inside 1-yard line on fourth down in overtime
Denied trip to Class A championship game
- High School
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West Vigo comes up short against 19-9 Brown County softball
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Valley baseball teams have been keeping busy heading into sectionals
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Northview powers way past Terre Haute South in sectional semifinal
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The Knights hit three home runs in an eight-run third inning to reach the championship game. -
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Terry enjoys strong year with Wildcats, and still enjoying suiting up to play
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Terre Haute North offense unable to get going in loss to Mooresville
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But if there were no excuses forthcoming from Kirchner and his Terre Haute North High School softball team, it wouldn’t have been hard to find a spectator or two to come up with extenuating circumstances about the Patriots’ 4-1 loss at the Class 4A Martinsville Sectional. -
Terre Haute North looking strong going into girls track regional
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Terre Haute South, Northview and Sullivan have athletes among the contenders in multiple events as well. -
South tennis ready for potential challenge in regional
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Softball sectionals up for grabs
All three Vigo County high schools and Northview appear to have a realistic chance of winning sectional championships in softball this week.
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Terre Haute South, Northview vie for tennis regional title
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Coach Bill Blankenbaker’s Braves will play Seeger at 4:30 p.m., while coach Emily Goff’s Knights will take on Crawfordsville about 6 p.m. -
Vikings win in extra innings at Rockville
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TH South beats Northview in Big Four makeup baseball game
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Olds pitches South to share of MIC baseball title
Friday night, winning the second game 5-0 and earning a share of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball title.
Damon Olds was dominant on the mound for the Braves, striking out 14 and walking just one while pitching a three-hit shutout. -
South wins first half of doubleheader against Lawrence North
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The second game, which started after Senior Night festivities between games, ended past the Tribune-Star deadline. -
PREP ROUNDUP: Calleja pitches West Vigo past South Vermillion
Brandon Calleja had 13 strikeouts to lead West Vigo to a 5-1 victory against South Vermillion in high school baseball Friday.
Brandon Behringer went 2 for 4 with two RBI for the Vikings, who secured second place in the Western Indiana Conference.
Kaden Lawson had double for South Vermillion (15-7), which finished 4-2 in the WIC. -
Seibert returns from injury to win three events as Braves win sectional crown
His baseball equivalent might be Rick Sutcliffe of the 1984 Chicago Cubs.
When Tyler Seibert returned to the Terre Haute South track and field lineup Thursday for sectional action at Terre Haute North, it was like the midseason trade the Cubs made for Sutcliffe that earned them a playoff spot. -
South switches up lineup to defeat North in tennis sectional
Terre Haute South coach Bill Blankenbaker said two weeks ago that he would change the Braves’ lineup after the 3-2 dual-meet loss to Terre Haute North.
The Patriots knew it was coming, but they couldn’t do anything to stop it. -
PREP ROUNDUP: North slips past Northview in eight-inning baseball game
Colton Pittman drew a bases-loaded walk to score Zach Milam with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as host Terre Haute North edged Northview 8-7 in high school baseball Thursday at Jennings Field.
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PREP ROUNDUP: North and South to face off for tennis sectional title
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Terre Haute North gets 10 event victories to claim 12th straight sectional crown
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North, South to meet in first round of baseball sectional
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PREP ROUNDUP: West Vigo softball clinches share of WIC title
West Vigo clinched at least a share of the Western Indiana Conference softball title with a 6-4 victory over Edgewood on Tuesday.
Jacy McClain and Bailee Waters had RBI singles in the fourth inning to break the game open for the Vikings. -
Track sectional titles on the line
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Prep report: Patriots, Braves favored to advance from tennis sectional 1st round
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Local ADs happy to see spring come to a close
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South baseball remains in first-place tie with Center Grove
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Kehrt Award goes to Emily Bell, Lee Davis
Emily Bell of Terre Haute South and Lee Davis of Terre Haute North are the 2013 recipients of the Willard M. Kehrt Mental Attitude Award.
Bell and Davis were nominated by their schools and chosen in a vote by the Kehrt Award panel. Both will be recognized at awards assemblies later in the month at the schools.
Bell played varsity basketball four years at South and is competing in track this season, running the 800 and two relays. “I wanted something to do my senior year,” Bell said.
She plans to attend DePauw University and play basketball. DePauw is the reigning NCAA Division III champ in women's basketball.
Bell tore an AÇL playing in a basketball tournament the summer after her sophomore season. She missed most of her junior season but came back to play her senior year and was second leading scorer and leading rebounder her final season.
Bell also was leading rebounder her sophomore year. - More High School Headlines
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