News From Terre Haute, Indiana

Breaking News

Sports

Discussion

Welcome to our online comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean. We reserve the right to remove comments that are obscene, racist or abusive and statements that are false or unverifiable as well as posts that are attacking other users. Repeat offenders will be blocked. You may flag objectionable comments for review by a moderator.
comments powered by Disqus
November 16, 2012

Nothing new about successful Linton defense

Andy Amey The Tribune-Star

Linton — There’s not a new philosophy involved with Linton’s defensive success in high school football this season — just the opposite, in fact — and the players themselves aren’t really impressed by what they’ve done so far.

But with seven shutouts in 13 games — had the Miners been greedy, they probably would have had at least nine shutouts and been unscored upon in playoff contests — it looks like the Linton defensive options are just about as impressive as the Miners’ offensive weapons.

Maybe just playing for Linton qualifies as a defensive philosophy. If nothing else, there’s a tone that’s been set and expectations that must be met, and the 2012 edition of the Miners has done all of that so far.

“Ever since week six I don’t think the varsity defense has given up a touchdown,” cornerback Cole Bradbury said this week. “We’ve been pretty awesome against the run, and last week we did pretty well against the pass.”

(Last week was the shutout of a West Washington team that had averaged over 34 points per game in its previous seven contests.)

“We just go out and play as a team,” said defensive end Ethan Lannan. “We work hard, and we rely on each other. We know our offense is capable of doing good things as long as we do our job [defensively].”

(West Washington never mounted a serious threat, by the way, even when presented with great field position.)

“We just have to perform,” added linebacker Dane Rupska. “We’ve always been known for our defense.”

(Right before gametime last week, the Miners had to make two position switches because of an injury. No problem at all.)

“We try to do gap control,” explained coach Steve Weber, who is only half joking when he says that every time the Miners try to make changes in what they do, it turns out the original method works better. “We’re not so much up the field [with penetration]; we want to squeeze the running lanes and put as many bodies as we can against the run.

“That puts a lot of pressure on our defensive backs,” the coach added, “but we want to stop the run first, and the kids understand it.”

(Bradbury and safety Koye Kaiser are among the state leaders in interceptions, and West Washington’s passing threats pretty much disappeared last week.)

If all that sounds pretty simple … well, maybe that’s the real philosophy.

“Keep it simple and play hard,” Weber said.

“We just try to be the best we can be,” added Lannan. “Play as fast as we can possibly play and be aggessive.”

“We keep the mentality of playing as a defensive team that doesn’t allow many yards,” said Rupska.

Because they’ve been members of the defensive unit for so long — seniors Bradbury and Lannan are three-year starters, junior Rupska a two-year regular — the Miners don’t consider what they’re doing this year anything special.

“Our defense is pretty comparable to last year,” said Bradbury. “We might tackle a little better or cover the pass a little better, but we were pretty good last year and I think we’re pretty good this year too.”

“Maybe we’re better at pass coverage,” Rupska guessed, “and we’re just as good as we were at stopping the run. [The 2011 and 2012 teams are] both pretty good defenses.”

“My sophomore year [our defense] wasn’t as good as the last two years,” added Lannan. “We were strong last year; this year I think we are a little bit stronger.”

“Last year’s defense was pretty good, and this year’s is right up there,” Weber said.

The Miner defense will be tested tonight, when Linton tries to avenge last year’s 17-0 semistate loss to Indianapolis Scecina. The 7:30 p.m. game is at least at Linton this year, and the unique way the Crusaders defended the spread offense last year is now a little more familiar to the Miners.

The bigger visitors will probably try to control the ball with their offense, the way they were able to keep Linton’s offense off the field a year ago.

“I’m looking forward to playing them. They ended our season last year, but that will force us to focus on how hard we’ve worked [since then],” Lannan said.

“Their backs are really quick and shifty,” Bradbury recalled. “We’ve got to break down and not fall for the juke moves … make sure tackles and let everybody else flow to the ball.”

And, as always, it will be a team effort, Lannan noted.

“If one guy doesn’t do his job, the defense doesn’t work,” he said.

 

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Sports
softballsecs.jpg

Softball sectionals

  • 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.

    May 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • SPT0511613manaea3.jpg ISU baseball hoping Manaea can get its MVC Tournament moving in right direction

    Indiana State’s baseball team has been waiting all season for its stars to align.
    But this is the 2013 Sycamores, after all, and after a season in which seemingly little has gone right, it appears its stars will remain crossed at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

    May 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • West Vigo softball holds off nemesis Edgewood in softball sectional

    Ice cream was enough of a reward Monday night after the West Vigo Vikings beat eight-time defending champion Edgewood 6-2 in extra innings in the opening game of the Class 3A softball sectional at Edgewood High School. But that’s not what Vikings want.

    May 20, 2013

  • Rose to send 5 to national finals

    Five Rose-Hulman athletes have qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships later this week at Wisconsin-LaCrosse.

    May 20, 2013

  • Terre Haute South, Northview vie for tennis regional title

    Terre Haute South and Northview take respective records of 10-5 and 11-5 into the Greencastle Regional today.
    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.

    May 20, 2013

  • IndyCar Indy 500 Auto_Morg.jpg 500 field fills up quickly on Bump Day

    In just over an hour, the field for the 2013 Indianapolis 500 was complete on Bump Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.

    May 20, 2013 2 Photos

  • Terre Haute North offense unable to get going in loss to Mooresville

    Jack Kirchner chose to give credit Monday night to Mooresville pitcher Taylor Chitwood, not to the Greg Maddux-size strike zone she seemed to enjoy.
    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.

    May 20, 2013

  • SPT042213relaywelkergoatee.jpg Terre Haute North looking strong going into girls track regional

    Terre Haute North might need an off night for anyone to catch them in the girls track regional at Evansville Central.
    The Patriots are as well-rounded as they’ve ever been, and two relay teams are state contenders with times ranking No. 2 in Indiana among times recorded all spring.
    Terre Haute South, Northview and Sullivan have athletes among the contenders in multiple events as well.

    May 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • PREP ROUNDUP: Shakamak's Green hits two homers in win over West Vigo

    Shakamak improved to 22-3 on the season behind a complete-game effort from Brett Yeryar, and Patrick Green hit two solo home runs in a high school baseball game Monday.

    May 20, 2013

  • SPT 043013 ACE HUNT TROPHY.jpg ISU's athletic treasure trove

    Think of every championship that Indiana State has won in each of its sports, past and present. Think of every tournament — postseason or regular season — which the Sycamores have claimed as their own.

    May 19, 2013 9 Photos 2 Links

Local Interest
softballsecs.jpg

Softball sectionals

High School
College
  • ISU track sending record 22 to postseason

    On the heels of their thrilling double victory at the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships both the Indiana State men and women moved up in the national rankings which were released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

    May 20, 2013

  • SPT0511613manaea3.jpg ISU baseball hoping Manaea can get its MVC Tournament moving in right direction

    Indiana State’s baseball team has been waiting all season for its stars to align.
    But this is the 2013 Sycamores, after all, and after a season in which seemingly little has gone right, it appears its stars will remain crossed at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

    May 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • SPT 043013 ACE HUNT TROPHY.jpg ISU's athletic treasure trove

    Think of every championship that Indiana State has won in each of its sports, past and present. Think of every tournament — postseason or regular season — which the Sycamores have claimed as their own.

    May 19, 2013 9 Photos 2 Links

  • Ort sets ISU RBI record in 16-7 win

    Robby Ort celebrated his Indiana State baseball Senior Day on Saturday by becoming the Sycamores’ all-time leader in RBIs as ISU ended its regular season with a 16-7 win over Bradley at Bob Warn Field.

    May 19, 2013

  • Bradley ends 16-game MVC losing streak against ISU

    Momentum was the only thing riding on Indiana State’s baseball game against Bradley on Friday. With a five-game winning streak going, ISU wanted to keep the good vibes going into next week’s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
    ISU couldn’t do it.

    May 18, 2013

Sports Columns
Pro Sports
Terre Haute Rex
SPT 071512 DORSETT FILE.jpg

Consultation: Rex manager Brian Dorsett talks with his pitcher and players during a time-out Sunday, July 15, at Sycamore Field. (Tribune-Star file/Bob Poynter)

Colts
Auto Racing
Latest News
Multimedia

Like us on Facebook!
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
TribStar.com Poll
Front page
AP Video
Myers: 'We still need to do some evaluating as to what exactly we need' Weekend Recruiting Wrap Heat vs. Pacers: Playoff grudge match Triple Play: Miguel Cabrera, Giants, and Rays Globe 10.0: Can the Bruins young defensemen keep playing well? Does Tiger feel he should clear the air with Sergio? In a word: no. Redskins looking to find edge at the tight end position Galiardi: 'We think we're the better team' Kevin Dupont discusses Bruins-Rangers Game 2 Singer forgets lyrics, makes up words to National Anthem Padres honor Marines Nolan Arenado Fitting Right In With The Rockies Preakness Day 2013 WQAM Audio: Lamar Miller's goal? 1,500 rushing yards Red Wings beat Blackhawks 4-1 in game 2 of Western Conference Semifinals Orb heads Preakness field Betting at the Preakness Amico: Grizzlies/Spurs series preview Three and Out: Knick's Bench
NDN Video
RAW: Moore, OK tornado touches down near school Okla. tornado survivor finds dog buried alive under rubble Robert Pattinson Moves Out RAW: Russian dash cam catches car 20 feet in the air Oklahoma tornado survivor: "Everything is gone" Khloe Lashes Out at Kim Kardashian's Critics Couple Argues As Woman's Lover Crawls Out Window RAW: Brad Paisley Forgets Lyrics To His Own Song Justin Bieber Gets Booed RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado New 'Anchorman 2' Trailer, Drake Joins List of Rumored Cameos Eva Longoria's Wardrobe Malfunction Heat Star Dwyane Wade Surprises Coral Gables Teen At Prom Steak n' Shake waitress scores huge tip Singer Miguel Accidentally Lands on Fan At Billboard Music Awards Celebs Celebrate the Rise of the Side Butt Grizzly bear gets up close and personal with camera Justin Bieber Gets Booed After Winning at the Billboard Awards Tornadoes, Storms Strike Midwest Singer forgets lyrics, makes up words to National Anthem
Parade
Magazine
Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.
  • -

     

    March 12, 2010

activity