Perry Central to face Linton again in battle of 11-0 teams

LINTON - Stopping Brewer will again be Perry Central's main goal when the Commodores visit Linton-Stockton for the Class A football sectional championship game Friday at 7 p.m., Perry County time.

This will be the fourth consecutive year these teams have met in the sectional, with the winner in each of the previous years (Linton in 2004 and Perry Central the last two years) going on to win the regional.

Usually both are undefeated going into this game, as they are this year. Perry Central is 11-0 and ranked No. 2 in both polls; Linton is 11-0 and ranked No. 4.

Each year Linton's top offensive weapon has been a fast Brewer, first quarterback Adam and now his brother, halfback Ethan.

Ethan Brewer, a 6-foot-1, 198-pound senior, prefers to run outside but "he also runs off-tackle quite a bit," said Perry Central Coach Mike Spencer.

"I think he's very comparable to Tecumseh's tailback (Bryce Speicher)," added Spencer. "Brewer's maybe just a tad faster, but they both have pretty good size."

Mickey Tosti, a 5-7, 185-pound junior fullback, is a strong inside runner for the Miners.

The Miners' quarterback, Keith Cunningham, a 5-8, 145-pound junior, "runs the ball some on options," said Spencer. "He has good wheels."

Two of the Miners' main offensive sets are the wing-T and the single-wing.

"They have been throwing quite a bit recently," said Spencer.

In the single-wing they sometimes snap the ball directly to Brewer, "who does throw some," said Spencer.

But he said Cunningham is the team's top passer. "He's fairly accurate."

The Miners use a variety of receivers, though the top ones appear to be Levi Baysinger, a 5-5, 120-pound junior, and Evan Magni, a 5-9, 149-pound sophomore, said Spencer.

The Commodores have the edge in size on the offensive line, as the Miners have no starter bigger than 240 pounds.

"The line of scrimmage is going to be tremendously important," said Spencer. "They come off the ball well, but I think we come off it as well as they do."

The Miners play a 4-4 defense and have been strong against the run. "They did a good job against (Springs) Valley and a pretty good job against North Daviess," said Spencer of two predominantly running teams.

Brewer and Stefan Sparks, a 5-11, 191-pound sophomore, are "pretty good inside linebackers," said Spencer. Sparks, a guard on offense, also "runs well."

As for Perry Central, "we've had some good defenses," said Spencer. "I think this group ranks right with some we've had. Now we've got to prove it."

If a field-goal attempt decides the game, Perry Central could have an edge with Wes Linette, who has kicked 42 extra points and two field goals this season.

Linton doesn't even kick extra points often. "They go for two (points) a lot," said Spencer.