Miner Pride is a family tradition

By Patti Danner
STAFF WRITER

As is the case in most small towns,

kids walk in the footsteps of the generation before, emulating the parent, sibling or other family member who came
before them.
Out of a roster of 59 players, this
years Miner football team features several such players, and an equal number
of very proud pairs of parents.
One such parent is J.P. Meurer,
whose son Tyler is the teams quarterback. Tylers brother Joshewa, a
2008 graduate of Linton-Stockton High
School, played right guard and defensive tackle for the team.
The eldest Meurer played football for
the Linton Miners from 1979-82, his
first three years as quarterback, and
his last as tailback.
To see both sons playing on the field
he once played, Meurer says, has been
An honor and a privilege, to see both of
my sons enjoy and have great success
in the sport we all love so much.
Meurer says he has fond memories of
the trip home from Lucas Oil Stadium
after the Class A state championship
game, It was jubilant and festive. Full
of happiness, satisfaction and closure
to a very good career for Tyler, he said.
I will always remember how the
Golden Corral erupted in cheers as the
Miners entered.
A parent always feels pride when
their child does well, and Meurer is no
exception.
Aside from Tylers personal accomplishments, I am most proud of his
public acknowledgement and apprecia-

photo by Jessica Irish

Braiden Irish (left) with proud papa Aron

and brother Brody.
tion of his fellow teammates, especially
his lineman, he said.
A player who never hesitates to hand
accolades to his teammates before himself, Meurer, after the first home game
of the season, was awarded a medal
and the game ball after being named
the Player of the Game.
Meurer then gave the game ball to his
center, Bryer Pope, in appreciation of

TO THE 2016
LINTON MINER FOOTBALL TEAM!!!!!

all he does.
Zed Gentry, varsity football coach of
the Linton Miners, played for just his
freshman year, taken out by a season
injury that prevented him finishing the
year. Gentry calls himself privileged, to
have been coaching on the sidelines, for
both his elder son Ross football career
and for his younger son, current player
Avery Gentry.
From a devastating loss to Indy-Ritter during Rosss senior year in the
semi-state of 2008, to being on the sidelines for Averys career, ending up being
crowned state champs, I can say that I
am very proud of anybody who has put
on that Miner uniform, Gentry said.
And I will tell you, he added, Ross is
one very proud brother.
Gentry is in his third year of coaching
the varsity Miners, after coaching for 10
years at the junior high school. He says
that finishing what so many players
and coaches have never done, winning
the Class A state title, gives him and the
team a special feeling inside.
I would have to say that Miner football hasnt changed very much from
the past, said Gentry. Year in and
year out, a group of coaches and players go out and do what they love to do:
Give their blood, sweat and tears for
the game they love, and that is Miner
football.
Aron Irish of Linton played on the
Miner football team, for all four years
of high school, 23 years ago. Irish has
spent the last three years watching his
son, Braiden, play. The younger Irish
will enter his senior year next fall, intent on continuing the Miner football
pattern of excellence.

Irish has seen his son, and others,

work hard, displaying a level of dedication that Irish admires.
Ive had the privilege of being able,
over the years, to help coach them,
Irish said. To see them succeed in
something theyve worked so hard for
always strikes a chord in me.
Irish said not much makes him happier, than to see a kid succeed, and
admits he may have shed a tear or two
over the years in such situations.
When you think about the amount
of sacrifice, dedication, hard work and
just the plain desire to be better, you
know those tears are the ultimate tears
of joy, he said.
Upon the final sounding of the horn
at the Class A state championship, the
first thing the proud father did was turn
to the proud mother, wife Jessica, for a
long hug.
It felt as though there was a giant
sigh of relief, felt as far back as 50
years, said Irish. The monkey on the
back was finally gone.
Kambi and Denny Smith live in Dugger, and their twins, Dalton and Dylan,
as well as their younger son, Drew, play
Miner football.
Dalton played as tight end and middle linebacker this year, while twin
brother Dylan played cornerback and
wide reciever. Their younger brother
plays as quarterback on the junior high
school team.
Our boys have been in Linton schools
for the past three years, said mom
Kambi Smith.
Smith, along with other Miner parSee Tradition, Page 30

Way
To Go
Miners!
Corner of Hwy. 54 & 5th St.
NW in Linton

812-847-8000
Remembering a State Title Page 22

Tradition

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

ents, shows her support for the team

through what she calls mom things,
like helping with the Thursday night
feeds, cheering the boys on and washing mountains of dirty football uniforms.
My job is inconsequential, compared
to the coaches, she said. They get a
big atta boy, and a big thank you, for
helping raise my boys right.
She said at Lucas Oil Stadium, the
day of the big game, son Drew mentioned, How awesome it would be, if
one day he would get to play there for
the state title, with his brothers. My
reply was yes, it absolutely would. We
appreciate getting to be a small part of
the Miners football program.
The Smith brothers, dad, Denny,
played football in both junior and high
school, graduating from Union High
School in 1993.
He played running back his first three
years, tight end his senior year and defensive back for all four years.
I played against some of the dads

that have kids playing at Linton now,

he said.
Smith said watching the Linton football program succeed, The way they do
every game and every year says a lot
about the heart of the boys playing, the
coaches, parents and the community
that supports them. Its an awesome
experience to be around and watch.
Smith was a volunteer coach for the
junior high team this year, and helped
to videotape varsity games.
Dalton Smith is grateful he got to play
in a Class A state championship game
next to his twin.
Having my brother at my side is a
great experience, he said. My best
memory of football season was getting to play with the senior boys from
Dugger. Bryer Pope, Luke Miller and
Bill Smith. Its something I will always
remember.
His brother, Dylan Smith, said, I really like Coach Zed, he made me work
hard. The experience (of the championship game) is so overwhelming. My
brother is my closest teammate, hes
there working hard, too. This really is
second family.

A member of the graduating class

of 1985, Dr. Wm. Eric Doc Wilson
remembers his years playing Miner
football with JP Meurer, Billy Pope, Tim
Ridge, John Stockrahm and others.
Im glad that the kids on the current
team were able to achieve something
many people, over the last 60 or 70
years, have been aspiring to do, said
Wilson.
Wilsons son Luke, a senior on the
Miners team, is a kicker who went into
the Class A state championship highly
ranked in the nation.
Luke decided he wanted to become a
kicker, and he worked really hard at it,
said proud father Wilson. He wound
up number 2 in the country for PATs
and number 16 for kick scoring.
Wilson and his son constructed a set
of goalposts from PVC pipe.
He worked his tail off, basically.
said Wilson.
Wilson always wanted a son who
would play football, and now has one
with a Class A state champion ring.
Its been really great, just to be
involved with him and to watch him
grow, Wilson said. JP (Meurer) and

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Remembering a State Title Page 30

photo by Kambi Smith

Miner freshman Dalton Smith (left), with

dad Denny and twin brother Dylan
I both started our kids on the same
team, in second grade, and we were
coaches for the youth league as well.
Its been an awesome experience with
Luke, it really has.
To the 2016-17 Linton Miners team,
Wilson summed up the feelings of many
in Linton who have shared the ups
and downs of the past season, saying,
Thanks for the ride.