The Reitz Bowl is a very fitting venue for SISN’s Game of the Week and yet another postseason match-up between the Linton-Stockton Miners and the Evansville Mater Dei Wildcats. Mater Dei has knocked Linton out of the postseason the last 4 years, so there has to be a bit of a revenge factor for Linton. In fact, Linton’s only loss in the past two seasons has come at the hands of the Wildcats. This should be a Semi-State game for the ages.
Game Preview
Linton-Stockton Miners (13-0)
Linton comes in unconquered on the year and has been circling this match-up on their calendars since the day the playoff brackets were released. Linton has been beating people by a ton this year, and their average margin of victory sits at a whopping 37 points a game. Yet with all their success and accomplishments the last couple years, there has been one team that has had their number, and that team is who they play Friday night with a chance to go to State on the line. QB Hunter Gennicks is pumped for chance to get back at those pesky Wildcats…
We definitely are excited for this game, we have got a great group of guys this year and we are extremely motivated to win this game. All the hard work is for this Friday and we are ready to show what we’ve been working for.
Linton QB1 Hunter Gennicks
Look for Gennicks to be featured heavily as they will look to get their pass and run games off to a quick start.
Defensively they will look to tweak their 3-4 base defense to counter Mater Dei’s strengths. Mater Dei has shown that they can be successful against Linton with the deep ball over the past few years. Even though their offense can score with the best of them they do not want to get in a shootout with the Wildcats. Linton will look to get stops early so their offense can get out to a good lead.
Evansville Mater Dei Wildcats (10-3)
Evansville Mater Dei is a very, very good football team and will be defending their state crown yet again. They’re only losses were to ’22 powerhouses Evansville Memorial and Reitz, and to a team that was better than their record indicated, Vincennes Lincoln. Let’s not forget they beat another team playing Friday earlier in the year. That team was 4A Castle. Not a bad resume booster there. They also have Linton’s number, but they are not taking the Miners lightly
Every year we see them, and that’s because they are a great team. Not only do we play them a lot, the games are always close. We have been able to be on the winning side and that’s because we have a great week of practice and the coaches do a great job preparing us.
…the whole team (Linton) is very good ,so we will have a big challenge and will need to be ready from the start.
Mater Dei QB1Mason Wunderlich
Now the Wildcats will rely mostly on their star QB, but can also throw in a good running game as well. This is a very balanced football team who can beat you in a multitude of ways. Defensively they are very stout as well holding opponents to just a shade under 10 points a game.
Players to Watch
This game will feature two of the best QB’s in our region, if not the whole state, in Hunter Gennicks of Linton, and Mason Wunderlick of Mater Dei.
Hunter Gennicks – Linton – 5’11 195lb Dual Threat
Hunter is one of those players that only comes around once in a great while. He has thrown the ball for 1488 yards and has 20 TD to only 4 INT. Not only has he been able to throw the ball, but he has been running all over his competition to the tune of 1938 yards on the ground. He needs only 62 yards to break 2k on the year, My gut says he will get that this game.
I’ve got a absolutely amazing offensive line. We got athletes and play-makers all across the field. They do all the blocking and it just makes me look good. We also have a great coaching staff that watches countless hours of film to get tendencies and make sure we get the right calls in the right situations.
We keep a good balance of spreading the ball around. The other running backs do a great job of getting yards and making big plays so keeping the defense of their heels definitely helps. I just make sure to stay patient and not try and do to much and play hard every single play and play my game.
Linton QB1 Hunter Gennicks
Hunter is a very humble young man, but some of that credit needs to go to himself. He will be instrumental in Friday’s contest.
Mason Wunderlich – Evansville Mater Dei – 6’5 220lb Balanced QB
Wunderlich is your prototypical star QB. He can throw the ball with the best of them and knows how to make the right decisions with the ball. He has thrown the ball for 2565 yards on the year with 25 TD to only 8 INT. What an amazing year statistically, yet its the intangibles about Wunderlich that excite. The stuff you don’t see on the stat page.
It starts before Friday, a lot of it comes from a great week of practice, we all focus on our jobs and when 11 guys do the right job a lot of things go right. The whole team has been doing well and has hit a grove after the regular season , and just trying to keep it going.
Mason Wunderlich QB1 Evansville Mater Dei
Wunderlich is excited, but tempered to have the semi-state played in their home stadium.
Having it at our place is helpful, but have to just treat it like a normal game. Our fans have traveled well this year, which means a lot to the team. They will be ready no matter what so we will need to be ready to play too
Mason Wunderlich QB1 Evansville Mater Dei
SISN Prediction
Corey – This is going to be a close game. The cold weather is going to affect the passing game, and the teams are going to have to rely on the run. It’s Linton’s year to take the trip back to Indy. Linton by a touchdown, 35-28.
Chris – “I believe the pattern stays true on Friday night. Mater Dei will find a way to stop the high powered offense of Linton and slow it down to a grind it out tough kind of game. Mater Dei over Linton 21-14.”
Only time will tell who will move on to the State Finals at Lucas Oil Stadium. I do know that we are in for one of the best games of the year and we couldn’t be more excited to cover it. We’ll se ya in E-Ville.
