Gallery by Heather Belcher
Summersville – Friday night on the turf at Veteran Memorial Stadium it was “big boy” football weather.
It was an ideal night for Independence running back Tyler Linksweiler and the boys in the trenches.
Playing in a steady rain that became a downpour at times, the Patriots dominated the trenches and run over Nicholas County, 46-0.
“We are a little bit too small. That’s just it,” Nicholas County head coach Gene Morris said. “We have some young guys up there playing their hearts out and playing as hard as they can. I would never fault their effort. They got after it. Physically we weren’t able to matchup up front with them. They dominated the line of scrimmage. When you dominate the line of scrimmage, you can dominate the football game.”
The signs of a possible long night for the Grizzlies came on the opening drive when Independence marched 65 yards in six plays for the first score of the game.
Runs of 28 yards and 18 yards by Linksweiler and a 15 jaunt from quarterback Sylas Nelson highlighted the drive. Linksweiler scored on a one-yard dive for the 7-0 lead.
“I know nobody else likes this weather, but I get to run the ball a lot in this kind of weather. The weather was good for me,” Linksweiler said, smiling.
Knowing it was likely going to be a foul weather game, Indy head coach John H. Lilly let his senior tailback know earlier in the day, he needed a big effort.
“I knew I was going to get the ball a little bit more because of the weather. I was excited for it,” Linksweiler said. “(Coach Lilly) told me how the weather was going to be and the game would be on my back and the big guys up front’s back. We took that to heart I guess you could say. I just run angry. It is my senior year and I don’t want to go off this field saying I could have done more.”
Before his night was done, Linksweiler had amassed 223 yards on 27 carries and scored four touchdowns.
“(Tyler) is a senior, a four-year guy and a three-year starter. When you get in big games you ride your seniors,” Lilly said. “I told them earlier today in the (athletic director) office that they needed to have a good one tonight because it was going to rain. My hats off to Nicholas County. We beat a good football team tonight.”
Linksweiler added another touchdown run of eight yards in the first quarter, before finding paydirt on a four-yard, second quarter run and a 10-yard burst in the third period.
“My linemen scored my touchdowns for me. I just have to thank the big guys up front,” Linksweiler said.
The young group in the trenches who has battled through some growing pains this year paved the way for 445 yards on the ground Friday.
“We were in the pouring down rain and it never stopped. That is offensive line weather. That offensive line has been a work in progress all year,” Lilly said. “They have taken a beating from the coaches all year. I am really proud of our offensive line tonight.”
Connor Bradford added 121 yards on 14 carries, while Nelson chipped in 76 yards on 12 carries.
“All of our seniors stepped up. Trey (Bowers) and Links, one-two-punch, and Connor brought us home. I thought it was a great job by our seniors tonight,” Lilly said.
The best chance to compete for Nicholas County Friday night was through the air on the arm of red-hot sophomore Coleton Hellems. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, Mother Nature did them no favors.
“We had some open guys and he made some nice deliveries, but they kind of went in and out of our hands. Not only throwing the ball was tough, catching it was just as tough,” Morris said. “That played out of our hands and into theirs. They swarmed us in the running game knowing we had to be one-dimensional.”
Pitching its third straight shutout, the Patriot defense held Nicholas County to just 33 yards of total offense.
“Our young guys are growing up and that helps a lot,” Lilly said. “On the inside you have Alex Blankenship, (Landon) Riddle, and (Landon) Phalin. We have a lot of sophomores out there. Trey is back playing defense for us and Links had a good day on defense.”
Entering the game at No. 16 in the latest WVSSAC football ratings, the win puts Independence’s playoff destiny squarely in its own hands.
“Everybody left us for dead and we were getting all kinds of hate mail from everybody in the area. It kind of made our kids mad,” Lilly said. “When you get back to the playoffs you are back to 0-0 again. Fortunately our guys have played eight playoff games in two years. Hopefully we learned from that.”
The boys from Coal City will close out their portion of the regular season at home next Friday night against Wyoming East.
I: 13 13 13 7 – 46
NC: 0 0 0 0 – 0
First quarter
I: Tyler Linksweiler 1 run (Micah Cuthbert kick)
I: Linksweiler 8 run ( kick blocked)
Second quarter
I: RaSean Simms 47 pass from Sylas Nelson (pass incomplete)
I: Linksweiler 4 run (Cuthbert kick)
Third quarter
I: Linksweiler 10 run (kick no good)
I: Nelson 9 run (Cuthbert kick)
Fourth quarter
I: Connor Bradford 1 run (Cuthbert kick)
Rushing: (I) Linksweiler 27-223-4, Bradford 14-121-1, Nelson 12-76-1, Bowers 5-24, Lucas Waddell 1-1; (NC) Coltin Browning 6-11, Grayson Kesterson 1-4, Jaxston Morriston 4-9, Ian Nutter 1-2, Hellems (5-(-11).
Passing: Nelson 6-8-0-99-1; (NC) Hellems 2-12-0-18-0
Receiving: (I) Bowers 5-52, RaSean Simms 1-47-1; (NC) Kesterson 1-10, Landon Keenan 1-8.
