When Brock Anderson said yes to coaching the Linton-Stockton High School girls golf team, he knew he was taking on a new challenge. What he didn’t know was just how special the season would become.

Under Anderson’s guidance, along with some dedicated and hard-working players, the Lady Miners have put together a remarkable season. One of the best in the program’s history.

Jerrell works on her putting game as coach brock anderson looks on.

Through the week of Sept. 11, Linton had compiled a 19-3 overall record and won the 18-hole SWIAC championship with a 383. Not too bad for a team with just five members and a coach who didn’t say yes to leading the Lady Miners until late in the summer.

“I knew we had a couple of girls who played last year, and some who were fairly new to the game. But I knew they were putting in some work,” Anderson said. “And with Indie (Jerrell) coming in as a freshman, I knew that with a little push here and there we could be pretty decent.”

The Lady Miners’ willingness to improve has caught Anderson’s attention.

“From the first day to today, they listen well and pay attention. They want to get better soon. That’s half the battle, right?”

jerrell tees off on hole #10 at the phil harris golf course

Jerrell has roared onto the southern Indiana golf scene after playing in junior high. Her personal best 9-hole score this season with the Lady Miners is 38. Her personal best on any course is 36 for 9 and 74 for 18, both at the Phil Harris Golf Course.

There was some concern over the summer there wouldn’t be enough players to field a team (four are needed). Jerrell said playing as a team is important.

“The golfing part of it is more like an (individual) thing, but then you go and you practice with your team. I like that you’re always laughing and having fun,” Jerrell explained.

“When they do great, and then like I’ll do good, and everybody’s just in a good mood. (Her teammates are) probably one of the biggest parts of it.”

Pyper Bland is the lone senior for Linton, and she has a personal best of 44. Sophomores are Gwen Smith and Addy Ball (both have shot a 46), and freshman Jessa Sluder.

“Jessa just started playing and she’s improving every day,” Anderson said.

Jerrell hopes to play golf in college and has dedicated herself to improving year-round. But golf wasn’t her first love until sixth grade. That’s when her grandfather, Marc Walton, introduced her to the game.

“My grandpa played for a while and then did like all the fishing stuff and then got back into it. So, when I got into middle school, my sixth-grade year, he asked if I wanted to try out, so I did,” Jerrell recalled.

“Then I would be in the top five every single time (the boys and girls play on the same team in junior high).”

As her game developed, so did her enjoyment.

“I took lessons and worked a bunch and just got more and more into it,” Jerrell said. “It’s just like a self-relaxing game, and a way to kind of calm down.”

She admits golf can be frustrating, and she’s working on remaining calm between shots.

“I used to play a lot of softball, and the more I’ve gotten into golf ... I just (need to) focus more ... it can be a little frustrating.”

Anderson, himself an accomplished golfer with seven Greene County Open titles and former collegiate player, is confident Jerrell can play at the next level.

“I believe her ceiling is very high. I think she can (play in college) if she keeps trending like she is. I think the sky is the limit for her,” Anderson said. “She understands the game. She has a great awareness of the game.

“She’s a great kid. When you tell her something she’ll listen, and she understands what you’re trying to convey to her. So, from a coaching (standpoint), it’s fun to watch.”

The mental aspect of the game is a work in progress for all his players, including Jerrell.

“Being as good as she is and being so young, she’s very hard on herself when she doesn’t play well,” Anderson said. “That’s every young kid who is decent. I’m trying to get through (to her and the team) that you know, some days your OK game is still good enough to get it done. It took me a long time to figure that out too. We all want to shoot that career low round every time out.”

Jerrell has been low medalist in every match so far this season, but the Lady Miners are far from a one-person team. Having three other players (the four lowest scores on the team count each match) with season lows in the 40s makes Linton a quality team.

The Lady Miners have a 9-hole season low score of 186, just one off the school record of 185 set in the fall of 2006. The 383 in SWIAC play broke the school record by three strokes.

Linton will take part in the sectional at High Pointe Country Club near Bicknell on Friday, Sept. 18 at 10 a.m.

The other competing teams include Barr-Reeve, North Daviess, North Knox, Pike Central, Princeton Community, Shakamak, South Knox, Sullivan, Vincennes Lincoln, Vincennes Rivet, and Washington.

The top three teams advance to the Terre Haute Regional at Hulman Links Golf Course, and the top three individuals not on an advancing team will also move on to the regional.

If the Lady Miners all play well, Anderson believes they have a chance to advance. If that doesn’t happen, he hopes Jerrell can advance as an individual.

For Linton to move on as a team, there are a couple of areas they’ll need to do well.

“We’ve been working a lot on chipping and putting. That seems to be where their misses are, around the greens ... we’ve done a couple practices where we do nothing but chipping. I also try to get them on the practice green quite a bit,” Anderson said.

“We don’t just have one or two girls (who can play well). The (team) scores we’ve been getting, to do those kind of scores, you need to do well. You’ve got to have a core, and we do.”

Jerrell plans to work all winter at an indoor facility and continue to play summer tournaments in 2026.

She’ll also be keeping an eye on the next level.

“(A goal) is to (hopefully) get different offers from colleges and work out something from there. ... I plan to work year-round on my game,” Jerrell said.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity and being able to have a team.”

Chris Pruett has been associated with newspapers in Greene County since 1983, writing both news and sports, and serving as publisher. He is now retired and will feature Greene County sports teams and athletes in GreeneStreets.com . If you have a story idea, please email cpruett79@gmail.com .