LINTON — Both teams made plays in the IHSAA Sectional 40 championship game at Linton Friday night.

North Daviess made plays for three-plus quarters; Linton made them late. When the Miners’ late plays combined with the Cougars’ only two turnovers of the game, the result was an 18-16, come-from-behind victory for the Miners.

The win rested on what was possibly the smallest of Linton’s big plays late in the game and ended the Cougars’ season at 8-4.

Ryan Webster had 129 yards rushing and both of the Cougars’ touchdowns. North Daviess also added a safety.

North Daviess was up 14-12 with 4:13 left in the fourth when Linton followed up its second touchdown of the night by squibbing the ensuing on-side kick-off just enough to be legal and recovering it right at the 50- yard line.

From there, Miners running back Mickey Tosti took the ball up the middle of the Cougars defense to the 35. Linton quarterback Keith Cunningham then completed a pass play to the 15 before Tosti tore through the center of the defense again, all the way to the one-yard line.

The Cougars called a timeout with just over 3 minutes remaining to discuss how to try to curb the Linton drive. But Tosti took the pitch from Cunningham and bulled his way from a yard out to put Linton up 18-14. The Miners were stopped on the attempted two-point conversion but Linton had its first lead of the game.

It looked like North Daviess might have a chance to snatch a victory from the Miners in heartbreaking fashion when Cougars quarterback Drew Stuffle completed two straight passes, the third to Jess Tribby at the 8 yard line. But the Cougars’ fortunes changed in a hurry.

North Daviess called Webster’s number and he was stopped just short of the goal line before a Miners defender stripped the ball from his hands and Linton took the fumble.

The Cougars appeared to still have some life when Jano Davis got to Cunningham and sacked him as Cunngingham dropped back in the end zone to pass. The safety put North Daviess in position to possibly win the game after Linton kicked off or even with a field goal if a drive got stymied.

North Daviess’ Dalton Sellers fielded the Linton kick-off at the Cougars’ 40-yard line and returned it to midfield. But Stuffle’s pass on the next play from scrimmage was intercepted by Cunningham and the Miners were able to run out the clock with kneel-downs