10th STRAIGHT

 The Corbin Redhounds will keep adding district championship trophies to its trophy case after beating the Middlesboro Yellow Jackets, 40-13, Friday night for the Class 2A, District 8 title.

It’s the 10^th year in a row the Redhounds have claimed a district title in football. Corbin won the District 4 championship for six years before being placed in District 8 in 2007. The Redhounds will return to District 4 next season, but as a Class 3A team.

Corbin gave the Yellow Jackets a double dose from the century mark as junior Brady Foley ran for 123 yards on 15 carries while senior teammate, Matthew Taylor had 104 yards on 17 carries. Taylor scored three touchdowns while Foley scored once in what turned out to be a lopsided win by the ‘Hounds.

“We kind of sputtered around for the first couple of series but got on track with some good play by our special teams,” said Corbin Coach Steve Jewell. “It seems like this year the special teams have played a huge role.”

“The first half was nip and tuck especially before we got that last touchdown,” said Jewell. “We knew that would we get the ball to start the second half.”

The Redhounds (7-2) scored quickly in the game. Middlesboro came out throwing the ball as expected. Junior quarterback Chase Roark missed on his first three passes as the Corbin defense did an excellent job defending the pass.

After a punt, Corbin took over from the Middlesboro 34-yard line and Taylor raced to the end zone virtually untouched on the first play of the game. Saxon Okuma’s kick made it 7-0.

On the kickoff, Saxon put the ball in the end zone and made Middlesboro start from its own 20-yard line. Roark marched his team down to the nine-yard when he hit Cody Smith on a 14-yard play. Four plays later, including an offsides penalty by the Redhounds, Middlesboro faced a fourth-and-five.

Middlesboro tried to get three points on a Patrick Knuckles field goal, but a bad snap went over his head and Foley picked up the ball and was pulled down at the 40-yard line.

Corbin was unable to score and punted the ball back to Middlesboro three players later.

A fumble by Foley on the next Corbin possession at the Redhounds’ 44 led to a Middlesboro touchdown.

After an exchange in possessions, Foley fielded a punt at his own 40-yard line and found a hole in the Middlesboro defense and raced to the end zone for six points. The PAT made it 14-7 with 8:03 in the quarter.

The Corbin defense got two sacks on the next Middlesboro possession and forced the Jackets to punt the ball from near the end zone. The Redhounds began their drive from the Middlesboro 36.

A short gain by Taylor and a one-yard loss by Foley, left the Redhounds facing a third-and-five. Quarterback Ty Cobb hit Josh Coppock on a first-down pass keeping the drive alive. Taylor scored four plays later on a 16-yard run to give Corbin a 21-7 lead with 1:25 left in the opening half.

Again the Redhounds pinned the Jackets back inside their own 20-yard line, but Roark hit Smith on a 42-yard pass and followed that with a 41-yard pass to Thomas Epperson, pulling Middlesboro within 21-13 at the half.

“I think the punt return for a touchdown was a huge thing and coming out and stopping their offense was the biggest thing,” said Jewell, referring to the game’s turning points.

The score was still close late in the third quarter when Taylor punted the ball to the Yellow Jackets 10-yard line and forced Middlesboro to dig out. Instead, on third down, Matt Jewell, Wes Tipton and Roman Mitchell surrounded Roark in the end zone. Roark threw the ball out of bounds with no receivers close enough to count. An intentional grounding was called and Corbin awarded a safety. That gave the Redhounds a 23-13 lead with 3:32 left.

Corbin looked to have good field possession on the runback from the free kick, but a holding call pushed the ball back to the Corbin 45-yard line.

The Redhounds drove the ball in for the score, but had to convert two third-down plays. The first was a Cobb pass to Josh Jewell for eight yards and the second was a 13-yard run by Foley down to the Middlesboro 13-yard line. After a penalty pushed the ball back five yards Taylor went in from the 15-yard line to put the ‘Hounds ahead, 30-13.

Three-and-out for the Jackets gave the ball right back to the Redhounds at the Corbin 26-yard line. A 16-yard run to the 42 by Foley and a four-yard run by Taylor saw Corbin facing a second-and-six. On the second-down play, Middlesboro was called for horse collaring the runner and given an additional 15-yards for kicking Foley’s helmet which had come off during the play.

When it was all said and done, the ball was marked at the Middlesboro 18-yard line. Corbin surprised the Yellow Jackets defense when Cobb hit wide receiver Tommy Bailey on a short pass. Bailey was wide open and trotted into the end zone for six points. Okuma’s kick made it 37-13.

Okuma added a 36-yard field goal to end the scoring as Corbin tagged 40 points on the Yellow Jackets who play at South Laurel Friday night.

Corbin will face No. 7 Lexington Christian Friday night.

Jewell expects a big challenge from the Eagles, the defending Class A state champions. “The quarterback is a real threat,” said Jewell, referring to Scout McCamy who has throw for 20 touchdowns and more than 1,500 yards.

“He doesn’t have a lot of size, but he can move,” said Jewell. “He runs well and makes good decisions. When he makes up his mind to go, he goes. He is not like some of these other quarterbacks when he pulls the ball down and heads down the field looking for receivers.”

“He is a big part of their offense,” said Jewell.

Corbin 40, Middlesboro 13

Corbin              7  14   2  17- 40

Middlesboro            0  13   0    0- 13

C- Matthew Taylor 34 run (Saxon Okuma kick)

M- Donnie Foister 77 pass from Chase Roark (Knuckles kick)

C- Brady Foley 60 punt return (Okuma kick)

C- Taylor 16 run (Okuma kick)

M- Thomas Epperson 41 pass from Roark (kick blocked)

C- Safety, intentional grounding in end zone

C- Taylor 15 run (Okuma kick)

C- Tommy Bailey 18 pass from Ty Cobb (Okuma kick)

C- Okuma 35 FG