DISTRICT WIN

It wasn’t the prettiest of wins, but who said football was pretty anyway. The Corbin Redhounds downed the Wayne County Cardinals in Monticello Friday night, 23-14 for their first district win of the season and 24th in a row since.
“We played very sporadic,” said Corbin coach Steve Jewell. “We didn’t take good care of the ball when we had opportunities to put a team away. We missed two golden opportunities inside the 10-yard line. By all rights obviously the we should have had at least 37 points but Wayne County made the plays but it was kind of gifts that we gave them.”
Jewell was referring to two second quarter interceptions inside the Wayne County 10 yard line.
Wayne County surprised the Redhounds by starting the game with an onside kick and recovering the ball. However, the Redhounds defense held the Cardinals to five yards on three downs and the host had to punt from the Corbin 43.
Once they got the ball Corbin didn’t have any trouble moving the pigskin behind juniors Josh Sanders on the ground or Clint Cashen through the air.
The Redhounds put together a 14-play drive that began at their own 17 yard line and ended with a C.J. Light run into the end zone from 14 yards out with 3:48 in the opening period. Jordan Wagers added the PAT for a 7-0 lead.
The Cardinals came right back with an 81 yard pass play and closed the gap to one after the PAT failed with 2:44.
Then a series of mistakes hurt the Redhounds. Corbin took the ensuing drive from the Redhounds 32 to the Wayne County 10 yard line. The big play in the drive saw Cashen hit Rob Madon on a 38 yard play to the 10.
Three plays later Cashen was picked off at the four yard line. The Corbin defense held and the Cardinals punted from their own seven.
In good field position, Corbin drove the ball from the Wayne County 44 yard line to the 32 yard marker. On second down Wesley Hicks picked off a Cashen pass at the 22 yard line.
Once again it was three plays and punt for the Cardinals. Corbin took over at their own 44 yard line. Again, Cashen connected with Madon on two big plays, one of 29 yards to the 21 and the second nine yards to the eight yard line.
After a two yard carry by Sanders, Cashen was intercepted in the end zone by Travis Bertram, who ran the ball out to the eight yard line with 3:06 in the half.
Corbin got the ball back with 1:19 left in the half after stopping Wayne County with a quarterback sack of seven yards. Punting from near their own end zone, Corbin took over at the Wayne County 35. An 11 yard pass to Wagers and a 20 yard pass to Madon gave the Redhounds a first down at the four yard line.
Two incomplete passes and a short run by Sanders left the Redhounds facing a fourth and goal from the three. Jewell went for the field goal with 14.8 left and Wagers connected for a 10-6 lead.
“We had two and a half times more yards than they had. Time of possession we had more,” said Jewell. “Take away one 80 yard pass they had and they only had a total offense of 70 yards.”
“We didn’t stick it in the end zone when we needed to and we had the opportunities,” said Jewell. “We have to do those things, otherwise against a really good team it could make or break a team. You can pull off a really good win or you can be struggling the whole way and let a team know they can play with you.”
Jewell didn’t feel his team overlooked the Cardinals. “We were 2-5 going over there, I really don’t think it was overlooking them, it was just not making right decisions at the right time.”
“I feel like we are in must-win aspects because we want to get those home field playoff games here,” said Jewell. “We’re struggling to keep our heads above water and develop confidence. By letting teams play around with us or stay in a ballgame when they shouldn’t in situations.
“We played extremely well at times,” Jewell said. “It doesn’t matter how well you play, you’ve got to be able to put that final ball in the end zone or that final nail in the coffin.”
Corbin added a touchdown in the third quarter when Cashen hit Madon on a 13 yard pass play and led 17-6 before Wayne County closed the gap with an early TD in the fourth quarter.
Corbin pulled away with a Sanders touchdown with 5:12 left in the game and when Wagers added the PAT, the Redhounds led 23-14.
The Redhounds held Wayne County to 15 yards on 21 carries while Corbin ran the ball 38 times for 142 yards. Cashen hit on 18 of 34 passes for 223 yards while Steele hit on 5 of 17 passes for 139 yards.
Madon led the Redhounds offense with 173 yards on 13 catches while Sanders had 24 carries for 94 yards.
Next up for Jewell and company are those pesky Rebels of Casey County. “We have seen them on tape, they have an excellent quarterback,” Jewell said. “As their quarterback goes, their team goes.”
“We definitely have to shut him down,” said Jewell. “He’s an average thrower but he is a heck of a runner. He’s about 6-3, 205, runs the ball extremely well. He does a lot of things with the ball. And, Casey does a good job in their misdirection game.”
“They don’t make a lot of mistakes,” Jewell said. “When you limit your mistakes and give yourself an opportunity to score that’s what happens.”
Casey County comes in with a 3-5 record overall, 1-0 in district play. The Rebels picked up their first shutout of the year when they beat Garrard County at home last week, 24-0. It was their first district win beating Adair County in 2001.
The Rebels beat Louisville Evangel 48-6 two weeks ago and won their season opener over Grant County 28-14. They had a good Taylor County team on the ropes before losing 14-13.
“He has a group of 10 seniors over there that has played together for four years now out of their 25 ball players,” said Jewell. “It’s a big year for them as far as the number of players that are graduating.”
“With coach Stevens, Casey County has been like a roller-coaster, they will have some up years then some down years and this is one of their up years,” said Jewell.

Corbin 7 3 7 6- 23
Wayne Co. 6 0 0 8- 14
C – CJ Light, 14 run (Wagers kick)
WC – Dick, 81 pass from Steele (kick failed)
C – Wagers, 20 yd field goal
C – Madon, 13 pass from Cashen (Wagers kick)
WC – Burks, 12 pass from Steele (Steele run)
C – Sanders, 3 run (kick failed)