Another exciting year for area high school sports is in the books

With the crowning of state champions in baseball and softball, the high school sports season has come to an end.

It is time to take a look back at the 2020-21 season that had a number of highs and a few lows.

In football, Corbin and Williamsburg were typical Corbin and Williamsburg.

The Jackets reached the final four of the Class A playoffs, despite beginning the season 0-2 in between three game cancelled because of COVID–19.

Up in Corbin, the Redhounds had loaded up their schedule, kicking off the season with Class 2A power Beechwood.

Corbin narrowly lost, 20-14, but was unstoppable from that point, winning its next eight games to reach the elite eight of the Class 4A playoffs.

On the volleyball court, Corbin and Whitley County’s paths crossed multiple times, including the 13th Region Championship game, which Corbin won, 3-2 to advance to the state tournament.

In boys’ soccer, the Corbin Redhounds reached the state final four, losing to eventual state champion, Louisville St. Xavier.

The Redhounds finished the season with a record of 13-2-1.

In cross county, the Corbin boys’ team finished second in Class 2A.

Individually, Corbin’s Sean Simons finished fifth, Jonah Black finished 12th, Austin Terrell finished 22nd, John Hail finished 30th, Clem Sell finished 74th, Connor Messer finished 78th, and Andon Asher finished 97th out of 252 runners.

The Corbin girls’ team finished eighth in Class 2A.

Nancy Jane Jackson finished 34th, Mary Hope Jackson finished 66th, Jaycee Frye finished 69th, Mary Simons finished 74th, Lauren Faulkner finished 76th, Alex Herren finished 80th, and Taylor French finished 130th out of 216 runners.

The Corbin Redhounds Boys’ Basketball team reached the 13th Region semifinals.

In girls’ basketball, the Whitley County Lady Colonels played their way into the 13th Region Tournament.

While the season was tough for the Williamsburg Lady Jackets, who were knocked out in the first round of the Girls’ 50th District Tournament, senior Mikkah Siler was named the 13th Region Player of the Year and was one of 16 finalists for the 2021 Miss Kentucky Basketball Award.

Siler averaged 26.6 points per game and 11.4 rebounds in the 21 games she played for the Lady Jackets.

Spring sports were late in kicking off because of COVID–19 but it did not disappoint.

The Corbin Redhounds Baseball team won its fifth consecutive 50th District Title with an epic comeback against rival Whitley County.

Whitley County had the last laugh as the Redhounds fell to Jackson County in the first round of the 13th Region tournament, while the Colonels came back to defeat North Laurel and then Knox Central, before dominating Middlesboro in the championship game, 16-1.

The winning continued for the Colonels who defeated Raceland in the semi-state round, 6-5, to reach the elite eight, before falling to Lyon County.

The Colonels set a new school record with 31 wins.

The Corbin Lady Redhounds Softball team found its groove in the postseason. After defeating Whitley County in the first round of the 50th District Tournament to earn a spot in the 13th Region Tournament, the Lady Redhounds knocked out Middlesboro to reach the region semi-finals.

The Corbin Redhounds dominated the local tennis courts, winning both the boys and girls team region titles and sending 11 players to the state tournament in Lexington.

The Redhounds’ boys’ doubles team of Dylan Koen and Quinn Maguet advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to a team from Louisville St. Xavier.

Out on the track, Williamsburg and Corbin swept the Class A and Class 2A regional track and field titles, sending multiple competitors on to the state competition.

At the state meet, Corbin’s Sean Simons finished second in the Boys’ 800 Meter Run, Austin Terrell finished third in the Boys’ 3200 Meter Run Evan McCrickard finished fourth in the boy’s 100 Meter Dash and the team of Dylan Massengill, Boston Hardesty, Treyveon Longmire and McCrickard finished second in the boy’s 4X100 Meter Relay as the Runnin’ Redhounds finished fifth.

On the girls’ side, Williamsburg’s Mikkah Siler finished second in the Class A High Jump and fifth in the 400 Meter Dash, and the team of Madison Peace, Lylah Mattingly, Siler and Nevaeh Warren finished fifth in the girls’ 4X400 Meter Relay to help the Lady Jackets to a 10th place finish.

Corbin Archery sent 29 members from the elementary, middle and high school teams to participate in the National Archery in Schools Program’s Open and Championship competitions in June.

The Elementary School team had three students, Logan Black, Chloe Trivette and Allie Babb, finish in the top 10 nationally, which earned them the opportunity to shoot in the national championship.

Corbin’s Josh Elliott, Jeffery Casey, John Brady White and Tyler Wine qualified for the state bass fishing championship.

With baseball and softball wrapped up, high school sports are now in the summer dead period.

On July 10, football teams will begin practicing in shorts and helmets. On July 15, golf, volleyball, soccer and cross country will begin practice.