Lady Redhounds have experienced core group; Lady Colonels looking to talented underclassmen to fill out lineup card

The Corbin Lady Redhounds Soccer team will be looking to take the next step in 2021, coming off a 7-6-1 season that ended with a loss to North laurel in the 13th Region Championship game.

The good news for Coach Hannah Goins is that she is returning nine starters from that team.

“We have a good core group that works together,” Goins said noting that she will need to replace one midfielder and one defender.

“We have some young girls that have stepped up into those positions,” Goins said. “They have been doing really well, and our older girls have been leading the way.”

Goins said the strength of the team will be its ability to get and retain passion of the ball.

“The biggest thing we need to work on this year is continuing to move that possession forward and being able to get shots at the goal,” Goins said noting that will resolve what has proven to be the team’s weakness in past years.

“We have to be able to get up there and capitalize on opportunities,” Goins said. “It is great to out possess the other team, but you have to score to win. We have to be able to put some of those opportunities away.”

Goins said she is continuing to preach teamwork to her team.

“I constantly tell them, ‘You win as a team. You lose as a team,’’” Goins said.

Goins said she work to step up the strength of the schedule in order to prepare the Lady Redhounds for another run through the 49th District and 13th Region.

“Both the district and the region have continued to improve, but we do have the potential,” Goins said.

Corbin will open the season Tuesday night at Berea and then travel to Boyle County on Aug. 12. The Lady Redhounds will play their home opener at 6 p.m. on Aug. 17 against Oneida, Tennessee.

Whitley County

The Whitley County Lady Colonels are coming off of a 4-5 season that ended with a loss to Corbin in the opening round of the 49th District Tournament.

With nine seniors gone from that team, Coach Kelly Sawyers will be looking to fill a lot of holes on her lineup card.

The good news for the Lady Colonels starts at the net where Lillian Nelson will be returning for her junior year.

“That is a big plus for us,” Sawyers said.

Whitley County has the potential on offense as well where Meghan Steely and Kaylee Aslinger will return to lead the attack.

That is really key,” Sawyers said of having Steely at center midfield.

“Kaylee is not only the fastest girl on our team, but maybe in the region,” Sawyers said. “If we get a good ball through the lane, we can make things happen with her.”

Sawyers will be relying on a group of five sophomores and six freshmen to fill in the lineup, but said the group brings a lot of talent and potential.

“I’m really excited about this freshman class,” Sawyers said noting the team finished as district runner-ups at the middle school level.

“It is a big jump from middle school to varsity, so they are going to have some work to do,” Sawyers said.

Sawyers said despite the unknowns and youth of her team, she believes they can play with anyone in the district.

“We just have to take it one game at a time,” Sawyers said.

Whitley County will open the season Aug. 12 at McCreary Central. The Lady Colonels will host Estill County in the home opener at 11 a.m. on Aug. 14.