Corbin comes up short in bid to win sixth state title

(Story by Mark White and Trevor Sherman)

The Corbin Redhounds attempt to win a sixth state championship came up short during a rainy Friday night at Kroger Field in Lexington.

Photo by Dee Barnes – Corbin scores a touchdown early in the game.

The Corbin Redhounds under the leadership of Head Coach Tom Greer lost to the Boyle County Rebels under the leadership of former Corbin Head Coach Justin Haddix by a score of 32-26 to win the Class 4-A Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Championship.

“We’re hurting and disappointed. We wanted the victory out here and wanted to win this. Our kids are hurting, but we had a great year, an amazing year,” Greer said shortly after the game ended.

“It’s like I told them, the biggest victory is knowing the Lord and having Christ as your savior.”

Greer added, “All 80 football players are champions. Every football coach I have is a champion. That is what we are about. We wanted to win a state championship. I can promise everyone that. We wanted to win it. We played a good Boyle County football team. We didn’t make some stops when we needed to make some stops. It is tough, but we will get through it and we will learn from it.”

Boyle County got the football first to start the game on a dreary Friday night and drove 80 yards down field scoring the first touchdown of the game with 5:19 to go in the first quarter. The Rebels scored on an 11-yard pass touchdown pass to Cooper Brummett, and converted the point after attempt to go up 7-0.

Corbin responded on the next possession driving down the field aided by a Boyle County face mask penalty. With 1:20 to go in the first quarter, Kade Elam through a four-yard touchdown pass to Eli Pietrowski. The Jacob Baker point after attempt was good to tie the game at 7-7.

The Rebels second possession of the night resulted in a punt with 11:41 left in the second quarter.

Corbin got the ball on their own 20-yard line and drove down the field scoring their second touchdown of the game of a two-yard run by Elam with 8:37 to go in the second quarter.

After a five-yard penalty by Corbin, Baker had the extra point attempt blocked to make the score 13-7 Corbin.

A costly Corbin penalty during the following kick-off gave Boyle good field position. They scored on a touchdown pass from Avery Bodner to Sage Dawson to tie game 13-13 with 7:18 to go in the second quarter. The ensuing point after attempt kick was no good leaving the game tied.

On the next kick off, Corbin’s Carter Stewart ran back the ball for a touchdown, which was called back due to a holding call. The drive stalled resulting in the Hounds first punt of the game, and Boyle taking over with 4:02 to go in the second quarter.

On the next drive, Boyle kept the drive alive with a big fourth down conversion, and then scored its third touchdown of the game with a seven-yard touchdown run by Bodner a couple of plays later with 12 second to go in the half. Boyle converted the kick to go up 20-13, which was the score at halftime.

Corbin got the football to open the second half on a short kick aided by a 15-yard Boyle County penalty. Corbin started the drive on the Rebels’ 47-yard line and drove down to the one yard line where Elam used the quarterback keeper to score with 6:36 to go in third quarter.

Photo by Ashley Norvell – Corbin celebrates after a touchdown in the first half.

Despite a Boyle County penalty, Greer elected to kick the extra point that Baker converted to tie the game at 20-20.

On the ensuing kickoff, Boyle County recovered the onside kick.

Boyle drove down to the six-yard line. On the following play, Boyle had a touchdown called back due to a holding call with 3:16 to go in the third quarter.

It proved to be only a brief setback for Boyle County, which scored a touchdown on 20-yard touchdown run by Montavin Quisenberry. The PAT attempt was no good leaving Boyle up 26-20.

With 2:06 to go in the third, Elam threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Brody Wells. The point after attempt was blocked leaving the teams tied at 26-26.

With 9:34 to go in the fourth, Boyle County’s Samuel Wade ran seven yards into the end zone to go up 32-26. However, the point after kick was no good.

Corbin punted the ball with 7:13 to go in the fourth quarter and Boyle County took over on its own 29 yard line.

A few players later, Jacob Baker intercepted a Boyle County pass near mid-field with 5:30 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Corbin drive ended with 3:25 to go in the fourth quarter on an incomplete pass.

With about two minutes to go in the game, Boyle County went for it on fourth and one converting the first down and then ran out the clock to win the game.

Corbin finished the season at 14-1.