COMPLETE SWEEP

The Redhounds just keep on rolling. Corbin claimed its 16^th straight district title with a 37-13 win over the Middleboro Yellow Jackets Friday night at Campbell Field. With the win the Redhounds will host the Morgan County Cougars November 6 in the first-round of the Kentucky High School playoffs.

Corbin, (8-1) and ranked anywhere from second to sixth in Class 2A, will close out the regular season against one of the toughest teams on their 2009 schedule. They will travel to Lexington Christian Friday night to take on the state’s scoring leader, Dominique Hayden. The LCA senior has 27 rushing touchdowns to go along with four passing TD’s from senior quarterback Lucas Witt. Hayden has carried the ball 176 times for 1,655 yards. Witt has thrown the football for 22 touchdowns, hitting on 81 of 134 passes. He has not been intercepted this season.

“This is the fourth year in a row with have face Hayden and Witt,” said Corbin Coach Steve Jewell. “They are a pretty good tandem back there. The quarterback is very mobile and throws an accurate pass and Hayden seems to get stronger as the game goes. He has an extremely strong lower body and runs the ball physically at you. You’re talking about a back that is 220 pounds and that can weigh on you late in a game.”

“We want to be able to control the ball and minimize their opportunities to score,” said Jewell. “But, one of the things we’ve got to do is try to get in the backfield before he gets some steam built up and make that second level cut. We would like to slow him down before he gets his shoulders square and getting his momentum. I think we have a better chance of slowing him down that way.”

“They will pass the ball but they are still primarily a running team,” said Jewell. “You’re going to see them in some spread sets, similar what you saw out of Newport Central Catholic. They are going to try to spread you out and run out of the spread formations.”

With the district sowed up Jewell feels this game “is a measuring stick for us. It will give us a chance to see where we’re at since the Clark County game and how far we’ve come.”

“We want to see what weaknesses we have to work on before we get into the playoffs,” said Jewell. “It’s more of a pride ballgame and an opportunity for the kids to showcase themselves because obliviously we have a much bigger media area in Lexington and will be covered a little more up there as far as the Hayden kid.”

“I think Watkins is right with him if not one or two scores behind him in the statewide scoring,” Jewell added. “I feel like this is a good chance for our kids to showcase themselves and come out play well.”

In last week’s game it was Watkins that caused havoc for Middlesboro. The senior scored on the opening kickoff, returning the ball 94 yards to paydirt. After Saxon Okuma added the PAT Corbin led 7-0 and never looked back.

Senior Ben House scored on a 10-yard pass from Roman Mitchell as the Redhounds took a 14-0 lead to the second period. Watkins added three more scores in the second quarter, scoring on a one-yard run, a 54-yard run then scored from the defensive side of the ball with a 48-yard interception for a touchdown. He finished the game with 120 yards rushing on 15 carries.

Middlesboro Coach Ken Roark said of Watkins. “Caleb Watkins is the man, there’s no doubt about that, somebody is going to have to stop him to beat Corbin.”

Corbin 37, Middlesboro 13

Middlesboro              0    0   0  13- 13

Corbin                        14  23   0    0- 37

C- Caleb Watkins 95 kickoff return (Saxon Okuma kick)

C- Ben House 10 pass from Roman Mitchell (Okuma kick)

C- Watkins 1 run (Okuma kick)

C- Watkins 54 run (kick failed)

C- Okuma 23 FG

C- Watkins 48 interception return (Okuma kick)

M- Josh Delauer 4 run (Patrick Knuckles kick)

M- Cody Smith 9 run (kick blocked)

Records: Corbin 8-1, Middlesboro 3-6