Corbin escapes with win

The Corbin Redhounds are 2-3 at the halfway mark of the 2011 football season. Corbin Coach Steve Jewell is somewhat disappointed in the first half of the season, but says things are looking better and the Redhounds are improving each week.

“We only have two wins and obviously we were hoping for more wins. Our goal is always more than that,” Jewell said. “We feel like we have some kids stepping up and we still have some kids that we need to move and get them in the right place or they are not were we want them to be to be able to help us out.”

“There are lots of room for improvement,” Jewell said. “I feel like we are making a lot of mistakes. We are making some really big mistakes with blocking or communications, things that we have to get ironed out before we go into district play.”

Those mistakes were the difference in Friday night’s 38-33 win over South Laurel.

Corbin came out of the gate ready to play and scored the game’s first two touchdowns as Ty Cobb hit Hunter Grubb on a 31-yard pass play and senior Brady Foley scored on a 13-yard run with 5:38. The Redhounds missed both extra point attempts, but led 12-0.

That’s when the wheels started coming off and some mistakes helped give the Cardinals some momentum in the game.

A Tyler Dethridge pass to Travis Burns was aided by a personal foul that gave South Laurel a first down in Redhound territory. Dethridge then guided his team in for a touchdown with 3:25 left in the opening quarter.

Corbin tried a little trickery on the kickoff, but the ball was fumbled at the 15-yard line and the Cards took over in the red-zone. A pass to Josh Brown tied the game and Josh Rickett gave South Laurel the lead with 2:06 in the half, 13-12.

The Redhounds took over at their own 20-yard-line on the ensuing drive. Foley escaped for a 32-yard run on first down and into South Laurel territory. After moving the ball to the South Laurel 31-yard line, the Cardinals scored on a freakish play. With Foley on the carry, Burns took the ball away and ran 69-yards for a touchdown. Rickett’s kick put the Cardinals ahead 20-12 early in the second quarter.

The Redhounds didn’t quit and came right back at the Cardinals. After a Harrison Reedy kickoff return to the 35-yard-line, Cobb hit Josh Jewell on a 44-yard pass play giving the ‘Hounds a first-down at the South Laurel 21-yard line.

Three plays later Cobb and Jewell hooked up on a 23-yard play for the score. The extra point failed and the Redhounds trailed 20-18.

Dethridge guided the Cardinals down the field for a hard-earned touchdown and with Rickett’s kick; South Laurel took a 27-18 lead.

Corbin was determined to get back into the game as they drove the ball from their own 20-yard line to the South Laurel six-yard maker before a fourth-down pass to Grubb ended the drive short of the end zone.

The Corbin defense opened the second half with even more determination holding the Cardinals to a three-and-out. The Redhounds started their first drive from the Cardinals 36-yard line and four plays later, all carries by Foley, the senior scored from one-yard out. Cai Jackson added the PAT and it was a two-point game.

Another three-out by the Cardinals gave Corbin all the momentum it needed. Foley broke loose on a 49-yard run to the end zone with 4:39 that gave the Redhounds their lead back. Jackson’s kick made it 32-27.

South Laurel got another big break in the game when a Corbin defender was called for interference on a third-down pass that was uncatchable. The Cardinals took advantage of the play and scored when Dethridge hit Austin Rader on a 26-yard play with just :23 left in the quarter.

Although Corbin didn’t score on its next two possessions, the Redhounds didn’t panic and waited for a break. That break came from the defense as they held the Cardinals to three straight 3-and-out series, which included a 12-yard sack of Dethridge.

Corbin’s winning touchdown drive started with 4:16 left in the game. Cobb started the drive at the Corbin 28 and had to scramble for a nine-yard pick-up to the 37. Matt Jewell then ran for the first down.

After two incomplete passes, Cobb hit Grubb down the middle on a 23-yard play for a first down at the Cardinals 37-yard line. Foley took a hand off three yards before Cobb and Jewell connected on an eight-yard play to the 26.

The final play saw Cobb hit Coppock in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:12 left in the game.

The Redhounds’ defense pinned the Cardinals at the 14-yard line on the kick off. Four plays later and a personal foul, Corbin took over at the South Laurel six-yard line. Jewell elected to run out the clock and pick-up the five-point win.

“You have to give South Laurel credit for taking advantage of our mistakes,” Jewell said. “We had them down 12-0 and was driving the ball again, but had some missed assignments on defense when they got the ball. Then he took the ball away from Foley before he hit the ground, it was just one of those freak things. He took it back for a touchdown, then we try a reverse on our kickoff and fumble that,” Jewell said.

“Once again we put ourselves in a situation to be driving the ball down for a 21-0 lead,” he said. “We felt like we should be two or three touchdowns ahead, not taking anything away from them because that’s what happens in ballgames. If you let a team stay around it is their job to take advantage and that’s what they did.”

The Redhounds rolled up 447 yards on offense with Foley leading the ground attack with 22 carries for 211 yards. Matt Jewell had 11 carries for 41 yards. Cobb completed 10 of 16 passes for 191 yards with six going to Josh Jewell for 111 yards. Grubb finished with three catches for 52 yards.

Corbin will have the week off before they travel to Wayne County to open the district slate.

Corbin 38, South Laurel 33

Corbin               12    6  14  6- 38

South Laurel            13  14    6  0- 33

First Quarter

CHS- Hunter Grubb 31 pass from Ty Cobb (kick failed)

CHS- Brady Foley 9 run (run failed)

SL- Travis Burns 2 pass from Tyler Dethridge (kick failed)

SL- Josh Brown 15 pass from Dethridge (Austin Rickett)

Second Quarter

SL- Burns fumble return 69 yards (Rickett Kick)

CHS- Josh Jewell 23 pass from Cobb (pass failed)

SL- Dethridge 1 run (Rickett kick)

Third Quarter

CHS- Foley 1 run (Cai Jackson kick)

CHS- Foley 49 run (Jackson kick)

SL- Austin Rader 24 pass from Dethridge (run failed)

Fourth Quarter

CHS- Jake Coppock 26 pass from Cobb (run failed)