Crawford staying put

I’m getting tired of all these rumors about Josh Crawford. The first thing I heard Monday morning that Crawford had enrolled in school at South Laurel Middle School.
Someone had told Bill Crook at a softball tournament that the Corbin 8th grader had switched schools and they knew that for a fact. The strange thing, the guy was a law enforcement officer.
Crook and I were concerned so he called Corbin Middle School and talked with principal David. He informed Crook that Crawford was in fact in school that morning.
That sent yet another rumor about Crawford down the toilet where it belongs.
However, some good things are happening with Crawford. He was invited to play for Eddie Ford’s Freshmen Tour. Crawford will travel all over the country this spring and summer to play with Kentucky’s best incoming freshmen. Ford is well known for developing Kentucky High School players into some of the nation’s best. He is the father of Travis Ford.
Speaking of Crawford, I really enjoyed watching the young man develop into a threat over the season. He has a jump start over most of the 13th region freshmen and will no doubt become one of the best players in Corbin history…and you know what that means.
I have found out in the last year and a half, Corbin is one of the most noted high schools when it comes to sports tradition, than I have ever seen. It really makes you wander why schools want to consolidate.
Crawford fits the mold, a good athlete with a good head on his shoulders. And, what a personality he has for a young man. I only wish him the best in the next four years…the sky is the limit if he wants to work hard and I think he will.
There will be plenty of temptations over the next few years and plenty of (high) schools will come calling but there is nothing to gain by going anywhere else, will maybe a state title. But, I am convinced that coach Tony Pietrowski will push his young freshman hard and do the best to showcase his talents.
•Staying with Corbin basketball. Senior Jordan Noble is expected to sign with Alice Lloyd College this week. I believe it came down to ALC and Maryville. He can play at either school and should be able to step right in and help the team.
Andrew Parks is still undecided but it getting feelers from several different schools such as Maryville, Transy, LMU and Cumberland. I would like to see Parks playing at Cumberland or LMU. He is such as hard worker, he would be hard to keep out of the lineup.
•When I was talking to Crook last week, he mentioned Josh Ware may be staying in Corbin for his senior year. He said it would be a big blow to the teams if we lost a talented athlete like Ware. I agree wholeheartedly. Josh is second to none as a athlete, is there anything the kid is not good at.
If you looked up Josh Ware in the dictionary it would have to say “athlete”, one that excels in every sport.
•How about those Williamsburg Yellow Jackets? When coach Don Stricklin came out with the schedule I thought it was one of the toughest in the state for a class “A” school. However, the Jackets have responded with a 6-0 start and a 13th region Class A title. They will play the winner of the 14th region (Lee County) with the date still being tossed around.
A possibility will be when Lee County comes to town to play in the Whitley County Invitational April 22.
Stricklin said the hitting has really carried the Jackets so far. “We’ve been hitting the ball pretty good,” he said earlier this week.
And right now, the Jackets are getting some good mound action from John Reynolds, Brent Foley, Matt Jones and Geoffrey Witt.
The Jackets get tested big time over the next couple of weeks with the likes of South Laurel, Corbin, Bell County and Clay County on the schedule.