HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

The high school football season opens Friday night. Corbin will host the Cardinals of George Rogers Clark while Lynn Camp takes on East Ridge in the Forcht Bank Pioneer Bowl at Lynn Camp. Williamsburg will be on the road as they cross the state line into Jellico, Tn.

All three opponents have the unknown factor. George Rogers Clark fired former coach Paul Coumbia and has replaced him with Steve Collins. Running back Pokey Harris, who burned the Corbin defense for 286 yards and four touchdowns last season in a 39-29 win over the Redhounds, has graduated.

After winning the first two games of the 2011 season, the Cardinals found the win column tough. They finished the season 3-8, losing to Ryle in the first-round of the playoffs.

 The only names that pop up on the charts from last season are Christian Cooke, a junior quarterback and Darian Skinner, a senior running back.

The Wildcats will take on the Warriors of East Ridge. The Warriors failed to win a game last season. East Ridge had trouble getting the ball past the goal line scoring only seven touchdowns. They were shut out four times.

The Warriors do return nearly everyone from last year’s team for Coach Bradley Allen. East Ridge will rely on its youth with 15 sophomores on the team. Christian Hagy, one of those sophomores, will return was the quarterback along with Michael Fields at one of the running back slots. The other starting back is junior Jacob Skeens.

Coach Brad Lawson is back at the helm for the Jellico Blue Devils after posting a 0-10 record last fall. Lawson returns eight starters on offense and eight on defense with running back Josh Lay, a junior and Ryan Payne, a senior leading the way.

The Blue Devils have an outstanding middle linebacker in 6-2, senior, Daniel Steakley.

Lawson says team speed and returning talent should be a key to this year’s success. Depth will still be a team weakness.

The Corbin-GRC game and the Williamsburg-Jellico contest will kick off at 7:30 p.m., with Lynn Camp host East Ridge at 5:45 p.m.