LOOKING BACK

Well, it was a rough weekend for the Redhounds and Wildcats fans. The Corbin Redhounds fell to Clark County 35-30 in what was a surprise team to me. I was unable to attend the game, but I tuned in Dave and Dave on 107.3 and it sounded as if the Clark County team was very talented. I had a hard time reconciling that however, since the Cardinals were thumped by Scott County, 40-0 in a rain shortened contest last week.

I am not questioning Dave and Dave’s evaluation, but I guess that is the game of football (unpredictable).

What is predictable is the University of Kentucky football. The football Gods have Kentucky’s football program in the cross hairs and at the worst possible times they pull the trigger.

The ‘Cats put up a good fight Saturday as they faced yet another national powerhouse in Alabama.

You could line-up Ohio State, Southern Cal, Oklahoma or Texas and I doubt anyone of them could do better than two and two if they faced the teams Florida, Alabama, at South Carolina and at Auburn that the ‘Cats have to face this year.

Kentucky has some talented athletes in Randall Cobb, Derrick Locke, the Matthews kid, the offensive line, Micah Johnson, Trevard Lindley and Sam Maxwell on defense.

The motor of a team however is the quarterback and Mike Hartline is simply not hitting on all cylinders.

The problem the Redhounds seem to have from my perspective in a lack of size. This may be the smallest line for the Redhounds I have seen in several years, and they were going up against a large, physical bunch from Clark County.

I continue to be impressed with the hard-nosed play of sophomore linebacker and fullback Brady Foley, he is tougher than a two-dollar steak.

I received a call from an old friend, Jerry Smith this weekend. Jerry told me that he had retired at the end of last year and is enjoying retirement. Jerry and his wife, Connie, have two children and seven grandchildren, one of which is named after the town of Corbin.

Jerry was an all-state basketball player at Corbin in 1958, and was named to the Helms Foundation All-America Team at Furman in the early ‘60s.

Jerry is a member of the Furman University Hall of Fame and will have his jersey retired January 16^th, 2010. I plan on being in Greenville, South Carolina for his honorary award.

Jerry had a powerful set of legs during his playing days and he credited that factor of having ridden a bicycle all over Corbin delivering the Louisville Courier Journal in the mid-fifties.

Like many Corbin kids Jerry developed his skills in his early years at the YMCA on Third Street, and was the hardest working, most dedicated player that I ever knew.

Word has it from the Redhound basketball program that Madison Johnson has been suffering from mono and has been unable to participate in the conditioning program to this point.

Madison is a very important player to this year’s team. Johnson should return soon, however, and seems to be recovering nicely.

Travis Smith seems to be recovering from knee surgery as well.

I expect this year’s team to be as strong as last year’s team with the recovery of these two players. The biggest concern will be the development of depth.

The leadership should be there with the return of Johnson and of course, Isaac Wilson will return as a three-year starter and Aaron Manns is also a returning starter. I really look for a big year from Josh Hopkins, a 6’5” junior who is very athletic. Matthew Taylor is yet another strong athlete who should make a contribution.

The Redhound schedule will be demanding, and they will benefit from that.