LOOKING BACK

 The Corbin Redhounds will travel to Middlesboro Friday evening to renew their rivalry with the Yellow Jackets. Over the years, this game has proved to be the most unpredictable and evenly matched.

A stretch of games in the thirties ended in five consecutive ties. The Yellow Jackets dominated the series in the decade of the 40’s, the Redhounds dominated from the mid 50’s through the mid-60s.

In 1981 the game was between the two top rated teams in the state of Kentucky. Both teams were undefeated and loaded with talent. There was an overflow crowd for the game played at Campbell Field.

Middlesboro won to advance to the playoffs. You can look for the Jackets to put up a fight Friday night, but the Redhounds should prevail.

•I never dreamed I would ever write this, but I am. Mike Hartline looks as good as any quarterback in the SEC right now. Behind Hartline, Randall Cobb, Chris Matthews and LaRod King and a second half falter by a South Carolina offense that could not get out of its own way, the Wildcats sprung the upset.

The fact that the Cats have put together consecutive games where they have made second half comebacks, and this one resulted in a first ever win over the “ole ball coach”.

Does this mean the Kentucky football program has turned the corner? Naww!!

•Since we are talking about Kentucky programs, let’s talk Kentucky basketball. Coach John Calipari is certainly faced with a more difficult task than last year. Coach Cal has once again recruited a top-notch freshmen class, but it is going to be more difficult this season. The coach will bring them around by league play.

•Coach Tony Pietrowski will be facing a challenge this season after losing Madison Johnson, Isaac Wilson, Aaron Manns and Luke Stewart to graduation,

The Redhounds also lost Justin Olsen, who father has been transferred with his job to Georgia. Josh Hopkins and Eric Jones decided not to play this season. All in all, the Redhound have lost seven players from last season. The talent pool is far from empty however, as Travis Smith and Matthew Taylor are returning starters, who will team with Brody Freeman, Hunter Sizemore, Taylor Jones, Robbie Igo, Domonic Timperio, Brent West and Bailey Pietrowski to provide a nucleus.

The Redhounds may struggle some early in the year until football season ends and Taylor joins the team. By tournament time, I guarantee you Coach P and his staff will be strong contenders in the 13^th region.

•This week’s Player from the Past is Tom Horvath who was an outstanding baseball pitcher, a standout basketball player and a quarterback who led the Redhounds to an AA state championship in 1976.

•The Cincinnati Reds provided us die hard fans with a summer of winning baseball for the first time in a long time. The post season was not all that great. The up side is that perhaps over the winter the Reds General Manager Walt Jacketty will see the need of a number one pitcher on their already good pitching staff. In the playoffs, a dominant pitcher will most generally determine the winning team. That was not the only reason the Reds lost however, they looked like they suffered from culture shock. Experience should cure that.