SPRING SPORTS

 The spring sports season has come and is about to make its way out the door. With the baseball and softball tournaments already underway the high school season for the 2012 school year is almost history.

Before we get into June and prepare for football, soccer and volleyball season here is a quick look at some of the top individuals that have had an outstanding spring season.

On the tennis courts, Danny Butcher had an outstanding season for the Whitley County Colonels and won the 13^th Region Tournament. He ran into trouble in the state tournament, losing to Trinity’s Tanner Love in a tough match. Butcher gave it his all before dropping a 6-4, 7-6 decision. Tanner won two games before losing to state runner-up, Alex Gornet of Louisville St. Xavier.

First-year coach Colby Wilson did a good job with the Colonels in his first try.

The Corbin boys’ tennis team made it 11 straight championshipS in the region under first-year coach Nickie Dixon, taking over for her step-dad, Curt Hart. The tough schedule paid off at the end for the Redhounds, who will be favored to repeat again next season. The only senior was Chandler Maguet. He also had a banner year in golf, so to say he had an outstanding senior year would be an understatement.

Look for Harrison and William Reedy to be much stronger next season as well as Anthony and Avery Warf, who will be freshmen next season.

The doubles’ team of Seth Heinss and Josh Jewell will return. They lost the 13^th region championship to North Laurel’s Brad Baker and Rajeev Jadhav, but had a better showing in the state tournament than the Jaguars’ duo. With another year under their belt, Heinss and Jewell could make a lot of noise next year.

Hats off to Donnie Head and the Corbin Lady Redhounds. A very young team came through and won the 13^th region. Sophomore Sydney Ledington was among the top seeds in the state tournament. She won two matches before falling to Abbie Mather of Assumption.

Ledington will be a state contender the next two years. Plus the Lady Redhounds will return Jaclyn Jewell, who missed this season with a knee injury.

Corbin will have to revamp the doubles’ team with the graduation of Elizabeth Jackson and Shelby Phillips, but coach Head has some young talented players waiting to get on the tennis courts.

It was a great year for the track teams as well. Williamsburg was the runner-up to Somerset in the regional and sent quite a few athletes to the Class A State Track and Field Meet in Louisville.

Among those returning will be Bailee Jarboe, Miranda Peace, Christa Smith, Reanna Dobek, Kailee Jarboe, Tarrah Davis, Brittany Hurst, Chelsea Lawson, Katie Stanley, Kacie Brown, Sarah Perkins, Natalie Croley and Audrey Ash just to name a few. I don’t have a complete list of the roster.

I do know they have one of the top runners in seventh grader Fhazaneh Jackson. She is definitely one to watch with state championship contender on her back.

Among the seniors will be Chris O’Dell, who has had a great career as a Yellow Jacket. The young man tried playing two sports during the spring, track and baseball. That is not an easy thing to do.

A name you will hear about at Corbin for the next couple of years is Tucker Jones. He finished ninth in the state 1600-meter run in the Class 2A State Meet as a sophomore. Five of the runners in front of him were seniors, so looks like he will have a bring future.

I was impressed with the entire Corbin track program this spring. Coach Ray Martin and his staff have done an outstanding job building for the future.

Both the boys and girls teams are ready to come out strong in a very tough 2A region.

The Whitley County track program has been making strides over the last few years and this year’s girls’ team made one of its best showings ever in the region meet at Madison Central.

Shawnee Holbrook has been a pleasure to cover the last four years at Whitley County. She is a very strong athlete and will play soccer at the University of the Cumberlands, but she was one of the best hurdles in Class 3A. She was second in the 300-meter hurdles in a very tough region and third in the 100-meters. She also ran on the relay teams.

However, the athlete to watch next season will be Mariah Jackson. She will be a senior and is a speedster for the Lady Colonels. She won the region in the 100-meter and 200-meters and did very well at the 3A state meet in Louisville last week.

Brian Kurzeika, who will be a senior, had an outstanding season as well for the Colonels. He was third in the 110-meter hurdles and seventh in the 300-meter hurdles during the region. Kurzeika was sixth in the high jump and was in the triple jump.

Senior John Madon signed to run for the University of the Cumberlands and had an outstanding spring. He was second in the discus in the region and third in the shot. He will also play football for the Patriots.

There have been a lot of stars on the baseball and softball diamond. None more than Corbin’s Trace Vorbeck. He is one of the finest baseball players I have seen since coming to the News Journal. He will play at Eastern Kentucky University and I think he has a bright future.

Brady Foley can play the game of baseball as well. He will do whatever he needs to do to help his team win. I think his true position is second base.

Williamsburg senior Jared Barton started the season with high hopes of leading the Yellow Jackets to the region, but a shoulder injury set him back during the middle of the season. He never gave up and has battled his way back. He recently signed with Alice Lloyd College to play baseball. I hope he is one of those guys who stays around and makes a name for himself with the Eagles.

Donnie Bowlin, another senior at Williamsburg, came on strong at the end of the season. He really looked good on the mound in the first three innings against the South Laurel Cardinals Monday night.

Coach Kyle Adams in his first year at Whitley County has had his ups and downs. He only had three seniors to start the season and finished with two, Johnny Mahan and Dalton Siler.

The Colonels were very young and show a lot of promise in the next few years to come. Adams and his staff look to have the program on the right footing.

The Lady Colonels had a first-year head coach in Amanda Moses. Moses had been around for a long time as an assistant coach, so she pretty much knew the ropes.

Whitley County was up and down as well. Moses had to take senior Ashley Lindsay from center field and put her on the mound. Lindsay did a good job for the Lady Colonels and earned another trip to the East All-Stars along with teammate, Jaden Dople.

Moses will lose three senior starters in Lindsay, Emily Elliott and Stephanie Huffman, all who have made a big impact on this year’s team.

At Corbin, Bethany Hensley was impressive in her final year behind the plate. Her efforts earned her a spot on the East Kentucky All-Stars. Hannah Helm has worked as hard as anyone on the team to improve her game and will go out on a high note.

Maggie Jackson didn’t have any seniors at Williamsburg, but junior Carissa Conlin has been a standout player. After losing her starting pitcher, Jackson sent freshman Marah Crusenberry to the mound. This will give her a year under her belt and with Whitney Barnes back next season the Lady Jackets should be highly improved.

I look for baseball and softball to be strong within the district and region next season.