VICTORY IN THE JUNGLE

It was the sixth time the Corbin Redhounds had met the North Laurel Jaguars on the grid-iron with the local team winning all the previous games. Talk around London was this might be the year that the Jaguars take down the Redhounds.

But, a stingy defense allowed just one touchdown, a 78-run in the third by Hughie Wagers with the Jaguars down 17-0. In the end it was Corbin winning, 24-6. It was the fewest points given up by the Redhounds in the short series between the two teams.

Corbin Coach Steve Jewell said the Jaguars did some things to slow down the Corbin offense in the first half, but it also hurt themselves with two penalties on touchdown runs.

Corbin had to settle for a 40-yard field goal by senior Saxon Okuma to gain a 3-0 lead at the half.

“I was real pleased with our defense with the exception of one play, a 78-yard play on one crack,” said Jewell. “Other than that I felt like the defense played really well.”

“We struggled offensively, they did some things that gave us some problems and we weren’t willing to take advantage of situations North Laurel was giving us,” Jewell said. “We could have actually had some big breaks. We had two touchdowns called back and looked at it on tape and the officials were exactly right. That’s another mental error that our kids did. We’ve got to cut those things back or it will come back to haunt you.”

Neither team could get any offense going in the first quarter as North Laurel started at their own 24-yard line, but faced a four-and-24 five plays later. Wagers picked up a first down on the first play of the game, but a sack to quarterback Johnny Ray Fugate left the Jaguars in minus numbers.

Corbin tried to mount a threat right off the bat, but a penalty saw a 58-yard TD nullified.

A Matthew Taylor punt pinned the Jaguars back to the three-yard line and three plays later the Jaguars fumbled with Corbin coming away with the football at the 13-yard line.

Corbin was unable to cross the goal line, but Okuma nailed a 40-yard field goal with 5:08 in the quarter.

Penalties hurt the Jaguars on the ensuing drive that started at the North Laurel 24-yard line. A seven-yard run by Jason Williams pushed the ball to the 31-yard line, but three of the next four plays resulted in penalties. By the time the Jaguars faced fourth down they had their backs to the end zone at the 11-yard line.

Corbin missed on an opportunity to score when they took over after a North Laurel punt left the Redhounds at the Jaguars 37-yard line. The ‘Hounds started with a pass that saw Taylor hit for a two-yard loss then a second touchdown was called back on a motion penalty. The Redhounds couldn’t recover and eventually punted the ball to the North Laurel five-yard line.

Corbin missed on yet another opportunity after forcing the Jaguars to punt the ball. This time it was the Redhounds deep in their own territory at the 27-yard line.

Back-to-back gains by Taylor and Brady Foley pushed the ball out to the 32-yard line where quarterback Roman Mitchell connected with Josh Jewell on a 12-yard play to the Corbin 44-yard line.

Mitchell followed with a pass to Taylor to the North Laurel 29-yard marker and the Redhounds looked to be on the move to the end zone. Taylor followed with back-to-back carries of eight and four yards setting up a first-down at the North Laurel 17-yard line.

With 3:18 in the quarter Austin Adams intercepted the ball and returned it to their own 38-yard line.

North Laurel put together an 11-play drive that ended when Mitchell Frederick intercepted the ball as time ran out at the 25-yard line.

It didn’t take long for Jewell’s adjustments to be made as Frederick took the opening kickoff 64 yards into the end zone for a 9-0 lead. Okuma tacked on the PAT and it was 10-0 with just 13 seconds off the clock.

After holding North Laurel to a nine-play, 31-yard drive that ended in a Foley sack of Fugate with 7:05 in the quarter, the Redhounds were back on offense.

Offensive coordinator William Farris alternated Taylor and Foley on seven straight plays that allowed the Redhounds to pick up three first downs to the 21-yard line of North Laurel. However, on the first down play Mitchell hit senior Josh Coppock in the end zone for the score with 2:46 left in the quarter. Okuma made it 17-0 with the kick.

After the kickoff, North Laurel found themselves pinned deep once again at the 18-yard line. A short pass to Nelson set up the 78-yard run by Wagers. Justin Wibbles missed the point after and left the Redhounds with a 17-6 lead.

The teams traded possessions before Corbin put together its final drive of the night. Taylor returned a punt to the 29-yard line with 10:45 left in the game. Foley picked up a quick first down at the 17-yard line before a penalty stalled the drive. Foley answered with another 13-yard gain to the nine. Three plays later it was Foley scoring from five yards out with 7:56 left in the game. Okuma tacked on the 24^th point for an 18-point lead.

Foley led the Redhounds on the ground with 80 yards on 15 carries.

Corbin will be at Campbell Field Friday night to take on the South Laurel Cardinals at 7:30 p.m.

Corbin 24, North Laurel 6

Corbin             0   0     6   0-   6

North Laurel    3   0   14   7- 24

C- Saxson Okuma 40 field goal

C- Mitchell Frederick 64 kickoff return (Okuma kick)

C- Josh Coppock 21 pass from Roman Mitchell (Okuma kick)

NL- Hughie Wagers 79 run (run failed)

C- Brady Foley 5 run (Okuma kick)

Individual Statistics

Rushing: NL: Wagers 15-123, Fugate 13-minus 27, Williams 3-18, Blair 3-19, Nelson 2-27, Sulfridge 1-2. Total 37-152; CORBIN: Foley 15-80, Taylor 10-38; Mitchell 2-2. Total 27-120.

Passing: NL: Fugate 3-7-1 19 ; CORBIN: Mitchell 6-11-1 59.

Receiving: NL: Wagers 1-1, Nelson 2-18: CORBIN: Frederick 1-9, Taylor 2-19, Foley 1-minus 2, Jewell 1-12, Coppock 1-21.