Where have you gone Corbin Basketball fans?

I left Gilliam Gym at Corbin High School Friday night with a question lingering more than ever that has been on my mind all season.

Where was Corbin?

I’m not talking about the players. I’m willing to bet that they would tell you it wasn’t their best game, realize what they need to fix for the region tournament and begin preparing for Bell County.

But what should have been a decidedly pro-Redhound crowd was closer to a home game for arch rival South Laurel as the Cardinals fans were more visible in body and spirit.

As my boss, Don Estep, is a Corbin High School alum and has performed multiple duties for Corbin basketball from PA announcer to radio voice of the Redhounds, I have heard the stories for years of how the Redhound faithful, especially the student body, packed the place to the rafters on game night.

Throughout the season, the crowds have been anything but overflowing.

I wonder if it is the environment that Gilliam Gym creates as this isn’t the first time that I have witnessed it?

When the Lady Redhounds Volleyball team was playing Montgomery County in the opening round of the state tournament back in November, the Redhound faithful were so quiet that they were almost invisible.

Do they feel just obligated to be there?

The South Laurel fans, who were packed into the area behind the Cardinals’ bench Friday night, appeared ready to blow the roof off of the place.

At the volleyball game, the Montgomery County crowd were loud and proud, turning it into a defacto home game for their squad.

I want to give all kinds of credit to the Corbin students that were behind the Redhounds’ bench for both the boys game Friday, the girls game Thursday and that night back in the fall for the volleyball game. They were on their feet, screaming, cheering and chanting.

Granted, South Laurel came out on fire Friday night and opened a sizeable lead and pulled away later in the game. But Corbin had the deficit cut to two points and had a chance to take the lead on a couple of occasions. Nothing from the faithful but a scattering of applause.

Is this some of the same crowd that shows up at Campbell Field on Friday nights between August and November?

If not, give those people some free tickets because they know how to make noise.

If it is, swing by Campbell Field on the way and find your enthusiasm before heading to The Arena Thursday when the Redhounds face Bell County in the 13^th Region Tournament.

It is win-or-go-home time.

A few other things:

• I appear to have hit a nerve with last week’s column about giving the girls’ teams their own logos or dropping the “Lady” from the girls’ teams and letting them all be, “Redhounds, Colonels, or Yellow Jackets.”

Thanks to all of you who took the time to read even if you don’t agree.

• For those of you who saw the white shirts during the girls’ game Thursday night, with the strange sayings like, “I’m short,” I was able to able to ask one of the people involved, Jonathan Jackson.

Jackson explained that each shirt depicted a white lie by the person wearing it.

Now you know.

At Monday night’s 13^th Region Tournament girls’ game between Corbin and Knox Central, the students had a beach theme going.

• Congrats to the Corbin Lady Redhounds on an awesome win Monday night over 51^st District Champion Knox Central in the first round of the 13^th Region Tournament.

The girls from Corbin came out with fire in their eyes, building a 30-17 lead at halftime en route to 62-46 win.

How do you run a marathon? One step at a time.

The Lady Redhounds took a big step in the race to the 13^th Region title.

The next step may be the biggest as Corbin has a date at 6 p.m. Friday with the team many believe is the region’s best in North Laurel.

If there was ever a time for the Redhound faithful to turn out in force and support these ladies, Friday night is it.