Columns Sports

I have a rescue dog at home that is part Shih Tzu and, we are pretty sure, part terrier. Maggy looks like a black Shih Tzu. Shih Tzus are cute. Every dog lover loves a Shih Tzu. But, several years ago, one person in the parking lot at The Arena almost experienced one part of Maggy that is more terrier than Shih Tzu when he approached our car as my wife, Sharon, waited for me to come out from taking pictures at a concert. Maggy has some serious teeth that will take a serious bite out of someone. They say it is not the size of the dog in the fight but the...

A funny thing happened on the way to the ballfield. I expected to come into the office Monday morning preparing to write up my final basketball stories for the season and get ready for spring sports to begin. I’m not a homer when it comes to the teams that I cover. I want to see them do well but believe in telling it like it is. Going into the girls’ 13th Region Tournament, I really expected North Laurel and South Laurel to be playing for the region title on Saturday, especially after the way South Laurel ran over Corbin in the 50th District championship at Corbin two weeks ago. Coach Isaac Wilson had told...

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...

The girls’ basketball district tournaments are under way. The girls wrestling tournament was held Monday. Spring sports, including softball, along with tennis and track for both the boys and girls will begin in just a few weeks. Corbin’s Lady Redhounds, Whitley County’s Lady Colonels and Williamsburg’s Lady Jackets were or will be participating in the majority. Williamsburg doesn’t offer wrestling. Tradition in high schools across Kentucky has been to add “Lady” to the mascot when referring to the girls’ teams. However, if you look at the logos used for the teams, they are, with few exceptions, the same as the traditional logo. It is time to either drop the lady part of the...

Sports like cross country, golf, wrestling, tennis and track and field are unique in that while athletes are competing as part of a team, they have the opportunity to win individual titles as well. At the Region 7 wrestling tournament Saturday at McCreary Central, Corbin’s Seth Huff reached the championship match in the 215-pound weight class. Whitley County’s Anthony Colmus finished third in the 138-pound weight class. As a result, both will be among those competing at the semi-state tournament next weekend in Lexington. It is interesting to watch events like this and see the team dynamic. Granted, Saturday dragged on with a lot of downtime between matches. I got there to take...

The fans at Charles Lawson Gymnasium last Wednesday witnessed something epic that is one of the things that makes amateur wrestling so intriguing. In the 144-pound match, Corbin’s Koryon Smith tossed Whitley County’s Andrew Meadors every which way for most of the match to build a 9-1 points lead. As the match neared time, Meadors was able to make one final push and win the match by pinning Smith. The crowd, that included the University of the Cumberlands Men’s Wrestling team, went crazy as did the Whitley County bench. This is not meant as a slight on Smith who had done everything right throughout the match to pick up the victory. It is to...

I’m going to start out this week up in the cheap seats by giving a shout out to Corbin Basketball Coach Tony Pietrowski who set the school record for most coaching wins in the program’s history as the Redhounds defeated Whitley County Friday night. Pietrowski notched win 442 at Corbin. An impressive feat considering the way coaches at all levels now change schools so often. Pietrowski in basketball, Williamsburg Football Coach Jerry Herron and Whitley County Baseball Coach Jeremy Shope are prime examples of the success a program can have if the powers that be will pick a coach and let them do the job. I was among a sizeable crowd that came...

There are more than 2,500 high school students between Corbin, Whitley County and Williamsburg. There are 35,000 people living in Whitley County. So why are the high school gyms so sparsely populated during basketball games? Granted, despite the stereotype, not everyone in Kentucky is a fan of basketball. Still others don’t have a connection to any of the three schools. Of course, there is COVID–19. But it is sad to see these kids playing in front of limited crowds. I was at South Laurel Friday night for the boys/girls doubleheader against Whitley County and have to say, despite both Cardinals teams being among the top in the 13th Region, the gym was far...

Pro wrestling is back at the Arena in Corbin Saturday night. Among the WWE superstars scheduled to appear are Roman Reigns, Charlotte Flair, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Becky Lynch, Big E and Happy Corbin, formerly known as “King” Baron Corbin. I’m excited, but it isn’t so much for the show in the ring. Editor Mark White has agreed to go take pictures so that I can go as a fan with my mother-in-law, Brenda Woods. Mom, as she has been to me since we first met almost 18 years ago, is a pretty unassuming lady. But that can change at the drop of a hat when she has reached her breaking point. And referees...

I’m calling this week’s column around the local sports world in about 80 seconds as there are several items to cover. • First and foremost, in the top 10 sports stories, I overlooked one big accomplishment. Coach Jimmy Hendrickson’s Corbin Middle School Seventh Grade Boys won the state basketball championship on March 7 with a 38-18 victory over Clay County. “This group is just ultra-competitive,” Hendrickson said of his team. “They want to win everything.” The Redhounds started out the season 9-0 en reoute to the 22-2 season. At the state championship tournament in Wilder, Corbin defeated South Oldham, Elkhorn, North Marshall and Ashland to advance to the championship game. • On Saturday, the Corbin...