Columns Sports

Every day I am learning something new about high school sports in the area. When I planned for this week’s sports page to feature soccer previews, I planned on how to cover eight teams, the boys and girls’ teams from Corbin, Lynn Camp, Whitley County and Williamsburg. Then I learned that neither Lynn Camp nor Williamsburg have either soccer team. As two of the smaller schools in the area, it is understandable why not. Adding full-sized soccer teams, which require a minimum of 11 players, would impact the football programs on the boys’ side and the volleyball program on the girls’ side, not to mention the cross country teams. Of the 15 teams associated...

In just a few days, high school football across Kentucky will take a big step forward as the players put on the pads and the hitting begins. We are now under a month until the season kicks off with the first games scheduled for Friday, Aug. 20. Whitley County will travel to Perry County Central for Coach Zeke Eier’s first game as head coach, looking to turn things around for a program that won two games last year. Over at Lynn Camp, new Coach Mark Huddleston will also be looking to get the Wildcats back on the winning track after taking over for Allen Harris. The measuring stick many of the Lynn Camp...

The demolition derby at the Whitley County Fair last week drew a healthy crowd with more than 600 spectators turning out last Thursday night. Go to any fair or similar event and if there is a demolition derby it will be one of the biggest, if the not the biggest draw. There were two divisions at the fair this year. Once was for the smallercars. And the second was for the larger cars. The key word is, “cars.” And that is where I suggest that the Whitley County Fair Board get innovative in 2022. Sit outside any school building when it is drop off or pickup time, and it can be a demolition...

In addition to Corbin Bass Fishing headed off to the national and world tournament, you will find the first look at the 2021 high school football schedules, college signings by Williamsburg’s Navaeh Warren and Mikkah Siler to play at The University of the Cumberlands, and a story about the process to become an official in the sports overseen by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association. It is a story I have had on my mind for a while, and with a slow period in sports, it seems the appropriate time. I have to admit to being conflicted when it comes to the officials. As a Major League Baseball fan from the time...

With the crowning of state champions in baseball and softball, the high school sports season has come to an end. It is time to take a look back at the 2020-21 season that had a number of highs and a few lows. In football, Corbin and Williamsburg were typical Corbin and Williamsburg. The Jackets reached the final four of the Class A playoffs, despite beginning the season 0-2 in between three game cancelled because of COVID–19. Up in Corbin, the Redhounds had loaded up their schedule, kicking off the season with Class 2A power Beechwood. Corbin narrowly lost, 20-14, but was unstoppable from that point, winning its next eight games to reach the elite...

The crowds at high school baseball and softball at Corbin, Whitley County and Williamsburg are good sized, but will not be confused with what the schools draw for football or basketball. And while baseball play-by-play people can find themselves relying on stories of their experiences covering the sport to fill airtime, it is time that the Hounds, Colonels and Jackets were on the radio. I realize that for the area radio stations, the big question is whether they could sell sufficient advertising to at least cover the cost of the broadcast. And, to be honest, will the average listener stick around to hear those spots when their team is on either side...

Among ESPN host Chris Berman’s famous catchphrases is, “That’s why they play the game!” Berman would use it when preparing the audience for highlights of an upset. While the Knox Central Basketball faithful may not agree, to the rest of the 13th Region world, the Panthers’ 78-63 win over North Laurel in the 13th Region Championship Saturday night was exactly why they play the game. On paper, the 25-2 Jaguars, who were undefeated against 13th Region opponents this season, should have already had hotel reservations in Lexington and been working up a game plan for the first–round state tournament game against the winner of the 16th Region on Thursday. Knox Central had lost...

I will admit to being new to being the person responsible for in-depth coverage of postseason basketball. That being said, there has got to be an easier way to determine the region bracket than what I experienced Sunday at The Arena. The coaches/representatives from each of the 16 participating teams were brought into an area on the upper level of The Arena and seated in nice, neat rows. After some introductory remarks, the coach/reps of the district champions were called forward to begin the drawing process. This required each representative to make their way from their seat, usually worming their way through several other people and coming up to where the brackets and...

COVID–19 has changed the way a number of things work from voting to high school basketball. Because of the pandemic, early and absentee voting was made more widely available. It proved so popular, with voter turnout increasing exponentially in both the 2020 primary and general election, that the state legislature has taken steps to make some of the changes permanent. Another change was the beginning of the high school basketball season was pushed back to early January as opposed to early December. The Kentucky High School Athletic Association follow the legislature’s lead on voting and make the change to the basketball season permanent. With every participating high school making the high school football playoffs,...

Williamsburg Independent Schools canceled in-person classes this week because of a spike in COVID–19. That announcement was made at approximately noon on Monday. Yet Monday night, the Williamsburg Lady Jackets suited up against Whitley County for a basketball game at Williamsburg. The Williamsburg boys didn’t play against Red Bird on Saturday, or at Whitley County on Tuesday. The boys’ upcoming games against Somerset Christian, Jackson County, Middlesboro and Barbourville have also been canceled. Even before COVID–19, there have been instances where a school canceled classes because of weather or illness and then the sports team suited up and played a scheduled game. To paraphrase what my mom used to tell me, if you can’t...