Columns Sports

This From the Sidelines column appeared in the November 1, 2017 edition of the News Journal... Where do I even begin? To say that there is a lot going on this time of year would pretty much be the mother of all understatements I think. Throw in a nose surgery, and well, it’s a good thing that I was able to call on a few folks for some help over the weekend… As you can see in our two-page advertising special this week, there has been plenty of winning going on over at Corbin High School recently. Thanks to those businesses you see featured in the special, we were able to put...

This From the Sidelines column appeared in the May 17, 2017 edition of the News Journal... We are now just days away from the 2017 high school baseball and softball postseasons, and I for one am very eager to see how everything is going to play out. The 50th District tournaments are set to get underway Monday, May 22 at Corbin High School. The host Redhounds are the top seed in the baseball bracket, and are looking like the favorites to repeat as district champs this year. Since entering the month of May, the Hounds have picked up wins over Knox Central, West Jessamine, Barbourville, McCreary Central and Middlesboro. They fell...

This From the Sidelines column appeared in the May 10, 2017 edition of the News Journal... A brief comment before I get started…I have been uploading all kinds of pictures to our brand new photo reprint site lately. If you would like to purchase prints, or have a picture turned into a neat gift, then go to instantimagegallery.com/iig/c/917 to check out what we have. Currently in sports, I have the following: 2014, 2015 and 2016 Woodbine Rebels Softball Shootouts 2014, 2015 and 2016 Cumberland Falls Pigskin Classics 2014, 2015 and 2016 NIBROC 3-on-3 basketball tournaments 2014 Whitley County First Priority Volleyball Classic 2014 Corbin Little League baseball Photos from this past weekend’s MMA event at the...

This From the Sidelines column appeared in the March 15, 2017 edition of the News Journal... When both your boys and your girls basketball programs end up competing in the region tournament at the end of the season, you have to consider that to be a pretty successful year for that particular high school. That is exactly how things ended up for Lynn Camp in 2017, as both teams are continuing to trend in the right direction. The Wildcat boys finished the season with an overall record of 18-13, giving Knox Central all they could handle in the 51st District championship game before nearly knocking off eventual region champions Harlan County at...

This From the Sidelines column appeared in the February 8, 2017 edition of the News Journal... In our June 15, 2016 edition I wrote a column updating everyone on the Wilson twins, Kayla and Miranda, after it was announced that they would be playing basketball at Alice Lloyd College during the ’16-’17 season. Kayla and Miranda are, of course, two of the most talented players in the history of the Corbin Lady Hounds basketball program. After leading the Hounds to back-to-back 13th Region championship titles in 2013 and 2014, they signed to continue their playing careers together at Saint Catharine College in Springfield, KY. In a feature story that ran on December...

The following From the Sidelines column appeared in the January 18, 2016 edition of the News Journal... This year the Border Bowl turns ten, and those involved with helping put on the annual high school all-star football game will be celebrating that achievement south of the state line in Sevierville, TN. This will be the first time that the Border Bowl has been played somewhere other than Williamsburg. For the past nine years, the best high school football players from across Kentucky and Tennessee have come together to showcase their talents at James H. Taylor II Stadium on the campus of the University of the Cumberlands. Border Bowl X, however, will...

The following From the Sidelines column appeared in the January 4, 2016 edition of the News Journal... Well, here we are. We made it to another New Year. I hope that everyone’s holiday season was full of happiness and great memories, and of course, plenty of fun watching and/or participating in sports. For me personally, a good chunk of the holidays are always spent following our local basketball teams as they travel to play in various classics and tournaments. It was another exciting and productive season for these events over the last couple of weeks, and it all culminated with the 2016 Cumberland Falls Invitational Tournament at Corbin High School. I spent...

This From the Sidelines column appeared in the December 28 edition of the News Journal... I decided to let our many followers have a say in what should be included in the “Top Ten of 2016” edition this week, and you all certainly did not disappoint. Many folks chimed in on Facebook to offer their opinions on which stories they felt like deserved special recognition this year. Of course, I couldn’t include everybody’s suggestions in my actual top ten list, but I still wanted to be sure that I got these items in somewhere… A few people mentioned the closing of Forest Lanes bowling alley, and the effect that it had on...

The following From the Sidelines column appeared in the 12/7/16 edition of the News Journal... It’s old news to some by now, but I got word last Tuesday night that Kentucky High School Athletic Association Commissioner Julian Tackett has stepped in and ruled that the 13th Region basketball tournaments will be held at the Arena in Corbin once again in 2017. I was personally very happy to hear this, and this week I would like to point to some indisputable facts and figures that help to back up my stance that the Arena is the best place for the region tournaments to be held. I think having the region tourneys at...

This From the Sidelines column appeared in the September 28, 2016 edition of the News Journal: Social media truly is a double-edged sword. It brings people together, but it can also alienate us. It can inform, but it is also the source of much misinformation. It allows some to inspire, and at the same time it allows others to do harm. As a reporter, I constantly find myself trying to strike that perfect balance between using social media to spread news, while at the same time not overusing it so that there will still be a reason for folks to actually go out and pick up a paper each Wednesday. It’s...