Football

The search for a new head football coach at Whitley County High School has begun. Athletic Director Bryan Stewart said the vacancy created when Coach Jep Irwin resigned to take the job at South Laurel has been posted on the Kentucky High School Athletic Association website. However, there is no timeframe for when a new coach will be selected. “We want it to be the right fit,” Stewart said noting that school officials are still working on the process and setting up the timeline. Irwin, who was hired in January 2019 to replace Jason Chappell At the time, Irwin was returning to the area after coaching at Lassiter High School in Marietta, Georgia. During Irwin’s...

Whitley County High School is looking for a new head football coach. Jep Irwin, who has served as head coach of the Colonels for the past two seasons, has resigned. Published reports indicate that he is leaving Whitley County to take over as head coach at South Laurel High School where he served as head coach previously from 2002-2005. “We want to thank Coach Irwin for the commitment he has displayed over the course of the last two years in developing the student-athletes of WCHS. We wish Coach Irwin and his family the best of luck as they return home to Laurel County,” Whitley County High School wrote in a release Tuesday. The...

The Corbin Redhounds football season came to an end last Friday with a 28-14 loss to Johnson Central in the Class 4A playoffs. “This season was good. Unless you are one of the six teams that win at Kroger Field, it doesn’t end the way you want and you are disappointed,” said Coach Tom Greer noting the Redhounds played a very challenging schedule that included Class 2A power Beechwood, defending Class 2A state champion Somerset, and district opponents Wayne County, Knox Central and Lincoln County. “It helped us grow,” Greer said of the strength of the schedule. With the 2020 season over, Greer said preparation for the kickoff of the 2021 season...

Finley-Legion Field in Williamsburg was soaked with water last Friday and intermittent rain was only adding to the slop and standing water. Knowing what was coming, Williamsburg Yellow Jackets Coach Jerry Herron, Jr. said the game plan against Nicholas County was to get out and get going quick. The Yellow Jackets were able to do just that as Jayden Rainwater returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. By the time the first half ended, Sydney Bowen had hit Gavon Thomas with a touchdown reception and ran for another score, while Javon Powell jumped on a Nicholas County fumble in the end zone to give Williamsburg a 26-6 lead. With the weather and field...

Local football fans could see a double-header on Dec. 18 at Kroger Field in Lexington, if Corbin and Williamsburg reach their respective state championship games. That is because the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Board of Control has scheduled the Class A and Class 4A championship games to both be played that day. Williamsburg will play at 11 a.m., if it can defeat Nicholas County at home on Friday and win what Coach Jerry Herron said is likely to be a road game on Dec. 11. Following the Class 2A championship, which is scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m., Corbin will play at 7 p.m. if it can win at Johnson...

Coming off of a 41-0 shutout of Knox Central last Friday night to capture the Class 4A District Seven Title, the Corbin Roadhounds will be hitting the road this Friday for a date with the defending 4A State Champion Johnson Central Golden Eagles. Corbin Coach Tom Greer said the Redhounds played focused football in their win last Friday. Seth Mills ran for 134 yards on 11 carries, scoring two touchdowns, while Petyon Addison added 106 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown. On the defensive side, Mills added an interception, while Austin Lewis and Dawson Fore each had 10 total tackles. “We felt like we wanted to go in and play physical,” Greer...

Friday night’s 49-13 win against Pineville has the Williamsburg Yellow Jackets making their fourth consecutive attempt to be one of the final four in the Class A football playoffs. “They know what it is like to play in the region finals,” said Williamsburg Coach Jerry Herron, Jr. of his team. However, unlike previous years, the game will be played at Finley Legion Field in front of the Jacket faithful as Williamsburg welcomes the Nicholas County Bluejackets. “It is exciting to be at home,” Herron said. Williamsburg put itself in this position by defeating Pineville at home last Friday. With the Mountain Lions doing their best to take wide receiver Gavin Thomas out of the...

Corbin and Williamsburg each picked up  individual honors from the Kentucky Football Coaches Association. Williamsburg Coach Jerry Herron, Jr. was named the District Eight 2020 Class A Coach of the year, while receiver Gavin Thomas was named the District Eight Class A Player of the Year. Herron has led the Yellow Jackets to a 4-2 record, as they continue their playoff run. Thomas caught four passes for 135 yards and three touchdowns in Williamsburg’s playoff win against Lynn Camp last Friday. He has scored 13 touchdowns in the Yellow Jackets’ six games, gaining 804 yards in the process. At the Class 4A level, Corbin Coach Tom Greer was named the District Seven Coach...

The Whitley County High School Colonels Football team had its 2020 season come to an end Friday night with a 42-15 loss at Southwestern. Quarterback Caden Petrey completed 13 of 22 passes for 219 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. His passes went to seven different receivers, with Sam Harp catching the touchdown pass. Chase Pennington scored the Colonels’ other touchdown on a fumble recovery. The Colonels finished with a 2-6 record. “This has been a unique season, both internally and externally,” Coach Jep Irwin said. “I told them I was proud of them and appreciated their effort,” Irwin said when asked what he told his team in the locker room following the game...

The beat went on for the Williamsburg Yellow Jackets Football team Friday night, with a 42-0 shutout of Lynn Camp in the first round of the Class A state playoffs, setting up a matchup with Pineville Friday night at home. “We knew going in that Lynn Camp was at a disadvantage,” said Williamsburg Coach Jerry Herron, Jr. noting that the Wildcats were playing with a depleted squad. The Yellow Jackets were efficient in their offense, scoring five offensive touchdowns on a total of 207 yards. Quarterback Sydney Bowen completed four of eight passes for 135 yards and three touchdowns. Gavon Thomas caught all four passes. Running back Marty Gilley ran for 43 yards...