Football

Most coverage area teams were on the road in week 3 of the 2023 high school football season. The Corbin Redhounds traveled to Lexington to take on the Lexington Catholic Knights. The Hounds came away victorious, 30-10, to improve to 2-0 on the season. They will travel to Pulaski County (1-2) next week. The Williamsburg Yellow Jackets made the trip to Clay County Friday, dropping to 0-2 after a disappointing 44-20 loss to the Tigers. The Jackets will hope to secure their first victory next week when they host the Waggener Wildcats (1-2) in their season home opener. The Whitley County Colonels had a very good night Friday, traveling to Harlan County...

The 2023 high school football season got underway Friday evening, with three of the News Journal's coverage area teams in action... The Corbin Redhounds made a major statement right out of the gate in week 1, defeating Hughes (OH), 47-12, in this year's Cumberland Falls Pigskin Classic. The Classic was contested at the University of the Cumberlands, as Corbin's newly remodeled stadium is not scheduled to be complete until mid-September. Next week, the Redhounds will travel to Garrard County where they will play North Hardin in the 2023 Garrard County Bowl. Also getting the season started off right were the Whitley County Colonels, who were in action in Barbourville Friday night at...

The following is a collection of preview stories featured in the August 16, 2023 print edition of the News Journal... Greer preaching that focus should be ‘on the C, not me’ as historic 100th season gets underway After going 14-0 en route to the Class 4A state championship game in 2022, the Corbin Redhounds have their sights set on making it back to Kroger Field again this season. This time, however, the hope is to finally secure the program’s sixth state championship title. The Hounds have come close to reaching the mountaintop several times since their last state championship victory in 1982, finishing runner-up in 1990, 2002, 2017, 2018 and 2022, but...

As a football player and track-and-field athlete at Whitley County High School, Kevin Simpson was always used to going fast. Whether it was trying to beat a defender into the endzone or cross the finish line before an opposing runner, speed was always the key to his success. Fast forward nearly a decade later, and the 2015 grad is still going places in a hurry as a First Officer for JetBlue Airways and a Black Hawk helicopter pilot for the Kentucky National Guard. “Flying was always my childhood dream,” Simpson said. “Growing up in Williamsburg, there weren’t many resources to accomplish becoming a pilot, so that dream dissipated and fell...

Last week, several of Whitley County High School’s varsity sports teams joined forces to present a two-day youth camp that included hands-on instruction in six different athletic activities. The event was a huge success, with around 300 kids ranging in age from preschool to eighth grade showing up to take part. “At this age, kids should try all of it,” said Matt Rhymer, who is about to enter into his first season as the head coach of the Colonel football program. “We have to share athletes here as a rural county school, so it’s really about being one big community. We don’t want to create any barriers or walls, but...

Lynn Camp sports fans are sure to remember the name Austyn Weddle. As a multi-sport athlete, he helped several varsity-level Wildcat athletic programs remain competitive on the court and field during his years at LCHS. As a senior during the 2015-16 school year, Weddle led the Wildcats football team in receiving with over 400 yards on the season, including six touchdowns. He was also the basketball team’s leading scorer that season, averaging 13 points per game and contributing to an overall winning record of 17-10. He also was a member of the school’s baseball team that spring. Weddle is still doing big things nearly ten years after last suiting up at...

The Corbin Redhounds football program is celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2023. Leading up to the kickoff of their 100th season, and the unveiling of a newly remodeled Campbell Field this fall, the News Journal will publish a series of former columns by Bill Crook. For years, Crook’s “Looking Back” columns revisited some of the most important events in Redhound history. We hope you’ll enjoy these trips down memory lane, and that they will serve to excite you for the centennial celebration to take place later this year. From August 21, 2002: The lazy, hazy days of summer are winding down. The NIBROC was fantastic this year and as memories of the...

The Corbin Redhounds football program is celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2023. Leading up to the kickoff of their 100th season, and the unveiling of a newly remodeled Campbell Field this fall, the News Journal will publish a series of former columns by Bill Crook. For years, Crook’s “Looking Back” columns revisited some of the most important events in Redhound history. We hope you’ll enjoy these trips down memory lane, and that they will serve to excite you for the centennial celebration to take place later this year. From December 5, 2001: We all know who I will select as number one, and that is none other than the great state championship...

The Corbin Redhounds football program is celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2023. Leading up to the kickoff of their 100th season, and the unveiling of a newly remodeled Campbell Field this fall, the News Journal will publish a series of former columns by Bill Crook. For years, Crook’s “Looking Back” columns revisited some of the most important events in Redhound history. We hope you will enjoy these trips down memory lane, and that they will serve to excite you for the centennial celebration to take place later this year. From August 23, 2000: The Redhound squad of 1960 was the last of only three Redhound teams to complete their schedule with a...

The Corbin Redhounds football program is celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2023. Leading up to the kickoff of their 100th season, and the unveiling of a newly remodeled Campbell Field this fall, the News Journal will publish a series of former columns by Bill Crook. For years, Crook’s “Looking Back” columns revisited some of the most important events in Redhound history. We hope you will enjoy these trips down memory lane, and that they will serve to excite you for the centennial celebration to take place later this year. From August 9, 2000: In Redhounds lore, those who stepped forward to lead in critical situations are many. Those who have exhibited that...