Sports

For the bulk of the new millennium, the Corbin Industrial Softball League has had one team stand above of all others. Marx HVAC/The Heat, sponsored by Mark Napier of Corbin, has won the Corbin league eight times since 2005, earning a record of 101 wins to just nine loses. Championships came in 2005, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 12, and now 2016. This year’s tournament was a thriller, as semi-final action included the NWO (Barbourville) beating Pizza Spot (Williamsburg), and The Heat (Corbin) beating the Shockers (Barbourville) to set up the championship showdown between NWO and The Heat, who had split games during the regular season. Facing pitcher Jimmy Hendrickson, NWO...

This From the Sidelines column appeared in the July 27 edition of the News Journal... This past weekend I had an awesome experience at the University of Cincinnati when my wife and I went to see Ohio’s newest pro soccer team – FC Cincinnati. In their inaugural season, FCC has already made quite an impact in the United Soccer League (USL). They currently sit near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, and on Saturday they defeated Louisville City 2-0 to become the recipients of the first-ever “River Cities Cup,” which will become an annual competition between these two rival clubs. Louisville came out on top of their first meeting with Cincy,...

“Don’t tell people your dreams, show them.” With four D-I college offers under his belt, Corbin High School junior Andrew Taylor is doing just that. Being part of Hoop Dreams, a 16u AAU team, has afforded him the opportunity to showcase his skills on a national level. Most recently, Hoop Dreams was in Orlando, Florida at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World where approximately 4,800 elite athletes from across the nation went head-to-head at the 16U/17U AAU Boys’ Basketball National Championship and Super Showcase events. Hoop Dreams went 3-0 in pool play. In the first game against Martin Brothers, Taylor scored 22 points, had 8 rebounds...

University of the Cumberlands is pleased to announce Chris Kraftick as the school's new Athletic Director (AD). In this position, Kraftick is responsible for directing Cumberlands's 26 athletic teams, 20 head coaches and more than 700 student-athletes. "Chris is an outstanding leader who has already made significant contributions to this university," said Dr. Larry Cockrum, President of University of the Cumberlands. "He has a strong vision for ensuring our athletic programs continue to thrive and is committed to helping our student-athletes and coaches achieve success both on and off the field." Prior to becoming Athletic Director, Kraftick served for nine years as the head coach for UC's men's and women's golf...

After Tuesday night, the summer 2016 All-Stars baseball season has officially come to an end in Corbin. 9-10 All-Stars: The Corbin Red 9-10 year-old All-Stars entered into this year’s District 4 tournament as one of the favorites to win it all. Knox County handed them their first loss of the summer last Tuesday, July 12, dropping them into the loser’s bracket, but from there Corbin was able to rebound and pick up a very convincing 14-0 win over Hazard-Perry. The win over Hazard advanced the red team to the district finals, where they would once again be meeting up with Knox County. Corbin would have to beat Knox twice in order...

This From the Sidelines column appeared in the July 20 edition of the News Journal: Pardon me just one moment while I get on my high horse. Okay, now that I’m all saddled up are you ready for a rant? Good. Here we go… It never ceases to amaze me how people act at Little League baseball games every summer, and this summer has been no exception. I can’t help but get downright angry sometimes when I see the things that I see and hear the things that I hear at games that are being played by nine and ten year-old children. Many of the Little League contests that I have been...

The Tri-County Sports Authority has been giving youth in this area the opportunity to learn the game of football for ten years now, and after a decade of success, current TCSA President Chad Estep says that he is excited about what the future will hold for the organization. “We started out small, but we have continued to grow each year,” said Estep. “Now, in our tenth year of existence, we are trying to expand again, and adapt to being one of the only youth football organizations left functioning in this area.” Estep explained that due to increased expenses and stringent new guidelines, many youth football leagues have been forced to fold...

The following is an update on the story appearing in the July 13 print edition about Corbin All-Star baseball teams competing in district tournaments… Thursday night update: The Corbin Red 9-10 year-old All-Star team defeated Knox County 5-1 Thursday at Rotary Park, forcing a decisive game two Friday at 7:00 pm for all the marbles. These two teams will meet one last time to determine an undisputed District 4 champion, and also determine who will be going on to this year's state tournament. See the July 20 edition of the News Journal for details. Wednesday night update (CORRECTED): The Corbin Red 9-10 year-old All-Stars defeated Hazard-Perry 14-0 Wednesday, advancing them to...

9-10 year-olds keep rolling into district tourney: After winning an Area 2 championship last week, the Corbin Red 9-10 year-old All-Stars team began play in the District 4 tournament Saturday against Hazard-Perry. Still at Rotary Park, the Corbin All-Stars had a large crowd of supporters on hand to watch them advance with a 10-0 victory, keeping them undefeated this summer. Justin Troutman had a very productive outing against Hazard-Perry, reaching base three times, scoring one run and knocking in two RBIs. Pitchers Bradric Helton and Jeremiah Gilbert combined for nine strikeouts, giving up only three hits between them in the shutout win. Next up for Corbin Red was a game against Knox...

Pele. Ronaldo. Neymar. Kaka. All of these names have two things in common. First, they are some of the greatest soccer players the world has ever seen. Second, they are all from Brazil. To have the opportunity to compete where these, and so many other phenomenal athletes call home would be an honor for any soccer player. To visit a country with such a rich history in the sport would truly be a dream come true, and that is exactly what one former Corbin Lady Hound will get the opportunity to do later this summer. Kaitlyn Waddle, who is about to enter into her sophomore season with the Lincoln Memorial...