After attending three different sporting events between Friday and Saturday of last week, I was left with a lot of thoughts.
First, it was a memorable night in Corbin Friday as the Redhounds secured a 51-28 victory over the Hazard Bulldogs on Hall of Fame night. At halftime of the game, this year’s athletic Hall of Fame class was introduced to the crowd. The complete list of inductees is: Miranda Wilson-Rogers, Kayla Wilson-Rose, Hannah Hart-Russell, Eric Blackwood, Brandon Hedrick, Jack Vermillion, CHS Baseball Head Coach Cody Philpot, Paul Jones and the 2011 CHS boys tennis team.
Seeing a few of the 2024 inductees walk across the field with their families suddenly made me feel old. It seems like just the other day that I was watching the Wilson sisters, Kayla and Miranda, make history with the Lady Hounds basketball team. And it also doesn’t seem like that long ago that Hannah Hart was dominating on the softball diamond. To see them all there Friday night with children of their own was kind of surreal.
Congrats to all of this year’s inductees, especially Mr. Paul Jones, who you can read more about in this week’s column by Don Estep.
Also making last Friday extra special was the recognition of Shonya O’Neill for her many years of success while leading the CHS varsity cheerleading program. Shonya was presented with a plaque as a list of achievements was read aloud over the public address system. It took just a few minutes to get through that list, as the cheer Hounds were able to enjoy a lot of history-making moments during her tenure.
I was fortunate enough to come into the job of reporting on sports for the News Journal right about the same time that Shonya and the CHS cheer squad were making their first trips to compete on the national level. I had the opportunity to cover the team as they won district, region, state and national championship titles. Those teams set a new standard for all future teams, and I am happy to say that I got to be along for that ride.
Another congratulations to Shonya O’Neill and all of her student-athletes for their many, many accomplishments.
One final comment about last Friday…
My daughter, Olivia, along with many other area youngsters, had the opportunity to assist the Corbin varsity cheerleaders with their routines on the sideline during the Redhounds’ game against Hazard. These young ladies were all part of a recent youth cheer clinic put on by the CHS cheer squad. Thanks again to them for inviting all of the campers to come and cheer on Friday night. It was a really special moment for all of us parents.
On Saturday, I made my way down to the Whitley County Schools main campus to check out some of the action at this year’s Lady Colonels First Priority Volleyball Classic. This event never ceases to amaze me, as 16 high school volleyball teams compete in two gyms – Whitley County High School and Whitley County Middle School – with two games going on in each gym at pretty much all times.
The term “controlled chaos” comes to mind here, and I salute Bryan Stewart, Jeremy Shope and everyone else who has a hand in managing these events each year.
I would also like to give a shoutout to WCHS Volleyball Head Coach David Halcomb and his staff for continuing to host the First Priority Classic. I’ve said it before, but you won’t find a better event for high school volleyball in our area than this one. It is a big undertaking, but definitely worth it for all of the student-athletes who get to compete.
I was back in Williamsburg Saturday night for the Battle of the Brass Lantern between the University of the Cumberlands Patriots and the Union Commonwealth University Bulldogs. This was also Homecoming Weekend at UC, so the atmosphere was really great. Despite it being a little damp, the crowd was enthusiastic as the Patriots prevailed with a shutout victory over the Dogs.
UC’s big win over a rival opponent on Homecoming Night was the perfect way to cap off a weekend full of great local sports action. With district soccer and volleyball tournaments on the horizon, as well as regional cross country action and some state-level golf competition, there will be plenty more to talk about soon.
