This week, the second round of the 2024 Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Championship football playoffs will be contested. The News Journal’s two remaining coverage area teams – the Corbin Redhounds and the Williamsburg Yellow Jackets – are both set to host opponents that they have a lot of history with.
Redhounds facing former district rival Wayne County Cardinals
The Corbin Redhounds and the Wayne County Cardinals know each other very well. They have battled it out in multiple big game situations, and have spent many years competing as rivals in the same district.
Corbin made the jump from Class 2A to Class 3A in 2011. They defeated Wayne County that year, but the Cards would get even in 2012 and 2013, beating the Hounds in their next three encounters.
Corbin came back in 2014 and bested the Cards in the regular season and the playoffs, and they would not face each other again until five years later, in 2019. That season, the two teams met as Class 4A competitors for the first time. Wayne came out on top on two separate occasions, once in the regular season and once in the playoffs.
The Redhounds have dominated the series in the last four seasons, winning the last five games against their old nemesis. This included playoff wins in 2021 and 2023.
Last week, the Cards and the Whitley County Colonels fought down to the wire in Monticello, with the home team managing to pull out a 42-35 win that improved them to 8-3 on the year. Sophomore quarterback Korbyn Edwards put on a show, rushing for 230 yards and all six of Wayne County’s touchdowns on the night.
Meanwhile, the Corbin Redhounds had their way with visiting Russell County, as senior quarterback Kade Elam threw for nearly 300 yards and five TD’s to lead his team to an easy 48-13 victory.
The Hounds, now 10-1 overall, will be the heavy favorites in this round two matchup Friday evening, but Wayne County will be looking to play spoiler with their explosive playmaking ability courtesy of Edwards’ impressive athleticism.
Yellow Jackets hosting a much-improved Hazard Bulldogs squad
Last fall, the Williamsburg Yellow Jackets ended the Hazard Bulldogs’ season with a 60-12 beatdown in the opening round of the KHSAA playoffs. This year, the Dogs are back to their old winning ways and should present the Jackets with a much tougher postseason test.
As expected, Williamsburg made easy work of the Lynn Camp Wildcats in their round one playoff game last week, winning 50-6 to improve to 8-1 on the season. Hazard, meanwhile, shutout Pineville, 52-0, to improve to 7-4.
The Bulldogs’ four losses this season have all come against quality opponents, including Breathitt County, Corbin, Raceland and Pikeville. The senior duo of quarterback Max Pelfrey and running back Memphis Blankenship have put up impressive numbers, with the offensive unit proving to be formidable in both the passing and ground games.
The Jackets have relied heavily on the superb athletic ability of senior quarterback Nate Goodin this season, and will continue to do so in this high profile second round matchup in this year’s Class A state championship playoffs.
As previously mentioned, Williamsburg ended Hazard’s season in 2023. In 2022, it was the Bulldogs who sent the Jackets home in round one of the playoffs, shutting them out, 29-0.
Williamsburg beat Hazard in the first round in 2018, which was payback for two years prior when the Dogs bested the Jackets in the second round of the 2016 postseason.
The Jackets defeated Hazard to win regional championship titles en route to Class A state final appearances in 2013 and 2014.
These victories marked a major turning point for Williamsburg’s football program after losing to the Bulldogs in the regional championship round in the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
