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5-3 Cardinals are set to host the 5-3 Redhounds Melodie Phelps News Editor The Wayne County Cardinals, 5-3 on the season and 2-1 in district play, wrap-up district play this Friday night at Jewell Field against Corbin. The Cards are coming off a 74-42 win at Casey County, while the Redhounds notched their third straight win of the season last week with a 41-6 home win over Russell County. The contest marks the 21st meeting between the district foes, with the Redhounds winning 19 of the previous 20, including a 35-14 home win in 2003. Corbin, under the direction of sixth year head coach Steve Jewell, is playing their best football of the season. The squad has won their last three games over Middlesboro, Casey County and Russell County by a combined score of 145-32. The Redhounds are healthy for the first time all season, a fact not unnoticed by Wayne County’s head coach. “Corbin was pretty banged-up early in the season, but they’re clicking at the right time and I believe they have everybody healthy. They lost three in a row earlier in the season, but once they were able to get all their guys back I think they’re playing as well as anyone in the state,” said Shawn Thompson. The Redhounds are 5-3 on the season and 2-0 in district play. Corbin’s losses to South Laurel (41-28), Williamsburg (40-38), and Bell County (36-7), feature teams with a combined record of 23-3. “Make no mistake Corbin is still the favorite in the district and I don’t think that will change until someone can knock them off,” said Thompson. Corbin’s offense is averaging 37 points per game, led by a talented cast of playmates. Sophomore quarterback Clint Cashen paces the balanced attack with over 900 yards passing and 12 scores. Versatile offensive back Brad Lawson has returned to the lineup, after nursing some early season injuries, to play a key role. “They’ll run their traditional Power-I, but are also very good in their Spread look. They use multiple offenses very well and they have a very capable quarterback in Clint Cashen. Brad Lawson really makes their offense go, he lines up everywhere and does a little bit of everything pretty well. Defensively we’ll have to step up our intensity and not miss tackles,” said Thompson. Wayne County’s defense has allowed 91 points the past two weeks and is averaging 24 points per game for the season. The Cardinal offense faces a Corbin team that is allowing 24 points per game. Matt Goff paces the attack with 1,435 rushing yards and has scored 23 total touchdowns on the season. Quarterback Ryan Steele is coming off his best effort of the season. Steele passed for 104 yards and two scores last week against Casey County and has completed 45 of 112 passes for the season with 627 passing yards. “We have to be able to mix things up on offense and that’s something we’ve tried to work on all season. Last week our communication was the best it has been all season and that’s important. Our line must communicate with each other for us to be able to move the football,” said Thompson. The Cards 2-1 district mark has already clinched a state playoff berth and a win would be a major step in securing a home playoff game. The squad is assured of being at least the #3 seed, but a win over the Redhounds would be huge. Wayne County just missed the opportunity two years ago in a 14-13 home loss to Corbin. The Redhounds moved on to the state championship game that season. “This is a big week for our team. We’ve avoided the #4 seed which is always a huge plus, but we still have a real shot at hosting a playoff game. We have to do what we do best and have an intense, focused week in practice,” said Thompson. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. Friday night at Jewell Field. Details on the contest in next week’s Outlook. Team claims second 44th District Tournament title By MELODIE PHELPS News Editor The Wayne County Volleyball team claimed their second consecutive 44th District Tournament title Thursday night, defeating McCreary Central 25-18 and 25-17. The contest was played at Monticello High School. Wayne County defeated Monticello 25-17 and 25-18 in action earlier in the week to advance to the championship contest. McCreary Central defeated Russell County on their way to the title game. “We played pretty well in the district,” noted Wayne County Coach William Shearer. “Everybody plays their best at the end of the season and we got Monticello and McCreary Central’s best games.” Wayne County placed four players on the District All-Tournament Team, including MVP Kim Balcerzak, Atisha Gehring, Emily Keaton, and Jessica New. “I think we’ve got one of the best hitters in the region in Kim,” noted Shearer. “And I think we’ve got one of the best setters in Jessica New.” “When it comes to passing, we can pass it as well as anybody in this region, and that is why we can compete at such a high level,” said Shearer. Wayne County’s defense is its speciality. The Cardinals do put some points on the board with their offense, but they like to play defense, get the ball over the net and make the other team play offense. The district title is a fitting reward for the team that has put together a tremendous season. The Cardinals are 27-5 as they head into regional tournament action this week. “We’ve won a lot of games this year,” said Shearer, who noted that though this year’s record so far is similar to last season, the team has put together some quality wins during this campaign. “I know we’re a better team this year,” explained Shearer. “We’ve competed around the state much better than we did last year.” That’s a confidence builder in itself. Add to that the fact that Wayne County has beaten everybody in this region during the regular season, and you can see why the program and the fans are excited about this week’s regional tournament, which is being hosted by the Cardinals. Wayne County is among favored teams in the regional tournament this year, along with South Laurel and Pulaski County. Wayne County has defeated both teams at home this year, but posted losses to both squads during away matches. “It all depends on if you come ready to play,” said Shearer, as he talked about Wayne County’s regional tournament hopes. “We believe we have a good chance to win the region.” “This is a very close-knit group,” said Shearer. “We play well as team...Other coaches talk about how well this team plays together.” This marks the first time Wayne County has hosted a regional volleyball tournament. Action began Monday night, and Wayne County was scheduled to play Harrodsburg at 6 p.m. Tuesday in an opening round contest. Harrodsburg was the runner-up in the 43rd District Tournament. If the Cardinals win in their opener, they would face either South Laurel or Casey County in the semifinals of the tournament on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. The regional championship game is set for Thursday at 7 p.m. Add a comment |
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