LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — There’s nothing that disappoints a coach more than when his team doesn’t respond to physical play.

South Laurel coach Larry Welch was a very disappointed man Friday night, as the Corbin Redhounds played smash-mouth football, running over the Cardinals, 35-14.

“They smacked us in the mouth and we didn’t smack back,” Welch said. “They were physical and we weren’t.”

Corbin’s defense caused three turnovers and sacked South Laurel quarterbacks six times, including one time in the end zone for a safety. A hard hit to Tyler Detherage after he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown knocked the Cardinal quarterback out of the game with 9:08 left in the first half. He finished 2-4 for 14 yards with an interception and fumble.

His replacement, Jonathan Jenkins, fared a little better, going 7-14 for 137 yards and two touchdowns. But he was sacked five times as the offensive line couldn’t contain the blitzing Redhound defense, especially Cai Jackson, who had four sacks.

“We didn’t give our quarterbacks any protection,” Welch said.

While the offense couldn’t stop Corbin’s defense, South’s defense had a hard time containing Matthew Jewell and Josh Coppock. Jewell carried the ball 22 times for 186 yards and three touchdowns, while Coppock added 83 yards on 10 carries and one score.

You could tell that it might not be South’s night on the first play from scrimmage, when Jewell raced 80 yards for a touchdown. Luckily for the Cardinals the score was nullified by a block in the back penalty on Corbin. The Redhounds had two touchdowns called back on penalties.

South’s first four possessions looked like this: Lost fumble, safety, lost fumble, interception for a touchdown. Not a good way to start a game.

After holding Corbin and forcing a punt on the Redhounds first possession, South (1-4) took over on its own 2-yard line. On second-and-15 from the nine, Detherage hit Austin Rader for a completion, but he was hit and fumbled the ball at the 16, where the Redhounds recovered.

But the Redhounds (2-3) failed to take advantage of the mistake, thanks in part to a holding penalty, and turned the ball over on downs when they came up one inch short at the 6-yard line.

Detherage dropped back to pass, and was sacked in the end zone by Tanner Powers for a safety with 3:25 left in the first quarter, giving Corbin a 2-0 lead.

The Cards then kicked the ball back to Corbin, and the Redhounds took over on the 39. Six plays later, Jewell carried it in from 29 yards out. Jackson’s point after was good, and with .22 seconds left, Corbin led, 9-0.

On South’s next possession, Detherage was hit on second down and fumbled. Corbin’s Jewell was there to recover it on the Cardinal 40. Jewell would score with 9:17 left when he ran in untouched from 11-yards out. The kick failed, but Corbin still led, 15-0.

“We had that safety, then a turnover, and the rest is history,” Welch said.

South’s next possession also ended with a turnover when, on first down from the 32, Detherage’s pass was picked off by Myrvin Grigsby, who returned it for a touchdown. After the missed extra point, Corbin was still up, 21-0.

Detherage took a hard hit on the play and didn’t return to action. Jenkins came in with 8:55 left in the half and marched the Cards’ 41 yards for a score when he found Jason Mitchell on the right side. Mitchell made a nice cut back to the left and ran 41-yards for the score. Matthew Slavey’s kick was good, cutting Corbin’s lead to 21-7.

South had little time to celebrate as Corbin scored on its next possession, an eight play drive that covered 73-yards, capped off by a 39-yard touchdown run by Jewell. This time the kick was good, and with 3:03 left before the half, the lead was now 28-7. That’s how the half would end.

Both teams would add a score in the second half. A 3-yard touchdown run by Coppock with 5:58 left in the third pushed the lead to 35-7. It stayed that way until there was 1:37 left in the game when Jenkins found Mitchell for a 21-yard score to make the final 35-14.

The Cardinals open district play this Friday when they host North Laurel for the annual Crosstown Showdown.



Corbin 35, South Laurel 7

South Laurel    0   7  0  7—14

Corbin             9 19   7 0—35

C—Safety; C—Matthew Jewell, 7 run (Cai Jackson kick); C—Jewell, 11 run (Jackson kick); C—Myrvin Grigsby, 32 interception return (kick failed); SL—Jason Mitchell, 41 pass from Jonathan Jenkins (Matthew Slavey kick); C—Jewell, 39 run (Jackson kick); C—Josh Coppock, 3 run (Corey Taylor kick); SL—Mitchell, 21 pass from Jenkins (Slavey kick).

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