Trevor Sherman

After going 1-2 in the Legacy Nissan Dribble Drive Challenge at South Laurel High School in recent days, the Corbin Redhounds now stand at 2-5 overall ahead of hosting this year’s Cumberland Falls Invitational Tournament. The Hounds showed growth throughout the Dribble Drive Challenge. Despite a 24-point scoring effort by junior Evan Ellis, they fell to Russell in their opening game Saturday, 65-55. They bounced back nicely against East Jessamine on Sunday, though, scoring their most points as a team to-date and securing a 78-47 victory. Senior Eli Pietrowski had a fantastic showing against the Jaguars, scoring 27 points. Corbin wrapped up play in the Dribble Drive Challenge Monday against a solid Rockcastle County Rockets team. Rock managed to come out on top in the end, 69-66, but it took an overtime period for them to get the job done. Pietrowski ended up having another big night, scoring 22 points, while junior Trey Person contributed 14 points. The Redhounds will now shift their focus to the Annual Cumberland Falls Invitational Tournament, which will kick off this Saturday, Dec. 27, at Corbin High School. Head Coach Tony Pietrowski and company will welcome in four other teams from around the state, and one team from just below the state line, for this year’s tournament. Coming into town for the 2025 CFIT are the Barbourville Tigers (1-4), the Jackson County Generals (6-3), Dawson Springs (2-6), WEB DuBois (8-2), and the Jellico, TN Blue Devils (8-5). Barbourville has gotten off to a bit of a slow start this season. They were in action recently in Whitley County’s BSN Borderline Classic, losing two games to a pair of opponents from Tennessee – Clarkrange and Smyrna. They will no doubt be looking to surprise folks in Corbin in the coming days. Jackson County started off the season with four straight victories before falling to the Whitley County Colonels on Dec. 12. They fell to Barbourville about a week later in a competitive contest, so a chance for revenge against the Tigers could present itself soon. The Dawson Springs Panthers are coming to town all the way from Region 2. They look to be very capable on the offensive end of the court, averaging about 60 points per game through their first eight outings. The WEB DuBois Lions may be considered the overall favorites in this year’s tournament. Playing out of Region 6, they boast wins this season over opponents such as Danville, Louisville Central and DuPont Manual. This past weekend, they scored 100 points in a 100-44 win over Augusta in the Colby Hause Classic at Bracken County High School. Finally, the Jellico Blue Devils are off to a great start this season, winning four of their last five games, including a 78-52 victory at Williamsburg on Dec. 16. As the only team not from Kentucky in this year’s CFIT, they will be looking to make a statement and bring the championship trophy back with them across the state line. The 2025 Cumberland Falls Invitational Tournament will kick off this Saturday, Dec. 27, and will feature three straight days of pool play. Barbourville and Jellico will face each other at 6 p.m. Saturday, followed by Corbin taking on Jackson County. On Sunday, Jellico and WEB DuBois will meet up at 2 p.m., followed by Jackson County taking on Dawson Springs. Next Monday, Corbin and Dawson Springs will play at 6 p.m., followed by Barbourville versus WEB DuBois. These contests will determine the pairings for Tuesday, Dec. 30. On Dec. 30, the two number three seeds will play for fifth place honors at 5:30 p.m. Overall third place will be up for grabs when the two number two seeds square off at approximately 7 p.m. This year’s CFIT championship will be determined at about 8:30 p.m. when the two number one seeds do battle for the trophy.

After four wins in four days at this year’s BSN Borderline Classic, the Whitley County Colonels now stand at 8-2 overall ahead of the Christmas holiday. “I think we have a chance to be as good as anybody,” Head Coach Eric Swords said after his Colonels defeated Harrison County, 74-44, Monday night in the final game of the 2025 Borderline Classic. “Our kids are going to battle, play hard, and find ways to help us win.” Swords and company welcomed 13 other teams into Charles M. Lawson Gymnasium between Friday and Monday for four days of exciting roundball action. The Colonels themselves faced Green Valley Christian out of Nevada, Bethel (Ohio), Lexington Christian and Harrison County. Sophomore Bryson “Tootie” Mahan had a huge game against Green Valley Friday, scoring 24 points and leading Whitley to a 77-57 victory. Senior Henry Bowling scored 13 points in the opening contest of the Classic, while sophomore Levi Jackson contributed 11 points. The Colonels were back at it Saturday, facing Bethel. Mahan once again led the way in the scoring category with 18 points, followed by Bowling with 14 and 11 points from sophomore Riley Fuson. In the end, Whitley would go on to secure their second consecutive 20-point victory, 68-48. Sunday’s contest was much more competitive, as the Lexington Christian Eagles looked to hand the Colonels their first loss in the Classic. The host team rose to the occasion, however, with Mahan scoring 20 points, Jackson scoring 16 points and senior Dee Parker chipping in 15 points to lead Whitley to a statement-making 73-64 win. “That was a huge win for us,” Swords would later say of the victory over the Eagles. “All of the kids battled and played well.” Swords said he was a little worried coming into Monday’s finale, considering the team had competed in four straight days of intense competition. He said he thought the Colonels looked a little sluggish in the first half against their opponents from Harrison County, but he also thought they responded very well after the half to close out the Classic with a thirty-point win, 74-44. Fuson led the way for Whitley in Monday’s contest, scoring 20 points. Mahan was not far behind with 15 points, and Bowling scored 13. In all, eleven Colonels contributed offensively to the Colonels’ final victory in the 2025 Borderline Classic. When asked to evaluate where his team stands after the first few weeks of the season, Swords said that he thinks one of the Colonels’ biggest strengths moving forward will be their ability to shoot the ball. “We are waiting on that to really start clicking, and for us to put some better stretches of play together,” he said. Swords also pointed out that his squad features a lineup that is somewhat smaller in stature, but he has been very pleased so far with how his guards are battling for rebounds and regularly handling larger opponents defensively. After the holidays, Whitley will hope to make a run at a Kentucky 2A Section 7 championship title at Bell County High School.

We are used to seeing Santa Claus riding in his customary sleigh this time of year, but how about a kayak? Those in attendance at Sunday’s free “Swim Into Christmas” event at the Corbin City Pool were able to see just that, and much more. The event was presented by the KCEOC Aquatic Club (KAC) and the Kentucky Elementary Swimming organization in order to raise awareness about the sport of swimming, and to help raise much-needed funds for both programs. Missy Black, a coach for KAC and the head coach at Corbin Elementary School, was present at the city pool Sunday afternoon. She played the role of Mrs. Claus for the day, but took a moment to discuss some of the main ideas behind the organizing of the event. “We thought this would be a good chance to introduce a lot of people in the community to the dome,” Black said of the heated inflatable cover that now allows the Corbin City Pool to remain open year-round. “People drive by and see this big white marshmallow behind the rec center, but they don’t really understand what it is. This is a good opportunity to let the people outside of our swim teams see what it looks like in here, and for them to know that it is open to the public so that people can come and swim during the winter.” Black said that, thanks to several sponsors, event organizers were able to offer access to the pool for free between 3-5 p.m., as well as provide attendees with hot chocolate, cookies, and other special treats. Black said that, despite little advance preparation, she was thrilled with the turnout. She added that plans will be in place in anticipation of even better attendance next year. Acting KAC Waverunners Head Coach Brian Smith was also helping out with Sunday’s event. He said that the day presented a great opportunity to help raise awareness about not just the dome, but about competitive swimming opportunities for youth in the local area. He explained that both the KAC, which is sponsored by KCEOC Community Action Agency, and the Kentucky Elementary Swimming organization, which currently is comprised of teams from Corbin, Williamsburg and Whitley County, are looking to add youth swimmers in order to help grow the sport and ensure that it has a strong future in this region. KCEOC President Paul Dole stopped by the pool Sunday. He commented that the organization is happy to support programs that help kids to stay physically active and teach them about the importance of teamwork. He said it provides a good overall experience for the kids who are involved, as well as their parents and/or guardians. Dole thanked the sponsors who made Sunday’s “Swim Into Christmas” event a success. Those sponsors include W.D. Bryant ACE Hardware, the Corbin Parks and Recreation Department, Laurel Gardens, Tomahawks, the Eli Hill Foundation and Herren Family Dentistry. For more information on the KAC Waverunners and Kentucky Elementary Swimming, look them both up online via their official Facebook pages.

The Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce is now seeking sponsorships for its 2026 monthly membership luncheons. The cost to sponsor a luncheon is $300. Sponsorship benefits include: – Marketing Material: Distribute informative material about your company. It is encouraged that sponsors have company representatives on hand to welcome attendees. – Speaking: Sponsors will be allotted time to speak about their company. – Lunch Cost: Chamber will cover the cost of two lunches. – Social Media: The Chamber will announce your company’s sponsorship on its webpage and on Facebook. – A placard including your company’s logo and contact info will be placed on tables. For more information on how to book a sponsorship, e-mail whitney@sky-eda. The announced guest speaker for January’s luncheon is Corbin Mayor Suzie Razmus. The luncheon will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 13, starting at 11:45 a.m. at the Corbin Center. January’s luncheon will be catered by La Donna’s catering. The deadline to register is Thursday, Jan. 8. Register by sending an e-mail to the address above, or by calling 528-6390.

At one point during Tuesday evening’s Cumberland Falls Invitational finale at Corbin High School, it looked as if the tournament hosts would have to settle for runner-up. A gutsy comeback effort turned the tides for Coach Tony Pietrowski’s Redhounds in the second half, however, allowing them to secure a thrilling 74-71 victory over the WEB DuBois Lions. Corbin managed to get off to a great start in this year’s CFIT title game, leading after one quarter of play, 19-13. DuBois battled back in the second quarter, though, putting the Hounds on their heels and building up a 12-point, 39-27, lead going into the half. The Lions extended that lead out to 43-27 early in the third quarter before Corbin was able to answer offensively. Back-to-back baskets by junior Evan Ellis brought the Hounds back to within two points, 51-49, with just a minute remaining in the quarter. Going into the fourth, Dubois held onto a one-point advantage, 56-55. Corbin scored four unanswered points to start the fourth quarter, and fought hard down the stretch to prevent the Lions from being able to put together any runs of their own. With 1:50 left in regulation, the score was knotted up at 67-67. A basket by senior Eli Pietrowski and a pair of Ellis free throws put the Hounds back in control, and while the Lions were able to cut the lead back down to two with a basket of their own a few moments later, the home team immediately responded when junior Trey Person sunk a free throw and senior Lucas Brittain laid one in with just seconds remaining. DuBois went to the free throw line to shoot three shots at the end of the game, hitting only two. Shortly after, the celebration was on for the Hounds, whose last CFIT title came back in 2022, when Eli Pietrowski was just a freshman. “It’s a big win,” Pietrowksi said of Tuesday’s victory over WEB DuBois. “We’ve come up short the last two years, so it’s good to get one back.” “I think it shows that we can play with anybody,” Pietrowski continued. “We were down 12 at halftime, but we came back and didn’t give up. I think this says a lot about our team and our toughness.” Pietrowski’s performance throughout this year’s tournament earned him 110% Award and Most Valuable Player honors. When asked about his accolades, he said, “It feels good getting MVP, but I’m just glad that we won. MVP is cool, but I’m glad that [the team] got the trophy. That’s really what matters to me.” Also recognized after the conclusion of Tuesday’s game were Ellis, Brittain, Person and Clay Akins, all of whom received all-tournament honors. The championship win over the Lions improves Corbin to an even 5-5 on the season ahead of a home game this Saturday afternoon against Evangel Christian. Tipoff time is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. For more on how the Redhounds advanced to this year’s CFIT finals, look inside the Dec. 31 print edition of the News Journal. Corbin 74, WEB Dubois 71 Corbin – 19 8 28 19 – 74 DuBois – 13 26 17 15 – 71 CHS – Clay Akins 4, Trey Person 18, Lucas Brittain 6, Keaton Smith 5, Evan Ellis 24, Eli Pietrowski 17

As of Tuesday afternoon, the search continues for a bank robbery suspect that made off with an undisclosed amount of money from the Forcht Bank on Master Street in Corbin the day after Christmas.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the search continues for a bank robbery suspect that made off with an undisclosed amount of money from the Forcht Bank on Master Street in Corbin the day after Christmas. Corbin Police Detective Robbie Hodge said that the robbery occurred on the morning of Friday, Dec. 26, at approximately 10 a.m. Hodge said the suspect is an African American male in his 40’s. He was wearing all black clothing with lime green shoes at the time of the robbery. Hodge said nobody was injured in the incident, and the suspect did not present a weapon. CPD has released a security camera image of the suspect, who they believe has since left the state. Authorities also believe that the suspect did not work alone, and received help from a getaway driver in order to escape from the scene. CPD is working with the Knox County Sheriff’s Department, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Department, London City Police and the FBI as they follow up on leads and attempt to locate the suspect. If anyone has any information that could be helpful in the ongoing investigation, they are encouraged to contact Corbin Police at 606-528-1122.

The past year was full of major developments in both local news and sports. While you can check out our annual review of the top news stories throughout this week’s edition, I thought that I would use my column space to revisit some of 2025’s most talked about happenings in the world of local sports. At the top of the list is the Corbin eighth grade football team’s most recent state championship, which they secured on Nov. 15 after a 26-8 win over Rockcastle County in the Division 2 title game, played at Lexington Christian Academy. This was the Corbin Middle School football program’s tenth state championship overall, and their first with new Head Coach Jody Mouser at the helm. We had a local student-athlete break the all-time career home run record for college baseball this past spring, as University of the Cumberlands Patriot Charlie Muniz hammered 36 balls out of the park to end his collegiate career with 115 total homers. This surpasses the 100 career home runs hit by Pete Incaviglia of Oklahoma State. Muniz has since gone on to play pro ball as a member of the Billings Mustangs in Billings, Montana. More history was made on the baseball diamond in our local area this past year when Corbin Redhound Kade Elam was named Mr. Baseball in the state of Kentucky after an amazing senior season that capped off a stellar career as a student-athlete at CHS. Elam was integral to the success of both the school’s football and baseball programs during his time in a Redhound uniform, leading the football team to deep runs in the Class 4A playoffs and helping the baseball team to some of their most successful seasons in history. He is currently playing baseball at the University of Louisville, and signs commemorating his selection as 2025 Mr. Baseball just recently went up around town. The Whitley County High School volleyball program won its fourth consecutive regional championship title this past fall, which was the team’s fifth region championship overall. To win four straight championship crowns in a region that is as competitive as the 13th is year-in and year-out is nothing short of incredible. Head Coach David Halcomb and his staff have done an amazing job with these girls over the years, and they will certainly look to be right back in the mix again in 2026. Williamsburg High School bid farewell to one of its all-time great student-athletes this past spring as Nate Goodin graduated after an unbelievable career that saw him play a key role as a member of several different Yellow Jacket athletic programs. Goodin especially shined as a multiple-time state champion in track and field. In his final season, he won indoor state titles in long jump and high jump, and he won an outdoor state title in high jump as well. In four years, he collected a total of five state championships and three state runner-up finishes in various events. Speaking of major developments in the world of track and field, 2025 saw the Whitley County School District making significant investments in its track facility. This led to the Colonels being able to host this past year’s regional championship meet, which was a huge event that brought teams from across the region into the area. Whitley’s new track surface and updated equipment will be a game changer for the entire athletic program for many years to come, making it one of the most important developments of the past year in local sports. The entire Corbin community, and many other surrounding communities, were terribly saddened to learn of the untimely passing of Jeff Chadwell back in June of this year. Jeff had spent many years leading the way for the City of Corbin’s Little League program. He was beloved by many, including hundreds of young players and former players that he helped give opportunities to throughout his career. Jeff’s passing was a major blow to so many of us, especially his closest friends and family members, all of whom continue to be in our prayers. Jeff will certainly never be forgotten, and his many contributions will live on for generations to come. If you paid close attention to the News Journal sports pages throughout 2025, then you know I spent a great deal of time and effort to focusing on the sport of golf. My weekly “Par for the Course” column ran throughout most of the year, and featured stories about golf on a local, regional, and statewide level. It was a very interesting undertaking for me, as I had never done anything quite like that before. At least, not as it pertains to golf specifically. For those who commented to me saying that they enjoyed the columns, I greatly appreciate your feedback. Stay tuned, as this is something that may get brought back in some form or fashion in the future. As for the biggest local golf story of the past year, that would definitely have to be the success on the course of Corbin’s own Makena Myatt. The freshman came into the season having already accomplished much as a middle schooler the past two years. She certainly added to her accomplishments, though, securing Kentucky 2A sectional title, a Region 10 individual runner-up title, and a state championship tournament appearance, among other accolades. This girl is super-talented, and I am excited to see how far she ends up going in the sport. There seems to be no end to her potential. The Corbin High School tennis programs continued to dominate the competition in 2025, adding more regional championship titles to the trophy case and continuing their trend of being a mainstay in KHSAA state championship tournaments. When you look at just how much success the Tennis Hounds have had historically, it is truly amazing. This is a testament to the men and women who have helped coach these teams down through the years, as well as all of the players who have taken the court and competed […]

Knox Central Lady Panthers Head Coach Steve Warren added another milestone to his record as his team took down rival Corbin Lady Redhounds on Saturday. The 66-61 win was the 100th win of Warren's career with the Lady Panthers. Congratulations, Coach!

Well, we made it. We successfully navigated another hectic holiday season and now we are just days into yet another New Year. This is a time both for reflection on what was, and more importantly, to look ahead to what the coming weeks and months hold in store for us all. I have learned that looking ahead can be tricky. On one hand, I think that you have to stay mindful of certain possibilities and at least try to be prepared for whatever curve balls life may throw your way. With that being said, you also can’t allow yourself to ruminate on what those curve balls might look like, or when they might get thrown. There’s just no way to know. As I move ahead into the New Year, I am praying for lots of help when it comes to how I approach future possibilities. The idea is to simply consider them without becoming totally fixated on what may, or may not, come to pass. Doing the latter gets exhausting pretty darn fast, so more faith and less fear is definitely the goal. Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to stay positive when considering the political climate that we all currently find ourselves in. 2026 will be a very big year for politics in our country, in the Commonwealth, and right here in our local communities. My hope is that we can all stay civil, and that when the dust settles on the upcoming elections, we will have elected officials who are truly dedicated to doing the best possible job for their respective constituents. I think this will largely be the case when it comes to our local elections. We have some good folks who have decided to run for various offices, and I’m sure we will see more come forward before this week’s filing deadline. The state and national elections will likely elicit different responses, however, as those do tend to bring out the worst of people’s personalities (especially on social media). Regardless if your preferred candidate(s) win or lose this spring and/or fall, I urge everyone to remember that we’re all in this together. Let’s try our best to adhere to the productive approach of healthy discussion and debate, as opposed to insulting and name calling, which really gets us nowhere. While we’re on the topic of elections, I would like to remind all of you candidates out there to make sure and reach out to us after filing in order to be sure that we have good contact info for you. We will need this in order to inform you about advertising and interview opportunities in the near future. As I have pointed out before, NEWSPAPER READERS VOTE IN ELECTIONS. This is backed up by lots of research, so you definitely want to get your name, face, and talking points in front of the people who are going to make all the difference for your respective campaigns. We can help make sure that happens, so if you haven’t already, send an e-mail to me at tsherman@corbinnewsjournal and I’ll make sure we know how to reach you when the time comes. In other very important news, the 2026 legislative session is now underway in Frankfort. This promises to be another pivotal year for the Commonwealth, as the top item of business on lawmakers’ agendas will be to craft a newly updated state budget. Legislative sessions are always difficult to keep up with. There is always so much information to keep up with, and that is doubly true in budget years. That being said, I am interested to see what announcements will be made in the coming weeks, what bills will be filed, what concerns will be raised, and what agendas will end up getting prioritized. As always, we here at the News Journal will do our best to keep readers updated on the major developments coming out of the annual meeting of the Kentucky General Assembly. Specifically, we will keep an eye out for any developments that may be of particular consequence to folks living and working here in Whitley County and surrounding areas. This promises to be an extremely interesting year. In the end, I just hope that it will be a good one for us all.