CORBIN —
By Chris Parsons / Staff Writer
The Lynn Camp Wildcats have gotten through the first half of their season above the .500 mark with an 8-7 record.
The Wildcats have beaten the teams head coach Clyde Dixon thinks they should have beaten and come close to beating a few they may not have been expected to beat.
As the second half of the season gets under way, Dixon said it's important for his team to continue to improve just as they have so far.
“I'm extremely pleased with our progress so far and we've done some good things. I feel our kids have improved quite a bit,” Dixon said. “We've played some good basketball and I feel like we would've even played better if not for some injuries.
“I think our record could have been a lot better because even the games we lost, outside of the Corbin game, we were in every game that we played,” he added. “We played really well against Caverna, who is 12-2 at this point in time, and I feel like that was a game that we could have and should have won.”
The Wildcats have played well early in games, but had trouble finishing strong. Dixon said he thinks the ability to finish opponents off is something that will come with experience.
“This is really a young team when you look at us on paper,” Dixon said. “We have some kids that haven't been in certain situations before, so they aren't really seasoned in some of these areas.
“I do think they are learning as they go,” he added. “If we can continue to improve as we have, I feel like we can do some good things in the second half of the season.”
The second half is where games become important anyway, so what better time to improve than against district opponents.
The Wildcats' first three games of the second half are against Barbourville, Pineville and Knox Central, which means the 51st District seeding will be on the line for the Wildcats.
Dixon said he knows how important these games are and his staff will try to relay that to the players.
“This is where the games count because you want to be in good position when the district tournament starts,” Dixon said. “You want to win two, maybe three of those games and put yourself in a spot to be the top seed.
“It's important for a couple of reasons I think,” he added. “You want the team to gain confidence against the teams you'll be facing in the postseason and you want to be in good seeding position as well.”
As the second half gets underway tonight when the Wildcats welcome Barbourville to town, Dixon said he hopes his team hasn't peaked and that their best basketball is still to come.
“I wouldn't say that we've played the best we could play,” he said. “I think there are several areas we can improve upon and we'll keep working on them.
“Hopefully by the time the postseason rolls around, our kids will be competing at the top of the district,” he added. “The key is to keep improving as the season goes along and that's what we're trying to do.”
Local Sports
Clyde Dixon’s Lynn Camp Wildcats improving game by game
- Local Sports
-
-
Jumpers stun North
Both North Laurel and Somerset struggled at the plate for six innings, but that didn’t mean the two teams weren’t going to provide some fireworks during the game’s final inning of play Thursday.
-
On the move
Mother Nature played a big role during the opening day of the Boys and Girls State Tennis Tournaments. She caused just enough havoc to put a major dent into Thursday’s first and second round schedules.
-
Lady Colonels drop 12-9 decision at home to Clay County
The Whitley County Lady Colonels found themselves in a slugfest for most of the night against Clay County Thursday.
-
Colonels win big
Hollywood couldn’t have scripted the way Whitley County senior Alex Rose’s final start of the season went down Thursday.
-
Carson comes big against Bears
Senior Night turned out to be a great day for North Laurel’s lone senior Marcus Carson.
-
Lady Redhounds fall on the road, 10-0
The Corbin Lady Redhounds went into Thursday’s game against Middlesboro riding a five-game win streak and winners of seven of the past nine. The streak didn’t last though, as the Lady Yellow Jackets outplayed Corbin to a tune of 10-0 in five innings.
-
SPORTS HEADLINES - MAY 17, 2013
Jumpers stun North
On the move
Local players advance in boys & girls state tennis action
Lady Colonels drop 12-9 decision at home to Clay County
Colonels win big
Carson comes big against Bears
Lady Redhounds fall on the road, 10-0
-
Corbin falls short
The Corbin Lady Redhounds’ quest for a state championship came to an end Wednesday at the University of Kentucky’s Boone Tennis Center after dropping a 3-0 decision to Sacred Heart in Final Four action.
-
No slowing down
Those who know outgoing Corbin High School freshman Alex “Dub” Smith will tell you that, despite being born with a disability, he's your average run-of-the-mill American teenager.
-
Fear 'Les' 13th Region Diamond Rankings
It’s been very difficult for me the past couple of weeks to decide on who is the top rated team in the 13th Region.
- More Local Sports Headlines
-
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
