The Times-Tribune
CORBIN —
By Tim Branstetter / Staff Writer
As the South Laurel Cardinals prepare to face Clay County they would like to forget their 20-17 loss last week to rival North Laurel. Well most of it anyway.
The Cardinals trailed 20-3 with less than three minutes remaining in the game when they mounted a comeback effort that came up a successful onside kick short.
“We have to put the loss behind us,” South Laurel coach Larry Welch said. “But we also want to keep that positive push we had at the end of the game last week. We need to carry that momentum with us this week.”
The Cardinals will have their work cut out this week as they face an offense that is loaded with weapons.
Tiger quarterback John Wilson is a threat to throw the ball and has the ability to pick up yards in the rushing game. He threw for 128 yards and a touchdown last week, while rushing for 70 yards and a score.
The Tigers’ biggest offensive weapon is running back C.J. Miller.
He ran for 209 yards last week and camped out in the endzone with four touchdowns, while Noah Reid added 79 yards on the ground.
“They are a well-rounded team,” Welch said. “You can’t cheat somewhere to stop them. They can run it well and pass it well. Miller and Reid are fantastic running backs. Miller has a lot of speed, while Reid has speed and power.”
The Cardinals have a game plan for the Tigers, but Welch was not ready to give away too much information. The combination of Tyler Vaughn and Joe Boggs at quarterback makes it tough for teams to prepare for.
“We figured out a couple of things against North Laurel,” Welch said. “But we don’t want to give anything away. We want them to prepare for two different quarterbacks.”
The Cardinals hope to see improvement in the play of their offensive line against the Tigers. Welch was not pleased with their pass protection last week.
“We are working hard on the offensive line,” he said. “We have to do a better job in our pass protection.”
The Cardinals are hungry for a win and Welch admits it’s hard on everyone when they lose.
“When you lose it’s hard on the coaches and on the players,” he said. “But we’ve had some decent days of practice and are looking forward to getting back on on the field.”
