CORBIN — By Chris Parsons/Staff Writer

Just like catching up with any old friend, I have a lot to say since I haven’t written in this space for a little while now.

With that said, away we go….

• High School Hoops

I know I have been out of the loop for a little while, having not covered high school basketball in a working capacity for a few seasons, but I can’t remember the last time the 13th Region was so wide open on both sides of the sport.

Keeping an eye on my boss’ Fear ‘Les’ Rankings is kind of like watching the stock market with all the ups and downs day in and day out.

You never know which team is going to pull off an upset and for my money, that’s the way I like it.

The least enjoyable games to go and cover are those where you expect a blowout and it happens.

No matter who is playing, I would much rather see a close competitive game than a yawner any day.

If you’ve watched our headlines on a regular basis, you know that’s just about how the season has gone lately.

I can say one thing, with all the close games and last second shots, the upcoming district and region tournaments should be fun to watch.

• Sixth-grade Hounds

Hats off to the Corbin sixth grade basketball team for its KBA State Championship run.

What a great job these kids and coaches have done to this point and hopefully their success will continue as the season winds down.

I’ve seen and dealt with the majority of the young men on coach Jimmy Hendrickson’s roster from a baseball standpoint and you will look long and hard before you’ll find a group of kids better than this one.

I will be honest though, after seeing them play as well as they did on the baseball field last summer, I really didn’t expect that the same group would be this good on the basketball court.

With these young men waiting in the wings, the future is definitely bright for Redhound sports.

• Spring is on the way

I know we haven’t had very much wintry weather yet and I’m probably going to jinx our area, but I can’t help it.

As the calendar gets closer to February, I’m always excited for several reasons, the first of which is the start of Major League Baseball’s Spring Training.

Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report during the week of Feb. 10, while position players usually come in the next week or sometimes even the same week as pitchers and catchers.

I know most of you are laughing, wondering why a Cubs fan would even worry about baseball season starting and I’ll be honest, I can’t explain it.

For the 29th season, I’ll be just as excited as I was the first time I can even remember enough to be considered a baseball fan.

I guess the fact that with Spring Training comes new hope for the upcoming season really gets me going when you consider the possibilities.

Not only am I excited about professional baseball, but I think the high school baseball and softball seasons are going to be a lot of fun as well.

As if baseball and softball season approaching isn’t enough to get excited about, we can’t forget the Great American Race, the Daytona 500.

The race will be run on Feb. 24, but the week leading up to the event is as much as any for true racing fans. I’ve never been able to attend the Daytona 500, but it’s on my bucket list

• The Super Bowl

Another professional sports team has come and gone and the team I pull for was left out in the cold once again.

I think this year’s Super Bowl will be an entertaining game, but I have to be honest, I really haven’t made my mind up on who I think will win.

I won’t say I’m rooting for any particular team because as soon as I do, that team will lose without a doubt.

I’m really not too fond of Ray Lewis thanks to all of his shenanigans on the field that take away from other players that have performed just as well as he has lately.

Don’t get me wrong, he’s one of the better defensive players to put on a uniform, but how many of “the greats” did you see dancing and carrying on like he does before the game, during the game and after the game.

Either way, good luck to both teams.