CORBIN —
The 19th meeting between crosstown rivals North and South Laurel should be a dandy Friday at Gilliam Field.
The Cardinals lead the overall series, 12-6, but Chris larkey’s up-and-coming Jaguars won a defensive battle last season at The Jungle, 7-6.
“This should be a very good game,” said Larkey, whose team is coming off a 41-20 win over Williamsburg. “They might be 0-2, but they have played two very good teams and could have won both games.
“I’m really concerned because they have a lot more athletes than we do and their speed could really overmatch us,” he added. “I just know they can be very explosive and we’ve got to be ready. The Tyler Vaughn kid is a great player and he’s tough to stop.”
But don’t let Larkey fool you, his Jaguars aren’t too shabby either.
North Laurel totaled 543 yards last week against Williamsburg with 430 of those yards coming via the ground game.
Hughie Wagers ran for a career best 152 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries, while Jason Williams (139 yards on 12 carries) and Ronnie Rotundi (76 yards on nine carries) also had big games on the ground.
North Laurel quarterback Johnny Fugate completed seven-of-12 pass attempts for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
“North Laurel has a very good team,” South Laurel coach Larry Welch said. “They have a good quarterback and they really have good tailbacks. They also have a good offensive line and they play in-your-face type of defense that we’ve got to be ready for. They really attack — they are very, very physical.”
Welch said Friday’s game is huge for his team, not only because it’s against North Laurel, but because his Cardinals are 0-2 and need a win.
“We’ve played two good teams, but the bottom line is we’re still 0-2,” he said. “We are going to have to play hard-nose football with them. We also have to give a hard-nosed effort.
“If we can do those things, I believe we have a chance,” he added. “We just need to come out and play well.”
Both coaches agree that whoever has the better start will be in the driver’s seat.
“This is a tough game to prepare for, but I know if you can get off to a good start, it’s a good thing,” Larkey said. “It’s really a no-win situation, though because if you win, you’re supposed to win and if you don’t win, well, you were supposed to. It’s just an overall stressful week.”
Welch agreed.
“We’ve got to come out and make good plays early,” he said. “We can’t make mistakes. It’s very important to come and play good. We’re setting at 0-2, it’s a big rival game and we need to go out there and lay it on the line.”
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Related Photos
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North Laurel quarterback Johnny Fugate will try to lead the Jaguars past crosstown rival South Laurel at Gilliam Field Friday. The Cardinals lead the overall series, 12-6. File photo
Discussion
Crosstown Showdown
Struggling Cards hope to defeat visiting North Laurel
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Cards stand ground
It took a team effort, but South Laurel was able to make the big play late to defeat Harlan County, 5-4, and advance to the semifinals of the 13th Region Baseball Tournament.
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Moving on
It wasn’t easy, but North Laurel managed to sneak by Corbin, 2-1, during the first round of the 13th Region Baseball Tournament Monday.
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Lady Cards slip past Clay County
James Burns’ South Laurel Lady Cardinals continued a recurring theme in the first round of the 13th Region Fastpitch Tournament — scoring runs with two outs and nobody on.
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Bell eliminates Knox Central
Bell County built a comfortable 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning against Knox Central in first round action of the 13th Region Fastpitch Tournament Monday, but still needed a leaping catch by centerfielder Alisha Russell to seal the deal on the Lady Bobcats’ win over the Lady Panthers.
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Errors lead to Barbourville’s 15-0 loss to Harlan County
A crucial error in the second inning led to five unearned runs for Harlan County, as the Lady Black Bears cruised to an easy 15-0 win over Barbourville in four innings Monday during first round action of the 13th Region Fastpitch Tournament.
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Knox Central puts up fight before losing to Middlesboro, 6-2
Middlesboro’s Nick Capps took care of business and managed to hold off Knox Central, 6-2, to advance to the second round of the 13th Region Baseball Tournament Monday.
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North runs win streak to 19 games
The North Laurel Lady Jaguars were clicking on all cylinders Monday during first round action of the 13th Region Fastpitch Tournament as they defeated Corbin in five innings, 12-0.
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Tigers drop 10-2 decision
Clay County was forced to put the ball on the ground, but once they did they were able to get going as they defeated Barbourville, 10-2, during the first round of the 13th Region Tournament Monday.
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Who really are the favorites this year?
Corbin and North Laurel High Schools’ first round match-ups in both the 13th Region Baseball Tournament and 13th Region Fastpitch Tournament will highlight Monday’s first round action.
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Fantastic Finish
Brandon Hillard’s Knox Central Panthers almost pulled off a shocker before falling to rival Barbourville, 7-6, in the finals of the 51st District title game Thursday.
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