The Times-Tribune
CORBIN —
By John Stepp For The Times-Tribune
The Whitley County Colonels are known for two things: running the football and playing one of the toughest schedules in the mountains. This week, when they take on the Bell County Bobcats, they will continue doing both of those things.
Despite having an inexperienced team, Coach Jim Black feels the competition his squad will face each week will only better prepare them for a difficult upcoming district schedule.
“When you get into district play, every game is difficult,” said Black. “We feel like if we can get our kids used to playing in district-type games, then when the real game comes, they will know what to expect.”
The formula worked well for the Colonels last season, who lost three of their four out of district games last season, including a 34-7 loss to the Bobcats. Whitley County will look to avenge their loss to Bell County, but know it will be a tall task.
“Bell County is like they always are. They are big, strong and fast. They are one of the more physical teams we will play,” said Black. “We have to get a team effort this week. We have to execute on offense and defense. They are difficult to contain, so we have to do a good job on both sides of the ball.”
Whitley County will feature the same triple option attack that has helped the Colonels be successful in recent seasons. Quarterback Travis Inman will hand the ball off to a slew of running backs, including Cody Bramlett, Cody Bowling, Jordan Singleton, and Jordan Chute. The stable of backs enables the Colonels to stay fresh on offense and wear down the opposing defense.
“We have some good running backs. Bramlett led us in rushing last season at fullback, and Jordan Singleton, Jordan Chute and Cody Bowling are good runners,” said Black.
No matter the outcome of the game this week, the Colonels will not allow it to determine what kind of season they will have. With a loss, the Colonels will look to improve and make a run in the playoffs like last season. With a win, Whitley County will continue to build upon their success for the same end result — improving each week.
“We don’t worry about wins and losses right now. Our focus is not to come in and try to go man-for-man with Bell County. Our focus is to improve each week,” said Black. “If we lose, hopefully we can get better and see the things we need to work on. If we win, then I think we will be able to tell that we have improved.”
