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Too little, too late: Corbin falls behind early during 20-14 loss to Beechwood on Friday night


By Les Dixon
The Times-Tribune

CORBIN — Corbin dug itself a 17-0 hole after getting off to a slow start offensively and couldn’t recover, leading to a 20–14 loss to Beechwood on Friday.

The Redhound offense struggled for nearly three quarters before seeing sophomore quarterback Cameron Combs throw two touchdowns during the game’s final 13 minutes to pull his team to within six points.

But it wouldn’t be enough as the Tigers made enough defensive plays down the stretch to improve to 3-1 against Corbin during the past four years.

Corbin’s defense stops Beechwood quarterback Cameron Hergott on a third-down play. (Photo by Darrin Spencer)

“We dropped a few balls early in the game,” Corbin coach Tom Greer said. “We knew Beechwood was going to be good defensively. They had a lot of starters returning. We had some opportunities on offense early but just could take advantage of anything.”

“We struggled to put drives together and I believe our defense played way too many snaps,” Greer added. “We will build on this, nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We will go back to work and get ready for this upcoming week’s game.”

Corbin struggled to put anything together during the first half. The Redhounds managed to move the ball into Beechwood territory on its first drive but couldn’t find the end zone.

The Tigers’ offensive attack didn’t get going until the second quarter when quarterback Cameron Hergott found a seam and hit pay dirt from 1-yard out to give his team a 7-0 lead with 5:13 remaining in the first half.

After seeing Corbin fail to move the ball on its ensuing drive, Beechwood managed to tack on three points right before halftime as Colin Graman connected with a 42-yard field goal to give the Tigers a 10-0 advantage.

Corbin’s offensive woes continue in the third quarter. The Redhounds’ misfortunes on offense turned into opportunities for Beechwood.

Beechwood’s defense kept Corbin’s ground game in check during the first half on Friday. (Photo by Darrin Spencer)

The Tigers extended their lead to 17-0 at the 3:31 mark of the third quarter with Cole Stammer scoring on a 1-yard run to push his team’s advantage to 17-0.

Corbin answered one a hurry during its ensuing possession with Combs finding receiver Seth Mills open for a 22-yard touchdown connection, cutting the Redhounds’ deficit to 17-7 with 41 seconds remaining in the period.

Beechwood was able to put three points back on the scoreboard during the fourth quarter after seeing its drive stall at Corbin’s eight-yard line. Graman’s second field goal of the game, this time a 25-yarder, gave his team a 20-7 lead with 7:52 remaining in regulation.

The Redhounds managed to drive down the field and score four minutes later to cut the Tigers’ lead to 20-14 with 3:36 left in regulation as Combs’ second touchdown pass, a 7-yarder to Derek Patterson, got Corbin back in the game.

Beechwood, however, continued to make plays and held on for the season-opening victory. A year ago, the Tigers posted a 26-10 win against Corbin in Fort Mitchell.

Beechhwood plays at Covington Catholic next Friday night at 7 p.m. The Colonels opened their season with a 21-14 win at Dixie Heights on Friday.

Covington Catholic is the defending Class 5A state champion. A year ago, CovCath coasted to a 49-3 victory at Beechwood.


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