Pats come up short against Corbin
Published 12:41 pm Thursday, October 24, 2019
Photos by Nancy Leedy LINCOLN COUNTY quarterback Nick Harris pushes the ball in for a 2-yard touchdown run in the second quarter of the Patriots’ 26-21 loss to Corbin.
TOUCHDOWN. Patriot receiver Clayton Davis pulls in this touchdown pass from Harris in front of Corbin’s Dylan Massengil.
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STANFORD — Just before the Lincoln County and Corbin football teams took the field Friday night at Death Valley Stadium, the Corbin cheerleaders held up a banner that read, “Everyone wants Corbin, until they get Corbin.”
Lincoln wanted Corbin.
The Patriots showed their “want” as they played toe-to-toe with the back-to-back Class 3A state runner-up Redhounds, but the win would not come as Corbin escaped with the 26-21 Class 4A, District 7 win.
The game went right down to the wire. Lincoln had three opportunities to score in the fourth quarter, aided by two Corbin fumbles, and was looking to put up the go-ahead score on the third drive when, on 3rd-and-6 with just over a minute to play, Nick Harris threw to Clayton Davis in the end zone. The pass was on line for the sophomore receiver but Corbin’s Quinton Botner stepped in front of Davis to intercept the pass.
Corbin (5-2, 2-0 District 7) then took a knee on the final two snaps to run out the clock.
“The effort was great. The outcome was not what we wanted,” Lincoln coach Spencer Crutchfield said. “They’re a quality football team, a good football team and we’re right there in the game. That’s what I told our guys. We’re a play away, two plays away from winning the football game.”
Lincoln (3-5, 0-2) led for most of the first half. After a three-and-out by Corbin on the opening drive, the Patriots drove 71 yards in 11 plays with Harris capping off the possession with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Davis. The Loren Melton point after kick gave Lincoln a 7-0 lead.
Corbin made quick work of its second possession. After a failed onside kick by Lincoln, the Redhounds started at the Lincoln 47 and, two plays later, Cameron Combs threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Cole Shelton. Jacob Baker booted the point after kick to tie the game at 7-all.
Lincoln retook the lead with 7:20 remaining in the second quarter. The scoring drive was Lincoln’s longest drive of the night, as the Patriots moved the ball 91 yards in 11 plays. Harris, who rushed for 35 yards on the drive, threw a first-down pass to Davis and ran for two first downs before scoring on a 2-yard run for a 14-7 Patriot advantage.
The lead lasted until the 1:32 mark of the period, as Corbin answered on the following possession. The 80-yard, 12-play drive culminated in a 1-yard push up the middle by Combs to deadlock the game once again.
The tie was shortlived, however. Just 29.7 seconds remained in the first half when Corbin fielded a Lincoln punt at its own 32. Two first-down passes from Combs to Jacob Steely (13, 21 yards) and a 32-yard first down run by Treyveon Longmire helped move the ball down to the Lincoln 2 then, with just three-tenths of a second left on the clock, Nick Yeager scored. Davis blocked the PAT attempt by Baker but the Redhounds took a 20-14 lead into the half.
Harris, who rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries and went 10-for-17 passing for 155 yards and two TDS, notched the second scoring pass on the opening drive of the second half. Lincoln fielded the opening kick at its own 43 and Harris punctuated the 9-play drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Davis to put Lincoln back on top 21-20 with 6:29 on the clock.
Davis was on the receiving end of most of Harris’ 10 pass completions with eight catches for 134 yards.
Lincoln recovered the onsides kick on the ensuing kickoff at its own 45 and was threatening once again. Rodney Alcorn exploded for a 31-yard first-down run on the first play to move the ball to the Corbin 19. Harris later ran 11 yards for a first down to set the Patriots up at the 5. However, a holding penalty on Lincoln pushed the ball back to the 15 and the Patriots would get no closer than the 13.
Melton, who is 31-for-31 on point after kicks this season, had the chance to still get points on the board for Lincoln with a field goal, but the 30-yard attempt was wide right.
“We drove the ball way down there then kind of shot ourselves in the foot with the holding call. We should have stuck one in,” said Crutchfield. “That’s just part of it. We missed a field goal. We missed some points on the board.”
Corbin fielded the ensuing kickoff at its own 20 and needed just one play to go ahead for good. Steely, who led the Redhounds on the ground with 89 yards on just two carries, went 80 yards down the Corbin sideline to make it a 26-21 ballgame with 2:14 to play in the third quarter. The two-point conversion run failed.
Lincoln drove down to the Corbin 30 on its next possession before turning the ball over on downs. The Redhounds turned the ball over five plays later, though, to set the Patriots up at the Corbin 38. Lincoln would not be able to take advantage of the short field and convert, turning the ball over on downs once more. Corbin fumbled the ball again two plays later to set Lincoln up for its final drive which ended in the Botner interception.
‘Our defense stepped up and made plays at the end and that gave us a chance to win,” said Crutchfield. “Coach (Justin) Haddix and Corbin – they’ve got a tradition and they do a great job. They fumbled the ball a couple times but they stepped up and made plays when it mattered.”
Harris and Rafe Shelton had the fumble recoveries for Lincoln.
“I’m proud of these guys and the effort they gave,” said Crutchfield. “They’re a good football team and, if we prepare the way we did this week, we’re a really good football team as well.”
“We’ve just got to clean up a few things. We made a couple breakdowns tonight and against good teams that’s going to allow you to lose the game and them make plays. But we’re going to be fine. We’ll keep our heads up and we’ll continue to go to work every day and we’re going to get better.”
Lincoln edged Corbin offensively with 346 yards to 315 for the Redhounds. The Patriots rushed for 187 yards on 43 carries and went 11-for-18 through the air for 159 yards.
Corbin had 224 yards on 22 rushing plays, led by Longmire with 70 yards on six carries. Combs was 7-for-7 passing for 91 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, Robert Bowman led the Patriots with seven tackles, including three solo tackles. Shelton, Mykah Turpin and Darren Griffin each had five tackles, Shelton had three solo tackles and Turpin had two.
at Lincoln Co.
Corbin 7 13 6 0 – 26
Lincoln 7 7 7 0 – 21
Scoring
1st Qtr
Lincoln: 4:00 – Clayton Davis 22-yard pass from Nick Harris (Loren Melton kick).
Corbin: 3:13 – Cole Shelton 43-yard pass from Cameron Combs (Jacob Baker kick).
2nd Qtr
Lincoln: 7:20 – Nick Harris 2-yard run. (Melton kick).
Corbin: 1:32 – Cameron Combs 1-yard run (Baker kick).
Corbin: :00.3 – Nick Yeager 2-yard run (Kick blocked).
3rd Qtr
Lincoln: 6:29 – Davis 16-yard pass from Harris (Melton kick).
Corbin: 2:14 – Jacob Steely 80-yard run (Run failed).
Game Stats
C LC
Rushing 22-224 43-187
Passing 7-7-0 11-18-1
Yards 91 159
Total Off./Yds 29-315 61-346
First Downs 8 18
Fumbles/Lost 2/2 2/0
Penalties 5/26.5 7/35.5
Individual Stats
Rushing
Corbin
Jacob Steely: 2 carries, 89 yards, TD.
Treyveon Longmire: 6 carries, 70 yards.
Nick Yeager: 9 carries, 45 yards, TD.
Cameron Combs: 4 carries, 11 yards, TD.
Dakota Patterson: 1 carry, 2 yards.
Lincoln
Nick Harris: 20 carries, 91 yards, TD.
Dylan Burchfield: 16 carries, 51 yards.
Rodney Alcorn: 4 carries, 44 yards.
Clayton Davis: 2 carries, 1 yard.
Zack Hazlett: 1 carry, 0 yards.
Passing/Receiving
Corbin
Cameron Combs – 7-7-0, 91 yards, TD.
Cole Shelton – 1-43 yards, TD; Jacob Steely – 3-34; Treyveon Longmire – 2-12; Dakota Patterson – 1-2.
Lincoln
Nick Harris – 10-17-1, 155 yards, 2TDs; Clayton Davis – 1-1-0, 4 yards.
Clayton Davis – 8-134 yards, 2TDs; Levi Daugherty – 1-20; Nick Harris – 1-4; Zack Hazlett – 1-1.
