WILLIAMSBURG — In a highly anticipated 13th Region matchup, unbeaten South Laurel will face-off a much-improved Whitley County Colonel squad.
The Cardinals are off to an impressive 3-0 start, their best since 2005, and their head coach, Allen Mitchell, couldn’t be prouder of his team’s performance.
Mitchell believes that the Cardinals’ early success has given his players a significant confidence boost, especially considering the different ways they have found to win.
“Our backs have been against the wall, and our kids have found different ways to win,” he said. “Whether it be offense, defense, or special teams, we have had a lot of different kids step up and make big plays at big moments.”
Whitley County head coach, Matt Rhymer, is also proud of his team’s recent performance.
The Colonels’ road win over Harlan County showcased their ability to dominate and establish a strong run game early on offense.
Rhymer believes that these elements are crucial in any game.
“A road win is always great,” he said. “I’m proud of the way our guys played. Every win establishes more confidence and reason to keep trusting the process. We have to keep learning that doing things the right way will pay off.”
Rhymer understands the importance of bouncing back from Week Two’s loss to North Laurel and building a winning team.
“The message to our team is always about preparation,” he said. “That is what we have to keep striving for. Winning certainly helps boost the energy that it takes to prepare the right way.”
Mitchell had high expectations for his team coming into the season, and he is pleased to see the Cardinals rise to the occasion.
However, he acknowledged that they haven’t yet faced the pressure of having to make plays with the game on the line.
That changed in last week’s game against Russell County, where South Laurel’s defense made crucial stops and the Cardinal offense orchestrated a game-winning drive.
“I felt like coming into the season we had the talent to do some special things,” Mitchell said. “But we have not had the opportunity to have to make plays with the game on the line. To see us get stop after stop on defense and at the end, our offense went 56 yards in just over a minute and scored. It was a great moment for our kids and program.”
Mitchell’s coaching staff has instilled a mindset of putting their players in a position to win, and the team has fully embraced it.
They understand the importance of responding to adversity and continuing to compete, no matter the circumstance.
“I do not care what the situation is, our coaching staff will do everything we can to put our kids in a position to win,” Mitchell emphasized. “And I feel like our group has adopted that attitude. They go to work every day and get one percent better every day. When you have a group that truly adopts that attitude, they expect good things to happen.”
To secure a victory against South Laurel, Rhymer believes his team must focus on the details and execute their game plan effectively.
He recognizes South Laurel’s strengths, particularly the Cardinals’ effective use of space on the field and their strong defensive effort.
“South has a good scheme and uses the space on the field well,” Rhymer said. “We will have to do a good job on the perimeter this week and not give up big plays. South plays hard on defense, and they run to the ball.”
What do the Cardinals need to do to capture their first win against Whitley County since Oct. 6, 2006 (a nine-game win streak for the Colonels)?
“Whitley has a very good quarterback and running back, who can make plays out of nothing,” Micthell said. “They are really a complete team in all phases of the game so we will have to play better than we have played all season to have a chance to win. This being our first road game of the year, also presents new challenges that our kids will have to overcome. We look forward to the challenge and I just want us to continue to compete every play.”
The game is slated for a 7:30 p.m. start at Whitley County.
