CORBIN — Corbin didn’t waste any time making a statement Friday night.
The Redhounds scored on their opening possession, forced multiple early stops, and built a 21-0 lead before Russell County ever found its footing, cruising to a 35-0 victory in the first round of the Class 4A Playoffs.
Corbin improves to 8-3 on the season and will host the winner of Lincoln County and Perry County Central next Friday at Campbell Field.
Quarterback Mason Salmons set the tone early, finding Cam Estep on a 26-yard touchdown pass to put Corbin ahead 7-0. Just three minutes later, Salmons connected with Tayton Cox on a 10-yard strike to make it 14-0.
The Redhounds continued rolling as Salmons punched in a 1-yard rushing score late in the first quarter, pushing the lead to 21-0.
Corbin’s momentum didn’t slow in the second quarter. Salmons and Estep linked up again, this time on a 53-yard deep ball, stretching the advantage to 28-0 with 10:52 left in the half.
The biggest highlight of the night came on the defensive side.
With Russell County trying to mount something before halftime, Max Farmer jumped a pass and took it 84 yards the other way for a pick-six, giving Corbin a commanding 35-0 lead entering the locker room.
From there, the Redhounds controlled the clock, leaned on their defense, and closed out the shutout.
The running clock rolled in the second half, and neither team scored, but the tone had already been set — Corbin was in control from start to finish.
The win earns the Redhounds another home playoff game next Friday, with a berth in the Class 4A Region Championship on the line.
