FORT THOMAS — In a steady, rain-soaked Region 4 championship battle, the Corbin Redhounds delivered one of their most complete performances of the season, grinding out a 35-21 upset of heavily favored Highlands on Friday to punch their ticket to the Class 4A Semi-State.
The win improves Corbin to 10-3 and sets up a highly anticipated showdown with former Redhound coach Justin Haddix, whose Boyle County Rebels advanced after defeating Covington Catholic. Boyle County leads the all-time series with Corbin, 5-4, and has won five of the last six meetings. The two teams last met in 2023, with Boyle earning a 21-14 win.
On Friday, Corbin wasted no time setting the tone.
First-Half Control
Mason Salmons broke loose for a 47-yard touchdown run with 5:50 left in the first quarter to put the Redhounds on top, 7-0 — a lead they would never surrender.
Salmons struck again early in the second, finding Cole Stevens on a 37-yard scoring strike at the 11:04 mark to make it 14-0.
Highlands cut the deficit to 14-7 with a short touchdown run at the 6:43 mark, but Corbin answered before the half. Trey Person barreled in from a yard out with 42 seconds remaining, pushing the Redhound lead to 21-7 at halftime.
Ground-and-Pound Domination
After a scoreless third quarter, Corbin opened the final period with a punishing 14-play, 80-yard drive that chewed nearly eight minutes off the clock.
Cam Estep capped the march with a 3-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 27-7 with 11:22 left.
Highlands responded with a 10-yard touchdown pass to cut it to 27-14, but Corbin’s run game continued to punish the Bluebirds in the rain.
A 36-yard burst from Stevens set up Estep’s second touchdown of the night — a 3-yard run with 4:47 remaining. The two-point conversion was good, stretching the advantage to 35-14.
Highlands added a late touchdown pass with 2:36 left, but the Redhounds comfortably closed out the final minutes to secure the program’s latest regional title.
