CORBIN — Clay County continued its early-season roll and added another chapter to one of the 13th Region’s oldest rivalries with a hard-fought 60-57 win over Corbin on Friday night.
The Tigers remained unbeaten at 5-0 on the season, with all five victories coming against 13th Region opponents, while Corbin dropped its season opener and fell to 0-1.
The game was tight throughout, with neither team able to create much separation until the final minutes.
Clay County held a 13-10 edge at the end of the first quarter and led 27-24 at halftime before carrying a 42-37 advantage into the fourth quarter.
“Super-proud of our team for continuing to battle in a what was a physical game,” Clay County coach Michael Jones said. “We got some things we need to clean up, as does everyone, but to get a win at Corbin you know you done some really good things as well. Truly appreciate our students and Tiger Nation for showing up, we needed it.”
Aiden Wagers led the Tigers with 19 points, scoring eight points in the second quarter and five more in the fourth to help Clay maintain control down the stretch. Adon Grubb finished with 14 points, including four in the final period, while Jacob Rogers added 12 points and also scored four points in the fourth quarter.
Corbin was led by Evan Ellis, who poured in a game-high 24 points with eight points in both the first and second quarters to keep the Redhounds within striking distance. Eli Pietrowski provided a late spark for Corbin, scoring 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter as the Redhounds made a final push.
Despite Corbin’s rally, Clay County made enough plays late to preserve the victory to remain perfect against regional competition.
“Great early season test for our team,” Corbin coach Tony Pietrowski said. “I was really happy with our willingness to compete. A lot of areas we can improve upon. I think this group will get better every week. Big upside, we just have to work to achieve it.”
