[Stardust]

Central High School has produced a long list of talented linebackers, including recent All-State selections Ridge Wilson and Tim Patterson.

But this year’s Yellowjackets squad doesn’t have just one star linebacker but three — including a pair of sophomores — that coach Ty Scroggins wouldn’t trade for anyone heading into the Class 3-A semifinals.

Senior Korry Cornelius is a team leader and a third-year captain, while sophomores Phillip Francis and Donald Styles are among the leading tacklers and among the top college prospects in the Class of 2014.

“Those three kids make things happen,” Scroggins said. “They’re being taught by a good linebacker coach (Terry Rice-Lockett) and they’re talented. Korry is the senior leader, and he makes sure everybody else is in the right position.

“The two young guys are like clones. They fly around the ball and make things happen.”

While Central star running back Anthony Wales and the offense has garnered much of the attention this season, the Yellowjackets are solid on defense.

With those three leading the team in tackles, Central (10-3) has lost only to 6-A foes Manual, St. Xavier and Pleasure Ridge Park heading into Friday’s 8:30 EST semifinal at Fort Campbell (9-4).

Central allowed just seven points two weeks ago to Corbin and shut out Bell County, which was averaging 44.4 points a game, last week.

“We have improved a lot on defense,” Cornelius said. “We were really young on defense, so we had to get the chemistry down and get used to each other.”

Rice-Lockett, a former star linebacker at Louisville, said the team also had to get used to the change to a 3-4 defense. Cornelius is the strongside linebacker, Demontre Boyd the weakside linebacker and “the young guys are inside.”

Central’s coaches feel as if this is the week the need of another linebacker in the game will show. Fort Campbell quarterback Aaron Hills has rushed for more than 800 yards and passed for just less than 1,000 yards this season with 20 total touchdowns.

“The reason we even switched to a 3-4 defense was to get more linebackers on the field, and this is the week all of that will come to fruition and all the hard work will pay off,” Rice-Lockett said.

http://saxo.highschoolsports.net/section...le?site=B2

[Coachdad]

Thanks for posting this stardust. Boyd , Styles , & Francis are all sophomores but play like seniors, they all started last year as freshmen. Korry is their leader & I was his personal trainer last winter.

[Iluvfootball]

Great job JACKETS!!!!!

[Stardust]

Thanks for posting this stardust. Boyd , Styles , & Francis are all sophomores but play like seniors, they all started last year as freshmen. Korry is their leader & I was his personal trainer last winter.

So Central has these three for 2 more years??? WOW!!! I'm glad that in HS you can't opt out of school early to go to the next level. These young men will keep Central at the top...