By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips COREY KINER Final 2020 Stats: 1,869 RUSHING YARDS 32 RUSHING TDs 11.1 YARDS PER RUSH 1 RECEIVING TD 1 KICKOFF RET TD 34 TOTAL TDs 135 CAREER TDs Taking the field in Roger Bacon's first ever semifinal appearance, Kiner has led the Spartans to a historic season....all while setting a litany of records...but it would be his last time taking the field in the state of Ohio. Though he grabbed 107 yards and busted loose for a 3 yard touchdown (which gave Roger Bacon a 19-13 lead) it wasn't to be....the battle of the two undefeated teams forced one to win and one to finally lose. Now 11-0 Ironton couldn't contain Kiner, but they hit the Spartans with a dose of their own medicine, Ohio State's commit Reid Carrico torching RGBH for 195 yards while scoring all 3 touchdowns for Ironton, 2 on the ground and one through the air....the linebacker proving his outrageous closing speed and ability to elicit contact.
Still, Corey wasn't to be outdone, pulling off unbelievable moves inside, shifting outside with a scorching turn of pace and barreling through Ironton's defense like a one man wrecking crew, bouncing off hits as if he were Rocky Balboa. Even in defeat, Kiner continued his history making exploits, scoring in every game this season and only being held under multiple touchdowns once all year. The 2021 LSU commit produced a stunning 135 total touchdowns during his Roger Bacon career, numbers which rank him in Ohio high school football's top 10 for rushing TDs. I believe Corey has only begun to scratch the surface of his true capabilities, especially given his fantastic & under-utilized catcher's hands. At LSU under Coach Kevin Faulk, Corey Kiner will develop his game even further.
While it's sad knowing that was the final time Kiner will play for Roger Bacon, it's also exciting for Corey and his family realizing he'll be wearing purple and gold the next time he plays football. The top 10 ranked running back should be proud...not only does he have our vote for best running back of the 2021 class, this is a young man who dropped 7 TDs in one game, 5 in another, was unrelenting as he propelled Roger Bacon further than the program had ever been before, only 4 points shy of a trip to the state championship game. Kiner should be proud. We're proud of him. He's been a class act and a true competitor, proving himself to be more than worthy of LSU's dedication.
His thoughts on LSU's recent season he told Geaux 247's Sonny Shipp:
"The record doesn't really reflect how they're doing as a team, in my opinion. I feel like they're building something great," Kiner explained. "The circumstances right now haven't really been in their favor. I'm locked in and I'm still in love with them. Hasn't changed my opinion on them."
Check out our exclusive interview with his parent, mom Denean Whitehead:
BLACK LIVES MATTER
BY LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
COPYRIGHT 2020 UNINTERRUPTED WRITINGS INC LLC
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