Western Albemarle wide receiver RJ Corbey, also known as “The Glitch,” has had an electric start to the season this year for Western Albemarle. He has been Western’s go-to wide receiver this season and has the stats to back it up. 

In the team’s most recent 40-3 win against Monticello, Corbey found himself tallying three touchdowns. They weren’t all receiving touchdowns: Corbey found wide receiver Phillip Venton for a passing touchdown.

Corbey has found this year completely different than last year, which he attributes to the new toughness that he says this team has put on. “We had the skill last year, but now we’re in better condition and we’re more physical,” he said.

The team has started out hot with a record of 3-1. The first game of the season was a tough loss to Culpeper in which the team came out flat and unprepared, “I think we, you know, hit a little bump in the road to begin with, but I think now we’re kind of really getting in kind of the rhythm [and] we’re going to win a lot of games,” Corbey said. However, the team bounced back after that, outscoring their opponents in the next three games 125-3. They now have wins against Monticello, Madison, and Harrisonburg all under their belt.

For Corbey, the goal for this year isn’t just winning, but winning at a high level. Corbey has big expectations for the team this year: “Obviously a winning team, a playoff run is kind of what we’re hoping for.” Corbey’s goal is definitely in sight, as the team has 22 seniors on the roster this year and plans to use that to their advantage.

This year, Western refreshed their coaching staff, appointing Mike Redmond as the new head coach. Corbey said, “They’re like family men. They’re good people who are always there for you, on or off the field.” He stated that this coaching staff is completely different than last year and has attributed their early season success to them.

Corbey has improved tremendously over the past couple of years. He spent his first two years at Covenant before transferring here for his junior year. Corbey says he has most improved in his “ability to break tackles, [he] used to not be able to break a lot, and a lot of  the credit goes to the weight room. Just being able to just power through that first guy and get extra yards.” He isn’t the only one who has noticed improvement, though. Quarterback Gray Heilman complimented RJ’s ability “to get open every play.”

Western Albemarle coach Mike Redmond said, “[Corbey] has been big for us this season. No doubt. He will continue to be big for us.” Overall, Corbey is a valuable asset to this team and will play a huge part in this team’s success throughout this season. According to Redmond, “the team will continue to rely on him for big plays, for sure, and I hope he can continue to stay consistent.”