LONDON — When South Laurel quarterback Jimmy Mitchell scored on a 2-yard keeper to give the host Cardinals their first lead of the night with 4:56 to play, the Harlan County Black Bears appeared headed toward another crushing finish In the nightmare that had been the 2023 season to that point.
Thomas Jordan and his teammates chose to write a different ending this time, turning the pages to a happy finish that left them laughing and dancing after a hard-fought 26-22 victory Friday at South Laurel.
Jordan took the ensuing kickoff back 30 yards to the South 42, then had four carries in a five-play march that concluded with his 12-yard TD run with 2:45 to play to give the Bears their first win in seven games this season and all but locked up a 5A playoff berth.
South Laurel had a final opportunity to answer, but the Bears’ defense held with linebacker James Ryan Howard breaking up a pass on fourth down.
“We needed a win so bad, and they showed a lot of heart there,” Harlan County coach Amos McCreary said. “They scored with about four minutes and something to go, so it would have been easy to lay down. They wanted this game about as bad as I’ve seen. We had some kids get banged up early, but they kept playing. That’s what you have to do. If you’re not hurt, you have to go.”
Jordan carried the Harlan County offense with 247 yards rushing and three touchdowns and took over the game late when the Bears needed it most.
“Thomas got a lot of yards after the first hit. He’s a strong kid,” McCreary said. “I also thought his offensive line was good. They really showed up tonight.”
Jordan had the game’s first six carries as the quarterback out of the Wildcat formation in a 14-play, 71-yard march to open the game. The Bears faced a fourth-and-11 play when quarterback Ethan Rhymer got the ball back on a double handoff and found a wide open Luke Kelly for a 21-yard touchdown pass. Jordan’s extra point put the Bears up 8-0.
South Laurel was held without a first down in the opening quarter as the Bears controlled the line of scrimmage.
Harlan County failed to score after getting the ball inside the South 10 early in the second quarter but capitalized on the next opportunity with Jordan going in from the 6 with 6:04 to play in the half for a 14-0 lead.
A South offense that could do nothing the first 18 minutes found life with Mitchell out of a short passing attack that included several completions before Hunter Bundy caught a 5-yard TD pass with 2:36 left.
The Cardinals got the ball back with 30 seconds left in the half when Rhymer was sacked on fourth down. Mitchell found Hunter Brown on a 23-yard touchdown pass three plays later, after a pass interference, then pulled even at the break when the two teamed up again on the two-point conversion.
Mitchell’s passing was the only offense for the Cards as he threw for 200 yards while HCHS limited South to minus 11 yards on 13 carries.
“We didn’t handle the pass very well,” McCreary said. “I thought we were in control of the game in the first half, but then they started completing some passes, and I think we panicked a little bit.”
HCHS took the lead again when Jordan went in from the 7 with 5:48 left in the third quarter. The big play in the drive was a 37-yard pass play from Rhymer to sophomore Jayce Brown on a fake punt. Jordan scored two plays later.
“During the week, coach (Dion) Coldiron and I talked and noticed something,” McCreary. “We put Jayce back there like he was blocking and it was wide open like we hoped. We thought that was our opportunity. We executed that one very well.”
Will Cassim had a sack to help end the Cardinals’ first drive of the fourth quarter.
South found success through the air again in an 11-play drive that put them ahead. Darren Alred sacked Mitchell to help set up a third-and-20 situation, but Mitchell found Wes Dowell for a 37-yard gain to the HC 2 before Mitchell went in the next play. Mitchell teamed with Bundy for a two-point conversion.
Harlan County will be at home the next two weeks against Pulaski County and then North Laurel before closing the regular season at Bell County. The 4-4 Cardinals play host to Southwestern on Friday and will be at home against Harlan on Oct. 27 to close the regular season.