A Harlan offense held to only one touchdown in each of its first three games showed signs of improvement last week in a 26-22 loss at Pike Central, even if it did push the Dragons’ record to 0-4.
The Green Dragons’ attack finally came to life Friday out of a wildcat formation featuring running back/receiver Darius Akal at quarterback. Akal ran for four touchdowns and gained 95 yards on 11 carries as Harlan took back the Battle of U.S. 119 trophy
“It’s something coach (Chris) Thompson and coach (T.J.) Green and the offensive guys have been working on all year,” Harlan coach Brian Williams said after his first win with the Green Dragons. “They just said let’s go to work with it. You want to put the ball in your playmakers’ hands.”
Akal wasn’t the only playmaker on the night for the Dragons as sophomore Jonah Sharp was the workhorse with 161 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
“He’s an impressive young man who plays hard and gives you everything he’s got,” Williams said. “He has some natural running back tendencies.”
The Harlan defense was also solid, limiting the Lions to only 94 yards on the ground and five through the air.
“Our kids are learning every day. They overcame some adversity when Beck (Bryson) went down,” Williams said. “We just have to learn how to finish and learn what winning is all about.”
Pineville (0-5 overall, 0-1 district) was limited to a pair of Kaiden Robbins touchdown runs as first-year quarterback Zakary Brown misfired on all six of his passing attempts over the first three quarters before a late completion covered five yards.
With no threat of being hurt by the pass, the Dragons were able to get more aggressive on defense as the game progressed, recording three tackles for losses in the second half.
The Dragons were stopped on fourth-and-one play on their first drive, but then covered 70 yards in five plays on their second. Baylor Varner teamed with Connor Daniels for a 22-yard gain, then Akal for 11 yards. Sharp ran 22 yards to set up his 1-yard TD run with 2:18 to play in the opening quarter.
Donovan Montanaro recovered the ensuing kickoff, but the Dragons gave the ball back when Jonathan Slone picked off a Varner pass to open the second quarter. Robbins found a hole in the middle of the Harlan defense for a 28-yard touchdown run three players later to tie the game with 10:14 left in the half.
Akal took over at quarterback on the next Dragons’ series and led a six-play, 47-yard TD march that ended when he walked in from the 1 with 6:21 to play in the first half.
The Lions were backed up to their own 1 after a bad snap, and Brown’s punt from the end zone covered only 18 yards to the 19. Akal went around end on the next play for a touchdown that pushed the lead to 18-6 with 3:06 to play in the half.
Sharp’s 50-yard TD run on the second play of the third quarter pushed the lead to 24-6. Akal scored on an 11-yard run with 5:34 left in the third quarter, then Varner teamed with Hunter Clem for the two-point conversion and a 32-6 lead.
Robbins went in from the 6 with 21 seconds left in the third quarter and Slone added the two-point conversion as Pineville cut the deficit to 32-14.
Akal and Sharp each had long runs to open the fourth quarter, then Akal went in from the 17 with 7:58 left to close the scoring.
A Donovan Clark interception and Peyton Thompson fumble recovery ended the final two Pineville drives of the game.
Harlan (1-4 overall, 1-0 district) will travel to Middlesboro on Friday as Williams will bring the Dragons to face the team he starred for in the early 1980s before going on to play at Kentucky. Pineville will be at home Friday against Williamsburg.
