When play begins Monday in the 50th District boys soccer tournament at the James A. Cawood field, host Harlan County enters as three-time defending champion, and looking to four-peat.
To accomplish that goal, the Black Bears will need to defeat Barbourville in Monday’s 7:30 p.m. nightcap and then could very well face rival Middlesboro in the Tuesday championship tilt. The Yellow Jackets face winless Knox Central in the Monday opener at 6 p.m.
Although Harlan County (7-4) shut out Barbourville (2-9) twice during the regular season, Black Bears coach Tommy Key and his players are taking nothing for granted as they look ahead to the first-round match against the Tigers.
“We never overlook anyone,” Key said. “We put our whole focus on who is in front of us. We never look ahead. We always see every team as equals — never better, never worse.”
Harlan County assistant coach Tracey Tye agreed, adding, “We aren’t going into the tournament looking at Tuesday. We have a game to play and win on Monday first.
“Barbourville is a skilled team. We can not let our mindset of playing for a championship over shadow the fight we have ahead of us. We have to play each game to the fullest, and only then will we see the end results we want.”
The Black Bears are led in scoring by a trio of players who combined for 41 goals during the regular season. Senior Bradley Brock has notched a team-high 15 goals this season, while senior Ray Splawn and sophomore Luther Gross have each scored 13.
Harlan County senior goalkeeper Travis Burkhart has been between the pipes for each of the Black Bears’ previous three championships, and a fourth would be icing on the cake for the Black Bears netminder.
“it would be really, really great to come out here and win this district for our seniors one more time,” Burkhart said.
Awaiting the winner of the Harlan County-Barbourville tilt will be either Middlesboro (6-4) or Knox Central (0-9). The Yellow Jackets shut out the Panthers twice during the regular season.
A Harlan County-Middlesboro championship game would mark the second time the two teams have faced each other in less than a week. Middlesboro, which defeated HC, 2-1, in the Black Bears’ second game of the season, scored a 7-5 win on penalty kicks last Wednesday at JACES.
Tuesday’s championship game is slated to begin at 8 p.m.
District 50 Tournament schedule:
All games at James A. Cawood field
Monday, October 7
Knox Central vs. Middlesboro, 6 p.m.
Barbourville vs. Harlan County, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 8
Championship Game, 8 p.m.
