The turf at Green Dragon Field may require some maintenance following the performance by Knott County Central junior running back Shane Gibson on Friday night.
Gibson scored four touchdowns and rushed for a game-high 285 yards on 25 carries to lead the Patriots to a 42-20 football victory over Harlan.
Trailing 20-14 at halftime, Harlan opened the second half with a 17-play drive that consumed more than seven minutes but stalled at the Patriots’ 3-yard line.
Six plays later, and with defensive stalwarts Jonah Sharp, Baylor Varner and Darius Akal nursing injuries on the Harlan bench, Gibson ambled into the end zone from 50 yards out to effectively seal the fate of the Green Dragons.
“That was something we talked about in the last 10-15 seconds of the first half, understanding that we had an opportunity to come out in the second half and even the score up and take it back to 0-0, basically,” Harlan coach Brian Williams said.
“Our guys competed, and then the drive stalled. That’s a credit to (Knott). They stopped us at a critical time.”
Gibson scored his fourth touchdown of the game (8 yards) early in the fourth quarter to make it 36-14 after the conversion run by senior Gage Short, and the Patriots tacked on a 32-yard TD run by Short with 2:26 remaining in the game.
With the victory, Knott County Central improved to 6-1, marking just the second time in program history that the Patriots have started a season with six wins in their first seven games.
The game opened with a strong defensive stand by the Green Dragons, including two tackles for lost-yardage by sophomore Eden Caudill. After forcing a Patriots punt, Harlan (1-6) drew first blood on the first of two rushing touchdowns by Varner.
On the play, the junior quarterback ran virtually untouched around the right side and into the end zone with 5:52 remaining in the first quarter.
Knott Central, however, needed just one offensive play on the ensuing drive to tie the score, when Gibson broke free of three Harlan defenders and sprinted 66 yards to paydirt.
Harlan’s ensuing possession was stymied when junior Mason Amburgey intercepted a pass to set up his team at the Green Dragons 37-yard line.
Eight plays later, Gibson scored on a 10-yard run to make it 14-6.
With time running out in the first half, Harlan put together a 6-play, 78-yard drive that was culminated on a dazzling 36-yard TD run by Varner. Senior Hunter Clem hauled in the two-point conversion pass from Varner to knot the count at 14-14.
The momentum regained by the Green Dragons quickly shifted back to the visitors’ side, however, when junior Brody Short took the ensuing kick 69 yards into the end zone to stake his team to a lead it would not relinquish.
A late 3-yard TD run by Sharp in the fourth quarter capped the scoring.
Akal was injured during the Green Dragons’ long drive to open the second half and did not return, while Varner and Sharp were limited by cramping in the latter stages of the game.
“When you coach 1A football you know you have limited numbers,” Williams said, “but we had some second- and third-team guys that came in and stepped up and tried to do the best they could. I was proud of them; they tried to compete.
“I’m proud of the whole crew. They could have just rolled over and gave up touchdowns, left and right, but the kids just kept competing.”
Sharp rushed for a team-high 101 yards on 24 carries, and Harlan collected 189 yards via the overland route.
Knott Central rushed for 376 yards as a team, and was penalized nine times for 105 yards.
Next up for Harlan is a home game Friday against Lynn Camp, while Knott Central faces Martin County at Cardinal Stadium.