Even with their best offensive performance in two months, the Harlan County Black Bears were unable to break a losing streak that stretches back to a week one win at Middlesboro.
North Laurel scored the first 17 points, and Harlan County spent the rest of the night playing catch up. The Bears closed to within three late in the half and then four by halftime but couldn’t get any stops in the second half as the Jaguars clinched the final playoff spot in District 8 of 5A with a 45-26 victory.
Cam Anderson’s 27-yard field goal gave the Jaguars a 3-0 lead after the Bears lost a fumble on their 15 on their first offensive play.
Cooper Robinson scored the first of three touchdowns on a 50-yard run with 6:21 left in the first quarter. Anderson hit the first of three extra points.
Jude McWhorter threw two passes to Carter Kelley to cover 78 yards on the next North drive, including a 27-yard TD pass. Anderson’s kick made the score 17-0.
The Harlan County offense started to click out of a two-back set, driving 98 yards in 19 plays and taking over nine minutes off the clock. Gage Bailey went in from the 2, then Isaiah Cornett added the two-point conversion.
Luke Kelly picked off a McWhorter pass in the end zone to start another HCHS drive. Jayce Brown ran 23 yards, then Bailey rumbled 56 yards before being caught at the 1 by John Minor. Brown scored on the next play to cut the deficit to 17-14 with 1:02 left in the half.
North struck quickly, helped by a 51-yard pass from McWhorter to Kelley to set up a 1-yard TD run by McWorhter. Anderson’s kick made the score 24-14.
Kelly answered for the Bears as he took a squib kick back 90 yards for a touchdown that cut the deficit to 24-20 at halftime.
Harlan County was unable to built on the momentum as North drove 67 yards in 13 plays to open the second half, capped by Robinson’s 5-yard TD run. Anderson’s kick made it 31-20.
The Bears appeared to answer when Morris went 17 yards for a touchdown, but the score was wiped out by a penalty. North’s Collier Mills picked up a fumbled pitch on the next play and took it back 68 yards for a score that pushed the lead to 37-20 with 2:11 left in the third quarter.
Robinson’s 36-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion pass from Tanner Houchens to Eli Holt closed the scoring for North.
Morris ran 29 yards for the final HCHS score with 4:55 left. He led he Harlan County offense with 133 yards on 22 carries. Bailey added 115 yards on 16 carries. Brown added 113 yards on 14 carries.
The 1-8 Black Bears close their season Friday at home against Bell County.
North Laurel improved to 3-6 overall and 1-3 against district opponents and will close the regular season Friday at home against Wayne County.