Beginning with early-morning workouts last spring, the Harlan County Black Bears went to work in the weight room as the first part of a quest to end a run of losing seasons that stretched back to the start of the decade. A 1-9 season last fall was the fifth straight losing campaign for a team that has fallen on hard times after winning three regional titles in the first seven years of the program.
Second-year coach Jacob Saylor likes the changes he’s seen since last season, led by a strong senior class.
“This senior bunch has taken this team on their shoulders, going back to the 6 a.m. workouts in the spring,” Saylor said. “They are tired of losing.
“Our lack of strength and depth hurt us last year. When something bad happened last year, we’d hang our heads and let it get away. That’s gone now. We may not win a game, but our mentality has changed from I hope we win to we expect to win.
The Bears had only five seniors lost season but do lose their leading rusher and receiver in Luke Kelly and second leading tackler in James Ryan Howard.
Saylor has worked to implement a two-platoon system this year, especially among the linemen, to keep players fresh for the entire game.
“We have 25 kids we can put on the field, especially early when it’s hot,” Saylor said. “My goal is to have 11 on offense and 11 on defense. We can do that on the offensive and defensive lines.”
The progress of sophomore quarterback Brayden Morris is one of the keys to the Bears’ success. Morris proved to be a big-play threat on the ground as he ranked second on the team with 434 yards rushing along with five touchdowns. Improvement with the passing game, however, is crucial as Morris completed 16 of 46 attempts for 306 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions.
“Brayden is such a competitor. If he does 100 things right and one thing wrong, he will focus on what he did wrong. We are trying to break him from that,” Saylor said. “He has come such a long way throwing the football. We will be out of the gun this year, and he will be running him a lot out of that and isolating him. He’s as good of a running back as we have.”
Kelly and Howard accounted for eight of 14 receptions with junior Kayden Adams and seniors Gage Bailey, Jayce Brown and Hunter Napier recording one each. Saylor is counting on Adams to be a bigger part of the offense this season at receiver where he will team with Gage Bailey at the ‘Z’ position. Brady Freeman will alternate with Ryan Day and Colby Shepherd at the ‘X’ receiver spot.
“We’ve got more depth this year,” Saylor said. “They all have good hands. The thing we had to improve on was our blocking down field. It’s amazing how much better we’ve gotten. We’ve told them if you want the ball in the air you have to block. They have taken that to heart, and they have worked on that aspect of the game. Gage and Kayden have the kind of quickness to take it to the house any time they catch it.”
Bailey was second behind Morris among the returning players with 311 yards rushing. Brown added 147 yards rushing.
Napier and Sam Carr will play time at the ‘H’ back spot. Jonah Sharp, a transfer from Harlan, is expected to share time at running back with Jayce Brown and Bailey.
Bo Eldridge, a junior, has taken over as the starting tight end.
“He started out at tight end last year, but he wasn’t quite strong enough, so we moved Hunter there,” Saylor said. “Bo really worked in the offseason and made great strides in getting stronger, and that allowed us to play him there.”
Gunner Burkhart, a senior, could help at running back or tight end.
“He runs so well that we could put him back there if we need a tough yard,” Saylor said.
Senior Braxton Cornett will also see action at tight end and defensive end.
Blake Short, a senior guard, is back to anchor the Bears’ offensive front.
“He’s our offensive line leader. He can play the strong or the quick side,” Saylor said.
Cam Middleton, a sophomore, takes over at center with Brayden Clay spending more time on the defensive front.
“He has gotten stronger and is playing well,” Saylor said.
Grayson Grills, a senior who sat out last season, has the edge over Brayden Cole at the other guard spot. Jordi Jackson, a senior, is also part of the rotation at guard.
“You have to have good feet to pull at guard, and he does a good job,” Saylor said of Grilss. “Grayson has come along real well. Braydon is right on his coat tails.”
Jonathan Sergent, also a senior, returned at strong tackle but suffered a knee injury in the scrimmage win over Leslie County and will miss the season.
“Jonathan is probably our strongest guy up front. When he wants to play, there is nobody on the team he can’t block,” Saylor said earlier this summer. “He can be a brute of a human.”
Logan Smith, a sophomore, starts at the quick tackle.
“He ended up starting on defense toward the end of the year as a freshman,” Saylor said. “He has good strength and footwork.”
Clay and Cooper Blevins will also see action on the offensive line, along with sophomore Aaron Howard and freshman Win Cooper.
Saylor expects major improvement on the defensive front, led by Clay and Cooper at the tackle spots. Zach Musick and Eldridge, both juniors, are the starting ends. Jackson will also see action at tackle.
“We’ve got good size, but we’re a lot stronger up front. These guys can also move, and that’s important,” Saylor said. “They are more athletic and stronger this year.”
Napier recorded a team-high 100 tackles last season as he returns for his senior season at linebacker to lead the HCHS defense. He will be joined inside by Masyn Stewart or Sam Carr
“I think Hunter is one of the most physical linebackers in this area. If he decides to play, he’s a potential all-state player. He has the size, speed and strength to do it. It’s up to him,” Saylor said. “I think playing both ways last year wore him out at times. He won’t play as much offense so he can be at his best on defense.”
Brady Freeman, a junior, returns at an outside linebacker after ranking third on the squad last season with 69 tackles. Brody Hensley, a senior who sat out last season will play on the other side. Burkhart and Grills will also see action.
“We’ll be able to play a bunch of that outside linebacker,” Saylor said.
Bailey was a playmaker for the Bears in the secondary as he ranked fourth on the team with 64 tackles. He had a couple of interceptions earlier this season in a passing scrimmage against Pineville.
“Gage is our most vocal leader,” Saylor said. “He holds himself and others accountable.”
Adams, Brown, Sharp, Ryan Day and Shepherd will share time at the corners.
One of the most pleasant surprises of the spring was the addition of sophomore Austin Tye, a soccer player who wanted to try kicking on the football field .
“We are super excited about Austin joining our team. He is the hardest working kid I have ever been around,” Saylor said. “If Austin continues to work like I know he will, he has the potential to play college ball as a kicker.”
Harlan County moves from 5A to 4A this season as part of a four-team District 8 dominated in recent years by Corbin.
“Our district is tough with Corbin, Whitley and Perry Central, but our kids are up for the challenge,” Saylor said. “They are ready to prove that they can play with anybody.  I love this team, and we are excited to get this season going.”