On a throwback night at Coach Charlie Hunter Memorial Stadium in Evarts, the Harlan County Black Bears swept a Coal Bowl middle school football doubleheader Tuesday as each squad improved to 6-0 on the season.
Harlan County downed Cumberland 30-0 in the fifth- and sixth-grade team followed by the seventh- and eighth-grade squad rolling to a 22-0 victory over Clay County.
The seventh- and eighth-grade Bears marched 63 yards in seven plays to set the tone for the night as Hudson Faulkner and Caysen Farley each picked up first downs with hard runs before Trey Creech teamed with Farley for an 8-yard TD pass at the 5:45 mark of the opening period. Jacob Brock hit the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
Harlan County scored again in the second quarter as Faulkner ran for one first down and Creech passed to Kaydon Gray for another to set up a 5-yard TD run by Faulkner er with 5:39 left in the half. Brock’s extra point pushed the lead to 14-0.
The Harlan County defense came up big late in the half as Clay drove into HC territory. Leland Cope made a stop on first down. Logan Mills broke up a pass on third down before Faulkner ended the threat when he stripped the ball from the Clay quarterback on fourth down.
Harlan County added a touchdown in the fourth quarter as Creech teamed with Farley for a 35-yard pass. Creech threw to Faulkner for the two-point conversion.
Creech completed five of nine passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns to Farley, who had three catches for 53 yards.
Faulkner led the HC ground game with 88 yards on 16 carries. Farley had three carries for 53 yards.
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Quarterback Rayce Bryant ran for three touchdowns and passed for another on the same night his great uncle, Perky Bryant, was honored as one of the greatest football players in Evarts High School history.
Bryant broke free down the right sideline on the game’s opening drive for a 48-yard touchdown run. Bryant found Deacon Lisenbee for the two-point conversion and an 8-0 lead with 1:20 left in the first quarter.
A 30-yard connection between Bryant and Weston Nolan set up the second score as Bryant went 29 yards for a touchdown with 2:07 left in the half. Brady White added the two-point conversion.
Bryant found Jase Wynn for a 20-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the half, then threw a shovel pass to White for the two-point conversion and a 24-0 lead.
A Carson Clark interception in the fourth quarter was returned to the Cumberland 13 and set up the final TD of the night, a 3-yard run by Bryant.
