Harlan County capped what is likely the best middle school football season since the 2008 merger with a doubleheader sweep Saturday at home against Perry Central, giving both the fifth- and sixth-grade and seventh- and eighth-grade teams perfect 10-0 records. Harlan County won 30-0 in the fifth- and sixth-grade game and 42-6 in seventh- and eighth-grade action.
Quarterback Rayce Bryant ran for two touchdowns and passed for two others in the opening game,
Carson Clark and Jace Cole each had tackles for losses to stop the first Perry drive, setting the stage for Bryant to lead the Bears down the field for the first score. Bryant had a 30-yard run to close the first quarter and then a 32-yard TD run on the first play of the second quarter.
Bryant and tight end Jase Wynn teamed up for two touchdowns in the final 90 seconds of the half, first on a 41-yard pass with 1:24 left then on a 30-yard pass after Isaiah Myers forced a fumble with a hit on the Perry quarterback and then recovered the ball. Bryant threw to a diving Deacon Lisenbee after the first TD for a two-point conversion and a 14-0 lead, then Clark bulled his way in for the second two-point conversion and a 22-0 lead.
Wynn ran 11 yards for a first down on the opening drive of the second half. Bryant went 50 yards, then ran the final 11 for a touchdown with 3:32 left in the third quarter. Clark added the two-point conversion to close the scoring.
Jayden Peck recovered a fumble to end a Perry drive late in the third quarter.
Harlan County scored on its first three drives in the seventh- and eighth-grade game. Hudson Faulkner ran 30 yards for a first down at the Perry 11, setting up a short pass from Trey Creech to Caysen Farley for a touchdown as Farley broke a tackle. A bad snap on the extra point try led to an incomplete pass and a 6-0 lead with 6:21 left in the first quarter.
Faulkner and Hudson each picked up first downs on the next HC drive before Creech found Faulkner with another short pass that turned into a 35-yard touchdown play as Faulkner broke a tackle on his way into the end zone on the final play of the first quarter. Farley added the two-point conversion for a 14-0 lead.
The Harlan County defense stopped the Commodores on the first drive of the second quarter as Jaxon Short and Carson Sanders teamed for a sack. Sanders later added a blocked punt as the HC defensive front controlled the line of scrimmage.
Creech and Farley teamed for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 6:37 left in the second quarter for a 20-0 lead.
Faulkner had a sack on the next Perry drive, then Ryder Eckler and Brantley Burkhart teamed for a tackle to end the Commodores’ last drive of the half.
Farley dominated the second half, first with a 15-yard TD run after a Perry score to push the lead to 26-6, then with a 15-yard catch on a pass from Creech, then a 35-yard pass from Creech to close the scoring. Creech threw to Blake Johnson for a two-point conversion after the second touchdown of the half and then teamed with Leland Cope for the final two-point conversion.
The HC ground game was led by Farley with 100 yards on seven carries and four catches for 63 yards. Faulkner had 51 yards rushing on three carries. Creech completed six of nine passes for 100 yards and four touchdowns.
Both Harlan County teams will compete in the state playoffs next weekend.
