From one win in both 2023 and 2024, the Harlan County Black Bears have clearly come a long way in 2025.
Harlan County proved that point and locked up their first home playoff game in six years with a 26-7 win Friday at Whitley County, avenging a last-minute loss a year again in Williamsburg.
“I am so happy for these kids and what they have been able to accomplish through hard work and pure grit,” Harlan County coach Jacob Saylor said. “Being able to have a home playoff game is so big for our program, and I am tickled for our seniors that they get one more game at home. I told the kids that tonight’s win guaranteed them a winning season which has not been done here in a while and I saw in their eyes they are not done yet.”
The 6-3 Black Bears rolled up 446 yards on the ground, led by a 287-yard, three-touchdown night from sophomore Brayan Morris. Senior quarterback Gunner Burkhard added a 23-yard touchdown run.
Harlan County was even more impressive on defense, limiting Whitley County star Shane Parker to 62 yards on 22 carries. The Colonels had 71 yards on 25 carries as a team.
“We knew going in that Parker is maybe the most dynamic athlete in southeast Kentucky, and our kids took that as a challenge,” Saylor said. “To hold him to two yards a carry and no explosive plays shows how dialed in we were.”
Morris scored on a 3-yard run in the first quarter followed by the two-point conversion from Jonah Sharp for an 8-0 lead.
Morris added a 7-yard TD run in the second quarter for a 14-0 lead.
Whitley County struck for a 24-yard touchdown pass from Christian Wilson to Caleb Cureton on a fourth-and-goal play in the final minute of the first half.
The Bears drove to the Whitley 3 before time expired.
Burkhart and Morris each had touchdown runs in the third quarter to put the game away.
“Brayden was a man tonight,” Saylor said. “He has been hampered with a shoulder injury but tonight he turned it loose and ran like a man possessed. None of that could have been possible without our offensive line. I have challenged them, and boy did they answer the call. They had nine and 10 men in the box all night and our offensive line decided to take over.”
Harlan County closes the regular season on Friday at Shelby Valley before playing host to Wayne County on Nov. 7 in the first round of the 4A playoffs. The 1-8 Colonels play at Madison Southern on Thursday.

(Statistics provided by Mark Lawson of WTUK)
———
Harlan County 27, Whitley County 6

Harlan County 8 7 12 0 — 27
Whitley County 0 7 0 0 — 6

HC – Morris 3 run (Sharp run)
HC – Morris 7 run (run failed)
WC – Cureton 24 pass from Wilson (Whitley kick)
HC – Burkhart 23 run (run failed)
HC – Morris 1 run (run failed)