Harlan County pulled away after a scoreless first half in the fifth- and sixth-grade state playoffs to claim a 24-6 win over Betsy Layne and earn a spot in next week’s regional championship game against Johnson Central.
The Bobcats scored first to take a 6-0 lead, but Harlan County drove down the field to tie on a Carson Clark touchdown run.
Weston Nolan recovered the ensuing onside kick and the Bears drove deep into Betsy Layne territory before stopped on downs. The Bears came up with points though on a safety for an 8-6.
Quarterback Rayce Bryant capped two drives in the fourth quarter for touchdowns to put the game out of reach.
Betsy Layne advanced to the semifinals with a 34-0 win last week at home against a previously unbeaten Harlan squad. The 12-0 Bears will play at Johnson Central on Saturday with the winner advancing to the state final four.
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Harlan County suffered its first loss of the season in devastating fashion, falling 15-8 at North Laurel on a controversial call in the final minute of seventh- and eighth-grade action.
North Laurel led 7-0 when the Bears started a scoring drive midway through the third quarter. Caysen Farley went in for a touchdown then added the go-ahead two-point conversion for an 8-7 lead with six minutes left.
The Jaguars drove deep into Harlan County territory before fumbling. The Bears were unable to run out the clock and punted the ball back.
Harlan County appeared to have the game won when a North Laurel pass on fourth down with 53 seconds left fell incomplete. A Harlan County linebacker was called for a holding penalty when he bumped into a North Laurel running back at the line of scrimmage. North kept the ball and completed a touchdown pass to go ahead in the final seconds.
Harlan County ended one of the best middle school seasons in program/county history with a record of 11-1.