ROBINSON CREEK — Harlan County defensive back Colby Shepherd got fooled once when Shelby Valley receiver Bryce Bentley scored on a 17-yard run off a reverse with 8:17 left to cut a 12-point HCHS lead to six.
With Shelby Valley driving for the potential winning score with three minutes left, Shepherd wouldn’t get fooled again.
Shelby Valley quarterback Elijah Blackburn tossed the ball to Bentley on another reverse and then broke open in the Harlan County secondary on a fourth-and-six play from the Harlan County 24. Shepherd was in position this time and broke up a touchdown pass when he knocked the ball away from Blackburn to preserve a 26-20 win.
“He’s a kid who works very hard in practice every day, and we worked on that play,” Harlan County coach Jacob Saylor said. “They got him on the reverse, and he came back and redeemed himself on the reverse pass.”
Harlan County never trailed Friday but struggled to put the Wildcats away as Shelby Valley cut a 26-14 lead to six and had a chance to win. The Bears improved to 7-3 with the win after posting a 1-10 record a year ago.
“We’d get a two-score lead and they would come back and cut it to a touchdown. Last year we wouldn’t have done that. We would have folded,” Saylor said. “They are finishing the games the way we’ve preached and preached. They’ve come a long way.”
Shelby Valley rolled up 303 yards on the ground on 52 carries with 17 first downs to dominate time of possession.
“We knew they would try to do that. We have some things we have to fix because they whipped us up front at times,” Saylor said. “That’s something we have to look at. I told them the bunch we have coming in next week (Wayne County in the 4A playoffs) is better than them, so we have to go to work.”
Sophomore running back Brayden Morris scored all four touchdowns for the Bears and ran for 176 yards, but HC needed some timely passes by senior Gunner Burkhart, who took over at quarterback when Morris suffered a shoulder injury and was unable to throw. Burkhart completed four of five passes for 113 yards as junior receivers Kayden Adams and Brady Freeman each had clutch catches to set up touchdowns.
“Gunner threw the ball real well tonight. He did what we asked him to do,” Saylor said. “They knew we hadn’t been able to throw the ball the last couple of weeks, so we knew people would start to stack the box. This is his fourth game at quarterback and he’s come a long way and made some big throws. We’ll need that next week.”
After stopping the Wildcats on downs on their first possession, Harlan County covered 54 yards in three plays in its second possession. Adams caught two Burkhart passes for three and 12 yards before Morris found an opening down the sideline for a 41-yard touchdown run. Austin Tye hit the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
Shelby Valley answered with a nine-play, 41-yard drive capped by Blackburn’s 3-yard touchdown run with 11:50 left in the first half. Markus Kaalaas hit the extra point to tie the game.
Jayce Brown returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards before being caught at the Wildcats’ 11. Jonah Sharp and Hunter Napier had carries before Morris went in from the 2 on a fourth-and-one play. Tye’s extra point put HC up 14-7 with 10:03 to play in the first half.
Bo Eldridge and Napier teamed for a stop on fourth-and-seven at the Harlan County to set up the Bears’ third scoring drive. Napier, the Bears’ senior linebacker, recently broke the school record for tackles in one season.
Burkhart found junior receiver Freeman behind the Shelby Valley defense for a 48-yard gain to the Shelby Valley 20. Morris capped a six-play scoring drive with another 2-yard run at the 2:38 mark of the second quarter. Tye’s extra point was off the mark as the Bears took a 20-7 lead into the break.
The Wildcats drove 60 yards in nine plays to open the second half with Blackburn running 15 yards for the touchdown on a third-and-one play at the 6L49 mark. Kaalas hit the extra point to cut the deficit to six points.
Harlan County answered quickly as Burkhart found Adams with a screen pass that turned into a 50-yard gain as Adams eluded defenders while tight roping down the sideline. Morris scored three plays later on an 8-yard run that pushed the lead to 26-14 with 5:11 left in the third quarter.
Bentley’s touchdown with 8:17 left cut the deficit to six after Kaalaas missed the kick.
The Bears picked up two first downs before the drive stalled. Morris punted to the Shelby Valley 10, but a 62-yard run by Logan Hall put the Wildcats in scoring position on the HC 28. Napier made a stop on third down, then Shepherd knocked away a pass on fourth down.
Morris raced 56 yards to the Shelby Valley 17 to allow the Bears to run out the clock.
Harlan County (7-3) will play host to Wayne County on Friday in the first round of the 4A playoffs, which will be HC’s first home playoff game since 2019. Shelby Valley (4-6) will be at home against Knott Central in the 2A playoffs.