LOG MOUNTAIN — As the younger, less physical and less experienced team in the 52nd District Tournament finals the past two years, the Bell County Bobcats showed they were not quite ready for a championship,
The Bobcats aren’t getting pushed around by anyone in 2026. They completed a dominating 8-0 run through this year’s district field by rolling past Harlan 72-40 in the championship game Friday on their home court. Bell won its six regular season district games by an average of over 32 points with only game closer than 32 points.
“We’ve been talking about this since last summer. We’ve been here in this game and got beat by better teams, older teams, stronger teams. We’ve been working hard since last spring to get as strong as we possibly can. We feel our experience and physicality make us a really good team,” Bell County coach Brad Sizemore. “We’ve showed in several games this year where we were able to take over the game in the lane on both ends of the floor.”
“They are strong and experienced, plus they have one of the best players in the region and are on their home floor,” Harlan coach Derrick Akal said of the Bobcats. “It’s their time. You can’t make any mistakes against a team like that and hope they make a ton of them. They showed why they are one of the top teams in the state.”
Bell found success from the start by forcing turnovers and getting out in transition. The Bobcats were also strong enough to get to the basket, with three three-point play opportunities in the second quarter alone.
Three Bobcats reached double figures, led by 18 from senior guard Blake Burnett, who played on Bell’s last district championship team in 2022. Braxton Ferguson and Ethan Buell added 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Sophomore center Kobe Noe scored 15 points and sophomore guard Jaxson Perry added 11 to lead the Dragons.
Ferguson had three of the Bobcats’ five baskets in the first quarter as Bell took an 11-5 lead with the help of an 8-3 advantage on the boards. Noe had both Harlan baskets in the period.
“Harlan slowed it down the first half, and we had to grind it out,” Sizemore said. “We were able to make some plays and got up and down when we needed to. When you get to this point, all the games will be physical and tough. They came in with a really good game plan and I’m just super happy for our guys. They really wanted to win this, especially at home. I feel our kids are on a mission this week and next. I told them all week we had take it one step at a time and enjoy the moment. I think they did that and made some big plays on both ends and beat a really good team tonight.:
Bell had success getting to the basket in the second quarter, led by three baskets from Burnett and two from Buell as the lead grew to 27-13 at the break. Perry led the Dragons with two of their four baskets in the period.
The Bobcats used a 9-0 run in the third quarter to build a 40-18 lead. Harlan hit only four of 11 shots in the quarter as Bell pulled out to a 47-23 lead sparked by three baskets from Buell.
After winning only five games a year ago, the Green Dragons will take a 12-19 record into next week’s regional tournament after missing it the past two years. The Dragons are a sophomore-dominated team with only one senior, and Akal says the loss against a more experienced is part of the process in rebuilding.
“This is an experience for them, and I told them to enjoy it and learn,” he said. “I thought our guys competed tonight, but that’s a tough basketball team.”
Both teams return to action next week in the 13th Region Tournament at The Corbin Arena.

BOYS 52nd District Tournament championship scores
2026. Bell County 72, Harlan 40
2025 Harlan County 61, Bell County 51
2024 Harlan County 77, Bell County 54
2023 Harlan County 72, Harlan 62
2022 Bell County 88, Harlan 79 (2 OT)
2021 Harlan 61, Harlan County 55
2020 Harlan County 58, Harlan 54
2019 Middlesboro 58, Harlan 55
2018 Harlan County 46, Harlan 43
2017 Harlan County 68, Harlan 50
2016 Harlan County 68, Bell County 43
2015 Harlan County 53, Bell County 40
2014 Bell County 76, Middlesboro 50
2013 Harlan County 83, Middlesboro 57
2012 Middlesboro 53, Harlan County 48
2011 Bell County 62, Harlan County 53
2010 Harlan County 78, Bell County 73
2009 Middlesboro 77, Harlan County 65
2008 Bell County 58, Cumberland 56
2007 Bell County 51, Cumberland 49
2006 Bell County 48, Cawood 43
2005 Cawood 57, Harlan 45
2004 Cawood 61, Cumberland 54
2003 Cumberland 78, Evarts 62
2002 Cawood 95, Evarts 73
2001 Cawood 99, Evarts 69
2000 Harlan 69, Cawood 68
1999 Harlan 67, Cawood 52
1998 Cawood 70, Harlan 57
1997 Harlan 71, Evarts 54
1996 Harlan 72, Evarts 54
1995 Harlan 68, Evarts 60
1994 Harlan 72, Cawood 60
1993 Cumberland 78, Harlan 74
1992 Cawood 79, Evarts 57
1991 Cawood 71, Cumberland 69
1990 Harlan 80, Cawood 78
1989 Cumberland 56, Harlan 47
1988 Evarts 48, Cumberland 45
1987 Harlan 60, Cawood 52
1986 Cawood 67, Harlan 60
1985 Cumberland 78, Harlan 54
1984 Cumberland 58, Cawood 55
1983 Evarts 71, Cawood 68
1982 Cawood 70, Cumberland 69
1981 Cawood 87, Lynch 67
1980 Lynch 61, Harlan 41
1979 Harlan 55, Cumberland 50
1978 Cawood 63, Cumberland 58
1977 Cawood 72, Cumberland 66
1976 Cawood 72, Evarts 59
1975 Lynch 68, Cumberland 52
1974 Lynch 67, Harlan 61
1973 Cumberland 48, Harlan 47
1972 Cumberland 52, Lynch 42
1971 Cumberland 60, Lynch 54
1970 Cumberland 46, Evarts 34
1969 Harlan 61, Evarts 33
1968 Harlan 88, Cumberland 51
1967 Harlan 73, Lynch 67
1966 Lynch 68, Harlan 51
1965 Harlan 64, Lynch 60
1964 Lynch 62, Harlan 57
1963 Evarts 41, Cumberland 39
1962 Rosenwald 61, Cumberland 50
1961 Loyall 58, Harlan 37
1960 Black Star 54, Cumberland 53
1959 Harlan 69, Benham 52
1958 Rosenwald 60, Hall 56
1957 Hall 74, Cumberland 69
1956 Black Star 69, Loyall 62
1955 Cumberland 53, Hall 36
1954 Harlan 68, Wallins 65
1953 Wallins 47, Harlan 43
1952 Loyall 52, Wallins 46
1951 Harlan 60, Lynch 53
1950 Hall 70, Cumberland 64
1949 Hall 57, Benham 47
1948 Hall 48, Harlan 29
1947 Benham 51, Hall 42
1946 Hall 38, Benham 36
1945 Harlan 51, Hall 20
1944 Harlan 58, Loyall 37
1943 Harlan 29, Hall 16
1942 Harlan 49, Lynch 33
1941 Black Star 23, Benham 21 (2OTs)
1940 Benham 39, Harlan 27
1939 Benham 44, Cumberland 16
1938 Loyall 24, Harlan 22
1937 Benham 25, Black Star 17