Harlan County closed its regular-season schedule Thursday at Bell County with its most impressive performance of the season in eighth-grade action, rolling to a 32-12 victory.
Braydon Middleton opened the scoring on a 10-yard pass from Landon Brock. Isaiah Cornett scored on a 35-yard run and Middleton added a 60-yard TD run as the Bears’ lead grew to 18-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Brayden Morris caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Brock in the second, then Brock threw to Jacob Sage for a two-point conversion and 26-0 lead.
Middleton closed the Bears’ scoring with a 25-yard run for a 32-0 lead and a running clock.
Bell scored one touchdown each in the second and third quarters.
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Harlan closed its season with a 36-16 loss at Middlesboro in the first round of the Mountain Middle School Athletic Conference playoffs.
Boss Bryson scored on a 10-yard run in the second quarter and added the two-point conversion. Jaxson Perry completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Caden Middleton in the fourth quarter. Nathan Cochran added the two-point conversion.
Harlan closed the season with a record of 2-4.
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Harlan County fell 26-14 in a sixth-grade game. Hudson Faulkner scored two touchdowns for the Bears and added a two-point conversion.
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The seventh-grade team will take on Pikeville at 11 a.m. on Saturday in the state playoffs. The sixth-grade team plays South Laurel on Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. at South Laurel. The eighth-grade team will play North Laurel at 4 p.m. on Oct. 15 at South Laurel.