Thread Closed
Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Whitley County @ Harlan County 10/12
#91
Injuries happen it is a part of the game but it is especially tough on a senior when it is season ending. It happened to my son and he lost the last two games of his senior season which were playoff games but he never regretted anything, and would do it all again.

Hope Maggard heals quickly and to the fullest extent.
#92
Harlan County by 14
#93
I will go with Whitley in this one, but it will be a close game. This should be a defensive ball game.


Whitley-14
Harlan-10
#94
Whitley co. by a score.
#95
Whitley by about 90
#96
Let us have a good clean game,Go out and play extra hard for the team and Austin!!!Go Bears
#97
I believe Larkey and his coaching staff will have our kids mentally ready to play....this ought to be an instant classic....can't wait!!!!!!!
#98
This is a game preview hype from the times tribune corbin newspaper.
source - http://thetimestribune.com/sports/x25351...lan-County


Whitley takes four-game win streak on the road against Harlan County

The Times-Tribune

CORBIN — By Chris Parsons / Staff Writer

The Whitley County Colonels (5-2, 1-0) are one of the hottest teams in the Tri-County, riding a four-game win streak after last week’s 47-28 district win over Perry County Central.

The Colonels will take that streak on the road this week against a team that is a mirror image of them on paper in the Harlan County Black Bears (5-2, 1-0), but Colonel coach Jim Black is quick to point out that comparison on paper can be deceiving.

“That’s true, but when you look at them on film it’s not a mirror with how physical they are,” Black said. “We’ve got to try and match them when it comes to physicality they bring to the game.”

The two teams are close in comparison when it comes to points scored. Harlan County has averaged 37 points per game, while Whitley County has scored 29 points per game this season. Defensivily, the Black Bears have only allowed 17 points per game, while the Colonels are a shade under that number at 16 points per game.

The two teams are similar in the fact they like to run the football and they both do it well.

Harlan County averages 327 yards on the ground, while the Colonels have tallied 308 yards per game rushing. The difference may be the fact the bulk of the Black Bears' numbers have come from senior running back Jake Middleton, who has put up impressive numbers all season.

Middleton has amassed 1,350 yards and 20 touchdowns on 163 carries this season. He comes in at 193 yards per game. The Black Bears do have two more backs in Austin Maggard and Cole Wilson, who have racked up 269 and 347 yards on the year, respectively.

Black said even though Middleton gets the bulk of the carries, he knows his team will not be able to slack off when the other two get in the game.

“They have several guys that will go in and give the Middleton kid a break and they can hurt you as well,” Black said. “Against a team like this, you can’t afford to take any plays off at all because that’s when you get in trouble.

“Our kids have done a good job of not letting up on defense and they’ll have to do even better this week,” he added.

For the Colonels, the running game has been a back-by-committee style of late. In gaining Whitley County’s 2,157 yards, three backs, Zack Mills (548), Austin Hooper (496) and Boston Bryant (413), have all gone over the 400-yard mark. Quarterback Austin Ysidro has done his part as well, tallying 349 yards on the ground so far this season as well.

That trend will have to continue if Black and company hope to come away the winner Friday.

“We have to continue to do the things we’ve been able to all year and one of those is move the football,” Black said. “Our kids have done a good job at knowing their assignments and doing what we’ve asked of them on the field.

“If you execute and do the things that work, it gives you a shot to be in the game in the late stages,” he added. “This game is no different than any other in the fact we have got to execute if we want to have a shot to win.”
#99
also a game preview from the harlan daily enterprise..

Source -http://harlandaily.com/view/full_story/20439766/article-Bears-host-Whitley-in-district-showdown?


JOHN MIDDLETON

Sports Editor

The 5A District 8 championship and four home playoff games will likely be up for grabs Friday as Whitley County travels to Harlan County. The Bears and Colonels entered the season as district favorites, and both have done little to dispel that thought.

“It is a big game for us. The district title could be on the line. There is a lot at state, because there is the possibility of four straight home playoff games if you keep on winning,” said Harlan County coach Tom Larkey. “That is what we are after.”

“All of your district games are important, so it is probably the biggest game of the year,” added Whitley County coach Jim Black.

Both teams enter Friday’s contest fresh off of impressive district openers. Harlan County turned in arguably its best performance of the season in a 49-0 thrashing of Letcher Central last week. The Bears’ defense dominated the Cougars, with 12 sacks in the contest. However, Whitley County will pose a more difficult challenge. The Colonels rely on a ground-oriented option attack.

Bruising fullback Boston Bryant leads the Colonel offense. Bryant has rushed for 413 yards on 81 carries. Joining Bryant in the backfield is standout freshman Zack Mills, who has rushed for 548 yards on 59 carries. Sophomore Austin Ysidro is also a threat at quarterback.

“Bryant is a powerful runner. It will take some gang tackling on him. The quarterback is a good player. Then they have Mills. He is probably the best freshmen player in this part of the state. He has a lot of speed and runs real strong. He is the go-to man outside. They run a lot of sweeps to him,” Larkey said. “We have to close up the middle and stop him on the outside at the same time. You have to keep your eye on the quarterback too. Our defense is in training this week to stop all that.”

Black said the Colonels’ offense must stay patient against Harlan County’s defense.

“We have to execute and take what they are giving us. It won’t be much, but we have to take advantage of what they are giving us in certain situations,” he said.

The Bears have been hampered by penalties in recent weeks. Harlan County has been flagged 35 times for 307 yards in the last two outings. Correcting those mistakes will likely be a major factor on Friday.

“Our defense is playing good right now. They are doing what they are told to do and learning from their mistakes. We just have to try to cut back on some of our penalties,” Larkey said. “That is hard to do sometimes when you are out there playing aggressive football. Penalties and turnovers have shot us in the leg a few times this year, and we can’t afford to do that against Whitley County this year.”

Taking away Harlan County’s physical rushing attack, will be the top priority for the Colonels’ defense.

“I haven’t seen anybody slow them down. It will be a tough task for us to try to go up there and stand in there with them. They are huge on the front line and are very aggressive. They put those two big backs in there and they murder people,” Black said. “It will be a tall order for us to slow them down, but like everybody else, I will try to put more in there than they can block.”

To keep Whitley County from focusing solely on the run, Larkey said the Bears will need to mix some passes into the offense.

“Whitley County is a much stronger and more physical team than Letcher County right now. Everybody tries to stop us up front and put a lot of people in the box. We have to try to keep them honest with some play action passes and that type of thing,” he said. “I feel like it will be a war in the trenches. We just have to keep the chains moving down the field and not make any mistakes.”

Junior receiver Scotty Bailey will replace Austin Maggard under center. Maggard is likely done for the season after tearing cartilage in his shoulder during last week’s win over Letcher Central.

“We are working with Scotty there under center and will have a lot of shotgun plays. He does a good job and throws pretty accurate passes. He will be fine.”

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m., and Larkey said he expects a large turnout.

“It is full every home game. It will be a great atmosphere for football in the mountains,” he said. “I think our kids will be fired up and ready to play.”
no doubt this will be a close game but defense will win this game. whoever punts the least will win this game.

Whitley with a late Alex Conlin FG

wc 17 - hc 14
another game preview

From Harlan County Sports.com


By JOHN HENSON
Harlan County Sports.com
Eager to show they belong in the conversation as a contender in District 8 of 5A, the Whitley County Colonels have the look of a team with something to prove as they prepare for their showdown Friday at Harlan County.
The Harlan County Black Bears have a different perspective after two straight district titles. They know they are the team with a target on their backs and expect to see Whitley's best effort this week.
Both teams bring 5-2 records into the game and both won their district openers last week as Whitley downed Perry Central 47-28 after a slow start and Harlan County rolled past Letcher Central 49-0. Barring a major upset next week, the winner of Friday's game will win the district title and have the home field advantage in the playoffs until the state finals.
"They realize a win will mean a good possibility of a district championship. I really feel this is the game that could determine the district championship," Harlan County coach Tom Larkey said.
"We told them last week that every district game is for the district championship, but they realize the importance of this game," Whitley County coach Jim Black said.
Harlan County rolled past Whitley the past two years on the way to district titles, including a 51-25 win last year in WIlliamsburg. The Bears rolled up 321 yards on the ground, led by Marcus McMillian's five-touchdown performance.
The Colonels were also impressive offensively in last year's game with 324 yards rushing. Instead of counting on fullback Boston Bryant for the majority of their offense, the Colonels turned to the nifty fakes and surprising quickness of quarterback Austin Ysidro, who finished with 129 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns. Running back Josh Nichols added 120 yards on 10 carries.
"We worked on (the option) all week long. We got sucked down inside and didn't pay attention to what was going on," Larkey said after last year's win. "They should have never ran it on us, but they did."
Harlan County moved the ball on the ground with ease last year, but Whitley's defense appears to be quite a bit improved this season
"They have some new defensive linemen and we have some new offensive linemen, so the same people won't be out there, especially on our side of the football," Larkey said. "We have to go out there and our kids have to put their nose to the grindstone and get the job done."
Whitley could be among the most improved teams in the state in 5A, having already exceeding their win total from a year ago.
"We're a year bigger, stronger and smarter, so we're bound to see some improvement, and they've worked really hard," Black said.
Senior tailback Jake Middleton has taken over for McMillian as the Bears' primary ball carrier and has rushed for 1,350 yards and 20 touchdowns through seven games. Juniors Treyvon Long and Cole WIlson, both capable of big plays as a runner or receiver, each reached the end zone in last week's win.
Senior quarterback Austin Maggard sat out the second half last week after suffering a shoulder injury and is out for the year with torn cartilage. Junior receiver Scotty Bailey will take over at quarterback. Wilson also took some snaps at the position and gives the Bears something of a "WIldcat" look when he's at quarterback.
"We have to execute offensively and try to take advantage of what they're giving to us," Black said. "Defensively, we have to be ready for a very brutal game. They will try to run the football, and we have to be ready to try and meet that challenge. We have to try and match their physicality and get some stops. They killed us last year on the line. Every time we did get an opportunity to get an out, instead of getting an out we gave up a touchdown. I haven't seen anybody stand in there toe to toe with them, but we have to try and do that to slow them down a little."
Freshman Zack Mills has taken over as the Colonels' top rusher this year with 548 yards and four touchdowns. Junior Austin Hooper has 496 yards and Bryant has 413 with six touchdowns. Ysidro has rushed for 349 yards and has completed 20 of 43 passes for 297 yards and five touchdowns. Tyler Sears has seven receptions and Mills has five, including four for touchdowns, to lead the Colonels.
"They play hard. They have a good offense and like to do a lot of things. You have to stay honest with them," Larkey said. "Boston Bryant is a big fullback and you have to watch the quarterback on the option and their speed on the outside. Our defense has their hands full. We have to win the war on the trenches."
Even though Harlan County won convincingly last year and is at home, the Colonels appear to be a popular pick to unseat the Bears as district champs.
"I think a lot of the talk is due to the fact we've had some not so good games," Larkey said. "I think our schedule has been rather tough with Morristown West and Knox Central, plus a pretty talented George Rogers Clark team. I feel a lot of people think we're down this year. But that's good. Let them pick Whitley County. I enjoy being the underdog every now and then."
Black says the Colonels' success has led to a confidence boost.
"We're making plays that we couldn't make last year," he said. "That's a big factor. You make one, then you end making up two or three."
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Gameday.
Whitley's got a good team. WC wins 21-7
It's GAME DAY in the MOUNTAINS!!!!

GO BEARS!!!!!:Wave: GO BEARS!!!!!

HC by 2 TD's
GAMEDAY!!!!

Go Bears!!!

WIN FOR #10
Where is the game gonna be played at.
Hope the rain holds off!!


Go Black Bears!!!!
Gameday!!!


GO Bears!!!!!!!!!!:redboxer:
colonelking69 Wrote:Where is the game gonna be played at.

old field.
I really hope itk doesnt rain.
We'll see you all their tonight.
Black Bears by bout tree fiddy.
Whitley County by a td Austin, zack Mills, Jackson and Hooper are by far the best set of backs in the mountains. This will be no upset. 14Hc 21WC. Nichols is better than any defense linebacker HC has
Harlan by 7 or more.
I can feel it coming in the air tonight...
topnotch Wrote:Whitley County by a td Austin, zack Mills, Jackson and Hooper are by far the best set of backs in the mountains. This will be no upset. 14Hc 21WC. Nichols is better than any defense linebacker HC has



They did have 50 yards rushing tonight.
I think Carson Whitehead was the best player on the field tonight, especially linebacker.
Well far as best backfield in the mountains well you saw them and the best linebacker in the mountains well you saw him also but they play for HC. This game was never close, the first drive took maybe 5 plays and then it was on.
Bear_Paw Wrote:I can feel it coming in the air tonight...

Guess it really was in the air! Way to go Bears!

Forum Jump:

Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)