Sounds like the Black Bears were dominant on both sides of the ball. They scored on 5 out of 7 possessions and held the Redhounds out of the end zone and minus 28 yards rushing until the reserves were in the game. Harlan County has to be considered the preseason favorite to come out of the east in 5A.

 

Harlan County 35 Corbin 12

No doubt Harlan County is the favorite in the east.

 

Do we think this is a matter of HC being that good, Corbin headed for a long year, or both?

Both. Harlan Co. will have an easy path to Bowling Green. They probably benefited from the new classification better than anyone else.

 

Corbin looked poorly prepared for the HC defense. Not a good job by the staff preparing them for the defense they faced. Corbin is very young not very big but will get better as the season goes. Too much pride and tradition to go away quietly.

SARR, how does Harlan County compare with the teams that have been coming out of the west in the 5A finals recently?

HC has great size and strength very, very physical on both sides of the ball, unlike the teams from the west. They don't have the speed the teams from the west have had but play a style that don't depend on it. They are a 3 yard and a cloud of dust team. Control the clock and play good defense. Their style of play will cause lots of problems for teams that don't see that week in and week out. They will be a tough out for everyone.

How will they handle a team with a lot of speed like the ones that come out of the west?

I am not expert but I will give my opinion. Coach Larkey's teams (Rock and now Harlan Co.) do a good job of containing the edge and keeping offenses boxed in. They bring pressure every play off the edges in an attempt to force you to run between the OT's. The will give up the big play sometimes but driving the ball is very difficult. On offense they have the perfect plan to attack speed, run straight at it and control the clock.

I am not expert but I will give my opinion. Coach Larkey's teams (Rock and now Harlan Co.) do a good job of containing the edge and keeping offenses boxed in. They bring pressure every play off the edges in an attempt to force you to run between the OT's. The will give up the big play sometimes but driving the ball is very difficult. On offense they have the perfect plan to attack speed, run straight at it and control the clock.

 

In recent years that hasn't worked out very well for the power teams against Central, Bowling Green, Fort Campbell, Mayfield, Paducah Tilghman and other "speed teams". It has taken a more balanced offense to beat them.

I don't consider Belfry a power team. They run the Belly read, which is more of an option attack.

 

Ft. Campbell did beat NCC which was a power team.

 

Refresh my memory which power team did Bowling Green beat or PT? Can't remember.

I don't consider Belfry a power team. They run the Belly read, which is more of an option attack.

 

Ft. Campbell did beat NCC which was a power team.

 

Refresh my memory which power team did Bowling Green beat or PT? Can't remember.

 

Isn't Harlan County running a version of the spread option attack this season? And Belfry is still a 95% run oriented offense, they didn't run nearly as much option last season as in the past. My point is that for the most part one dimensional run-oriented offenses do not fare well against speed on defense.

I don't consider Belfry a power team. They run the Belly read, which is more of an option attack.

 

Ft. Campbell did beat NCC which was a power team.

Refresh my memory which power team did Bowling Green beat or PT? Can't remember.

 

NewCath was as much of a power team as Ft. Campbell. They were a read/option team in those games, not the team of last season.