Old School Dr.

That really shocks me that you feel that way about Justice. I absolutely love the way he plays and believe his is one of the top 5 players returning in the state next year. He has the heart of a lion along with tremendous quicknes, leadership and ball handling skills and is a tremendous defensive player too.

Garrett Polson's play the entire tournament. He put West Jessamine on his back and almost carried them all the way to the Sweet 16 Championship game!!

Along with Elisha justice and Garret Polson, two point guards that are truly a treat to watch.

Corbin is starting to look like they may very well be a pretty special team. Bell has a lot of work to do, but will improve. Corbin might be a 13th region team that could make some noise at Rupp if they can make it out of here.

Lewis Morris is a very smart and intense coach and he will have his kids ready for this one. The problem is that Bell's team leader and best player is in the process of getting football out of his system, while Corbin's top 4 or 5 players are in midseason form now and ready to roll. IMO this will be an ugly game similar to the Bell/Knox game with Bell battling Corbin's tails off before falling late, but getting closer to being where they want to be and if Zachary has the same type of desire and determination for the basketball team as he did for the football team Bell will be a very tough out by season's end. Corbin 56 Bell 49

Whitaker is probably THE Best PG in the state and Hazard is for real!!! They have a great point guard and size inside along with some other nice complimentary players. This is the best true Mountain team since Harlan's Charles Thomas teams. I believe they will have a legitimate shot at both state championships (All A and Sweet 16 at Rupp)

Actually 68 points is the most they have beaten someone by, but have beaten several by 50 plus.

Elliot County has a very good team, but they give an entirely whole new meaning to Blowing out an inferior opponent. We traditionally think of a 30 point blowout as beating someone really bad and a 40 point blowout as destroying a team, but with Elliot County over the last couple years they have beat teams by 50, 60, 70 and even 80 points. This unfortunately for them does not mean that they are the best team in the state, but this year they just might be a cinderella type team that could win it all???? I know I may sound like I dont approve of them beating teams by ungodly amounts of points, but I do like their team and enjoy watching them play very much. Good luck this year!!!!

Sometimes even the Homer refs they get down there (and they are homers and everbody knows it) cant make enough bad calls to take a game from a determined, diciplined team.

It seems to me that for a team to expect to have a shot at Bell county they would need to be able to throw the ball pretty well or have a really fast running back or two that might be able to beat Bell to the edge and break some long runs. Does anyone know if Bullit east have either of these two things.

I dont think ANYONE in the 13th expects Corbin to "easily cut the 13th region nets down" Alot of people probably feel that they have a good shot at it, but easily cut the nets down/Not. They have a strong veteran team, but I dont believe they are a top 10 team in the state. As for the 13th region, until someone can dethrone South Laurel they are the team to beat IMO.

This should be a TREMENDOUS game without a doubt. I havent seen Boyle or Bell this year, but from all that I have heard and read I would have to believe the home field advantage gives Bell a slight edge. Before last week I would have thought Bell had a solid edge, but after barely surviving KC I have to really wonder. Dudley is a tremendous coach however and it doesnt seem like Boyle has the kind of game breaking speed Catholic had last year and that speed was what beat Bell, so I would guess: Bell 24 Boyle 21 Merrick wins it with a field goal!!!

Great job Central!! Not taking anything away from Central, but this could be a sign that Bell is not quite as dominant as advertised. Their suspect schedule may catch up to them when they run into Boyle County.

I hate to agree with you sir, but you probably have it summed up pretty good. I hope that somehow in 5 or 6 weeks the Bears have become better tacklers and have a better scheme defensively to handle Breathitt, but the scores of their games since the Breathitt game would not actually make anyone believe they have gotten better defensively. That combined with traveling two and a half hours tells me it could be a tough night. I would like to see someone step up and look like they want to tackle Fugate this time any way and make a game of it. Go get em Bears!!!

I understand, I am sure Somerset is young and believe me I have a great respect for the football tradition there. I just think sometimes that it is good to give an opponent credit and not necessarily point out all the reasons why your team wasnt good enough to come out on top. Good luck to the Jumpers in the playoffs. By the way how is the Cole kid doing at Vandy?

Sounds a lot like excuses to me!! Harlan is 3 or 4 td's better at Harlan

IMO who ever wins this game will go down to defeat on LOG MOUNTAIN in Bell County the following week!!!! I believe that game, if it happens will be at Bell.

Yes, sorry about that I think it was HC's freshman team that beat Bell. I dont know about the (minus a few players) but I do remember it being the freshman team that beat Bell and not the JV team.

Was the final score 38-2, if so that souds like a beat down. However if Bell had to stop them 4 times inside the 10 WOW that is pretty incredible and probably not as bad a beat down as the score might indicate. This game makes the win Harlan County had over Bell's JV all the more impressive.

I totally agree with the plan and wish they would have actually allowed the td run the play before to allow more time to score, but the 2 point play threw a big monkey wrench into the plan. Would have been nice to stop it, but Estill has a good power game and is a solid football team, they made the play and sealed the win. Hats off to em!! Keep your heads up bears, I think prgress has definitely been made since the Breathitt game,good luck in the playoffs.

Wow!!!! What an unbelievable (magical) night for Mr. Gilliam and the HC Black Bears. Who would have expected something like this!! Middlesboro plays an excellent (undefeated) Corbin team last week in a tough defensive struggle (14-7) then the Black Bears lay 58 points and 630 rushing yards on them after they just a couple weeks ago allowed 600 plus yards to Breathitt County in a severe Breathitt beat down. The upcoming HC/ Estill County game will be a very interesting matchup given the fact that Breathitt only got by Estill 7-6.

Harlan County's defense has not shown the ability to stop a quality offensive team yet this year. Middlesboro has a couple good backs and one of them is not just a good back, but a great back with the heart of a Lion (Adams) and I believe he will have a HUGE night. They also have a very dangerous threat at Wide receiver, he is #12 and he is 6'2" with good speed and quickness. The thing IMO Harlan has to hope for is that they can score a bunch and try to keep up with M'boro. Middlesboro 34 Harlan Co 20

To think Harlan Co will beat a solid Middlesboro team that almost beat one of the top teams in the mountains (Corbin) last week by this kind of score is not very realistic at all and that is putting it about as nicely as I can. IMO at best this will be a good game and Harlan squeeks out a close one, but I would have to think Middlesboro would be the favorite.

Corbin is clearly the better team IMO and Michael Campbell was the guy that was a man among boys. Watkins has good speed, but Campbell looked like a beast on both sides of the ball and does an excellent job kicking also. Give the kid (campbell) his props, he looked like the guy that will be very instrumental in getting them deep in the playoffs, especially with Fritz done for the year.

I dont know much about Powell County, but if Harlan County plays anything like they did against Breathitt they will not only not blow this team out, as many on this thread have suggested they might very well get beat.