Strong Run Game Leads to State Honors for Harlan Co. 8th Graders

The Kentucky Middle School Football Association released its Regional Player of the Year Honorable Mention Teams recently, and four class of 2026 Harlan County athletes earned nods. Despite being eliminated from the state playoffs in the opening round, the Black Bears showed a lot of progress on the season from start to finish. Having a tough schedule in a very difficult region, Harlan County was in most of the games this season until the very end and proved they have some tough kids in southeast Kentucky. Here’s a look at the four 8^th graders who picked up honors. <strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-226532 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/11/GaigeBailey2-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Gaige Bailey | Running Back</strong> One of two very talented backs on the Harlan County 8^th grade team, to see Bailey earn an award here is no surprise. He runs with a low center of gravity and picks up the necessary yards to keep the chains moving. Also a talented basketball player, Bailey is a good athlete who made a number of big plays offensively throughout the season and stood out on special teams too. <strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-226533 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/11/BraydenSmith-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Brayden Smith | Offensive Line/Defensive Line</strong> Nicknamed Rooster, Smith was a standout two-way lineman for Harlan County throughout this season and his whole middle school career. The wide body has great feet for a lineman at this stage of development, probably coming from his prowess on the basketball court as well. One of the better linemen in the state, he’s represented Kentucky in a several All-Star events and should continue to be one of the top linemen in the area. <strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-226534 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/11/JayceBrown-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Jayce Brown | Running Back</strong> In a talented backfield for Harlan County, Brown had a bunch of special runs during the season that displayed how dangerous he can be. Brown is a speedster who used his legs to bounce runs outside and find paydirt. With this speed and quickness it’s no surprise he’s also a standout on the track and basketball court. He brings a championship pedigree, winning a county basketball championship as a 6^th grader and also ever-improving 100 and 200 meter times. <strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-226535 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/11/BraydenClay-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Brayden Clay | Offensive Line/Defensive Line</strong> Clay is a big, powerful kid who is easy to spot on the field. The versatile big man made his presence felt on both sides of the ball for the Black Bears. Offensively he paved the way for a strong running game that saw two of their backs earn Regional Player of the Year Honorable Mention’s. Defensively he was a bear in the middle of the defensive line that warranted a lot of double teams. While he didn’t rack up crazy stats, as lineman usually don’t, Clay was an unquestioned difference-maker upfront.