John Lewis’ 11-year run as the baseball coach at Harlan County High School has ended as Lewis confirmed recently that he was stepping down from the post he has held since the school opened.

Lewis finished with an overall record of 191-155 with three 52nd District Tournament championships and one regional runner-up finish. The Bears posted five straight 20-plus win seasons midway though his run as coach, highlighted by a 28-10 mark in 2013 when HCHS knocked off regional favorite South Laurel in the regional semifinals before falling to North Laurel in the finals.

Harlan County’s pitching was especially strong during the string of winning seasons with a rotation led by Tyler Boggs, Connor Leisge and James Bond. Braxton Fields was a standout shortstop on the first four HCHS teams before going on the play at Georgetown College.

Boggs was a five-year starter at catcher during that time period and also signed with Georgetown after graduating in 2013. Boggs, Bond and Andrew Dozier were seniors on the 2013 team. Leisge, Scotty Bailey, Anthony Jenkins, Blake Rutherford, Tyler Cornett and Cole Wilson were seniors in 2014 when the Bears won their last district title.

Lewis’ stepson, Jared Sizemore, who signed with Union, was a star pitcher for the Bears from 2013 to 2017, leading HCHS to a regional tournament win over Corbin as a senior.

The Bears dropped to 8-17 this season after losing their top pitcher, Benjamin Lewis, Lewis’ son, to an injury in a district game at Middlesboro.

“I just wanted to spend more time with Lisa (Lewis) and watch Jacey (Lewis, a junior on the HCHS basketball team) finish up her high school sports. I felt like I lost a lot of drive when Benjamin couldn’t come back. I felt like it was a good time to go with Jared and Benjamin graduating,” Lewis said. “I want to thank every player for their respect, dedication and commitment each of them gave me over the years.”

There is no official word yet on Lewis’ replacement, but assistant coach Drew Chamberlain is a likely candidate.

“I want to thank Chamberlain, Mark (Doss) and Jon Steele. It was the best group of guys in the world to work with. When you work with people you can trust, it means everything,” Lewis said. “It all goes back to Bobby Rutherford and Stan Fields helping me get this program started. I won’t forget them and all the parents that put forth effort to help the HC baseball program.”

A standout baseball and basketball player at Cumberland High School, Lewis played for two coaching legends in Roger Morris and Ralph Roberts.

A four-year starter at catcher, Lewis was on the receiving end for three of the best pitchers in county history in Lewis Morris, Otis Lewis and Freddie Maggard. Morris was named the state’s Associated Press Athlete of the Year in 1985 before going on to play basketball in college followed by a coaching career that included a district championship last year at Middlesboro.

Otis Lewis was John Lewis’ older brother and went on to pitch at Western Kentucky University. Maggard was drafted by the Kansas City Royals after high school but chose instead to play football at the University of Kentucky and was a three-year starter at quarterback.

The Redskins advanced to the state final four in 1985, winning district, regional and sectional championships. Lewis was a key player on 13th Region championship teams in 1986, 1987 and 1988, part of the longest run of district and regional championships in Harlan County history under Morris.

Lewis was an even better basketball player in high school and was the Enterprise’s county player of the year in both 1987 and 1988 before following several Cumberland teammates to Tennessee Wesleyan, including Richard Washington, Derrick Akal, Gary Amos and Paul Gaffney.

After college, Lewis eventually returned to Harlan County and coached baseball at Cawood High School before being named the first baseball coach at HCHS when the school opened in 2008.

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Lewis’ HCHS record

2019 8-17

2018 11-14

2017 11-16

2016 15-16

2015 22-8

2014 21-17

2013 28-10

2012 26-7

2011 27-12

2010 14-19

2009 8-19

Total 191-155

District champs — 2011, 2013, 2014

Region runner-up — 2013