On their way to a regional championship in 2017 and a district championship in 2018, the Harlan County Black Bears were tested early against local Class A power Hazard. HCHS coach Eddie Creech has reminded his Black Bears several times during the summer that they failed both of those tests.

They will get a third chance Friday when the Bears open their 2019 schedule at Hazard.

“Hazard is always in the mix in all three sports. They don’t always have the roster size of a 4A or 5A school, but they have always have the same amount of athletes and football players,” Creech said. :I have told our guys all summer that Hazard has the two best middle linebackers we will face. I expect them to come out and play their typical hard-nosed style of football on defense and show us a mix on offense. It will be a dog fight.”

Reece Fletcher, who led last year’s 7-4 Bulldogs with 101 tackles, is back to anchor the Hazard defense, along with Mason Collins. Fletcher also had a big game on offense in Hazard’s 43-26 win at Coal Miners Memorial Stadium as he ran for 78 yards on only three carries. Hazard won 17-6 at home in the first meeting between the two teams in 2017.

Hazard lost its top two players from a year ago in quarterback Bailey Blair, who completed 12 of 15 passes against the Bears for 178 yards and a touchdown, and Skylar Pelfrey, who ran for 135 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries, but the Bulldogs return six starters on offense and five on defense and is again among the Class A favorites in eastern Kentucky.

Harlan County brings a 1-0 record into the game following a forfeit win last week over Harlan. The Bears bring back 16 of 22 starters from a district championship team that advanced to the second round of the 5A playoffs before falling to Southwestern. The Bears started 0-4 last year but won four of the next six, including a playoff victory over South Laurel.

Senior running backs Benjamin Landis and Tyler Casolari lead a deep group of HCHS running backs. Landis, with 759 yards rushing on 118 carries, and Casolari, with 562 yards on 121 carries, are both expected to push for 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

Junior linebackers Josh Turner and Hunter Blevins lead the Harlan County defense, along with senior end Elisha Smallwood, senior safety Jacob Bailey and junior tackle Jordan Steele.

“We have to score points by finishing drives, play great pass defense against their timing routes and screen game and limit turnovers,” said Creech.

Smallwood is expected to play after being slowed most of the summer by an injury. Creech said Bailey and junior linebacker Gavin Ewald were both questionable for the game as they work back from injuries.