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By Bill Templeton

Sports Writer

It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for the youth-laden Harlan County girls soccer team and coach Hannah Pittman over the last week.
The ride began on the road with a record-setting offensive performance by freshman Adriana Rowe in a 12-7 win at Knox Central, followed by a narrow, 3-2 setback at the hands of Bell County.
The Lady Bears returned to JACES feld earlier this week, and dropped an 8-0 decision to Corbin.
In the win at Knox Central, Rowe scored a school-record 10 goals and has a total of 17 markers during the first seven games of her first varsity season. She is currently ranked among the top 20 high school goal-scorers in Kentucky.
“Adriana is having one of the best offensive seasons in our team’s history,” Pittman said. “I expect her to continue to climb further up the rankings as the season progresses, and once we get Makenna Dillman back controlling the field at center-mid I expect to see even more goals from her.”
Rowe scored both HC goals in the loss at Bell. Senior Amelia Kazy was credited with an assist for the Lady Bears, while junior goalkeeper Willow Peace collected 24 saves.
Through the team’s first seven games, Peace has been credited with 173 saves, ranking her No. 2 in the state of Kentucky.
“Anyone who has a general knowledge about soccer can tell you that there’s no position on the field that is more stressful than goalie,” Pittman said. “It’s a mentally tough position to play, and the pressure is not something everyone can handle.
“We are so lucky to have Willow, who plays with determination and confidence every single game, as our final line of defense. She has made such great strides from last year and is cementing her legacy as one of the best goalies HCHS has ever seen.”
In addition to the standout performances by Rowe and Peace, Pittman mentioned sophomore Hailey Perkins, junior Rileigh Duff and freshman Shawnee Peace as other key contributors to an up-and-down 3-4 start to a season that has been affected by injuries.
“Perkins in particular has stepped up big for us, contributing a lot of minutes in the midfield the last few games,” Pittman said. “I’m excited to see her continue to grow throughout the year as she gets more comfortable with being on the field for long periods of time.
“Rileigh Duff and Shawnee Peace have also been major difference makers for us recently, as they have shifted into new positions nearly every game to help us counteract all the injuries.”
On the heels of their home loss Tuesday to Corbin, the Lady Bears now face a stretch of four straight road games, before returning to JACES on Sept. 17 against Perry Central.
Following the lengthy road-heavy portion of the schedule, the Lady Bears will play four of their final regular-season games on home turf.
“We’ve got a tough schedule ahead, including games on the road against unfamiliar teams,” Pittman said. “Knott and Pike are completely new opponents for us, and we are excited for the challenge of playing someone we know virtually nothing about.
“Middlesboro on the road is going to be a big game for us as well. That’s the only district opponent we’ve yet to face this season, so we are all eager to play against them and show them how much we’ve grown since they beat us in the district championship last fall.”

Harlan County boys soccer

Led by senior goalkeeper Travis Burkhart, the HC boys soccer team has won its last three games, after opening the season with consecutive defeats.
Burkhart ranks among the state’s top keepers, amassing 97 saves and a per-game average of 19.4. Through this week, Burkhart is ranked sixth among the top 50 Kentucky high school goalkeepers.
Seniors Bradley Brock (six) and Ray Splawn (five) have combined for 11 of the Bears’ 18 goals through the team’s first five games.