Harlan managed to wrap-up a home playoff game and it’s district’s No. 2 seed thanks to a 42-20 win over struggling Pineville.
The Green Dragons (7-2) received another 100-yard plus rushing effort from Jayden Ward while he also found paydirt four times in the win.
The loss dropped the Mountain Lions to 7-2 after they started the season with a perfect 7-0 record. Pineville will be the No. 3 seed in their respective district and will now travel during first round action of the Class A playoffs in two weeks.
Harlan controlled the first quarter with Jayden Ward scoring on a five-yard touchdown run to give his team a 6-0 lead.
The Green Dragons had a chance to go ahead by even more, but Pineville’s defense made a key stop at the two-yard line as Harlan failed to convert on a fourth and goal situation.
Will Austin made an acrobatic catch in the second quarter to extend Harlan’s lead to 12-0. He tipped the ball and fell on his back and caught the 13-yard touchdown reception with 7:45 left.
Sawyer Thompson’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Landon Robbins cut the Mountain Lions’ deficit to 12-6 at the 5:58 mark of the second quarter but Jayden Ward’s 20-yard touchdown reception from Donovan Montanaro gave the Green Dragons an 18-6 cushion at halftime.
Ward’s third rushing touchdown of the game gave Harlan a dominating, 26-6, advantage with 9:32 remaining in the third quarter.
Robbins added a 13-yard touchdown run with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter while Thompson’s pass to Luke Akers for the two-point conversion was good, cutting the Green Dragons’ lead to 26-14.
A one-yard keeper by Montanaro combined with Ward’s two-point conversion pushed Harlan’s lead back to 20 points (34-14) entering the fourth quarter.
Landon King’s seven-yard touchdown run cut Pineville’s deficit to 34-20 with8:24 left in regulation but Ward put an end to any Mountain Lion comeback with his fourth rushing touchdown of the contest, a seven-yarder, with 2:07 remaining.
