PINEVILLE — Bell County left no doubt Friday, delivering a dominant performance to capture the 52nd District boys’ championship with a convincing 72-40 victory over Harlan.
“Really proud of all of our guys we came out ready to go and was really good from the tip, especially on the defensive side of the ball,” Bell County coach Brad Sizemore said. “Harlan gave us a really tough game, especially in the first half, but our guys stayed the course and our defense and rebounding got the job done. I’m just really happy for them because I know how bad they want to win this one.”
The Bobcats (25-6) set the tone early and never let up, building steady separation in each quarter before pulling away completely in the second half.
Bell County led 11-5 after the first quarter, stretched the margin to 27-13 at halftime, and then put the game out of reach by outscoring Harlan 20-10 in the third quarter. A 25-point fourth quarter sealed the title.
Blake Burnett led Bell County with 18 points. Braxton Ferguson added 15 points while Ethan Buell chipped in 14 points to give the Bobcats three players in double figures.
Harlan (12-19) was led by Kobe Noe with 15 points while Jaxson Perry added 11 points.
