PAUL LUNSFORD

Contributing writer

Bell County senior running back Dawson Woolum may have had his best game this season Friday as Bell County downed visiting Fleming County 47-6.

Woolum gained 143 yards on 14 carries and scored five touchdowns as the 10-2 Bobcats will advance to the Class 3A Regional Finals at home against Ashland Blazer (8-4) on Friday.

The Tomcats opened the KHSAA Playoffs with a 49-6 victory over Magoffin County and rolled to a 48-7 win at home against Belfry last week.

Junior running back Daniel Thomas added 131 yards on 16 carries as Bell County totaled 333 yards of rushing.

Bell County freshman QB Blake Burnett completed four of six passes for 46 yards.

Fleming County had 83 yards of offense for the game and ended the season with a 7-5 record.

The Bobcats, who collected 19 first downs on the night, opened the scoring with 8:57 remaining in the first quarter as Woolum scored on a 22-yard run.

With 1:36 to play in the period, Woolum went in from the 1, to make it 12-0.

Senior Ethan Raby found the end zone in the second quarter for the Bobcats as he went three yards for a TD. Bell High led 18-0.

Thomas scored on a 27-yard touchdown run with 3:21 to play in the first half. Woolum added the two-point conversion and pushed the lead to 26-0.

Woolum scored on a 4-yard run and added a touchdown from the 26-yard line as the lead swelled to 40-0. Senior George Pace added a pair of extra points.

Bell County closed its scoring with 48 seconds left in the third quarter as Woolum broke loose and raced 51 yards for the TD. Pace added the extra point.

Fleming County avoided the shutout with seven minutes to play in the game as senior Caleb Igo scored.

Austin Trent, a junior running back, led the Panthers with 55 yards on 17 carries. Igo added 42 yards.

Trent also led the Fleming County defense with 11 tackles. Igo followed with eight. Junior Isaac Frye and Kaleb McIntyre, a freshman, each had six tackles.

The Bell County defense had 10 tackles for lost yardage on the night.

Sophomore defensive end Hayden Dameron powered the Bobcats with eight tackles, including three for lost yardage. Woolum, Raby and Blake Evans each had five tackles. Daniel Osbourne, Joshua Owens and Teddy Saylor added four tackles apiece. Evans and Saylor had two tackles for lost yardage.

This will be the sixth meeting between Bell County and Ashland Blazer since 1999.

The Bobcats claimed a 41-7 win playoff action in 1999, but the Tomcats posted a 48-28 win the following year in the playoffs.

Bell County won (14-12, in 2002) and 13-3, in 2004). The last time the two teams met was Oct. 24, 2020. Ashland Blazer blanked the Bobcats 35-0.

The Bobcats hope to get coach Dudley Hilton his 420 win in his 44th year of coaching.