Green Dragons stay close against defending champs before falling

Harlan pushes North Laurel before losing 49-36 in 13th Region Tournament

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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The Harlan Green Dragons gave the defending 13th Region champion North Laurel Jaguars all they could handle before falling 49-36 in the opening round of the regional tournament. Harlan trailed by just six points heading into the fourth quarter, but couldn't overcome North Laurel's size and experience down the stretch.

Why it matters

Harlan's strong performance against the tournament favorite Jaguars shows the progress the Green Dragons have made after winning just 11 games over the previous two seasons. The young Harlan squad pushed North Laurel, led by 13th Region Player of the Year Reece Davidson, and gained valuable experience for the future.

The details

Harlan fell behind 13-4 early but rallied to cut the deficit to 15-10 by the end of the first quarter. The Green Dragons continued to battle in the second quarter and trailed just 26-20 at halftime. Harlan even pulled even to start the third quarter before North Laurel went on a 9-0 run to regain control. The Jaguars' size and offensive rebounding proved to be too much for the Dragons down the stretch.

  • The game was played on Thursday, March 6, 2026 in the opening round of the 13th Region Tournament.

The players

Reece Davidson

The 13th Region's player of the year, Davidson led North Laurel with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Corey Cunagin

The sophomore forward added 14 points for the Jaguars.

Izack Saylor

The sophomore guard led Harlan with 14 points.

Legend Mimes

The junior forward provided a big boost off the bench for Harlan, scoring 12 points.

Derrick Akal

The Harlan head coach praised his team's effort and progress, despite the loss.

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What they’re saying

“It was important that we got a chance to play Bell (last week in the district) and North to see what it looks like. You say you want to be the best then you have to see what it looks like. I thought tonight they got a feel of it to see how strong, physical and confident they were. That's what we're working toward.”

— Derrick Akal, Harlan Head Coach (harlanenterprise.net)

“I think experience we've gained the past month with the All 'A' region and All 'A' state helped, but they were just bigger and stronger. They missed some shots, and we made some shots. The game was more a pace that we could handle rather than being up and down.”

— Derrick Akal, Harlan Head Coach (harlanenterprise.net)

What’s next

North Laurel will play the winner of the Corbin/Knox Central game in the 13th Region Tournament semifinals on Saturday.

The takeaway

Harlan's strong performance against the defending regional champions shows the progress the young Green Dragons have made this season, and provides optimism for the future as they bring back four starters and several key reserves next year.