One week after focusing most of its efforts on stopping the run during a 25-17 loss to Lynn Camp, the Harlan Green Dragons have turned their attention to preparing for one of the top passing offenses in Class A football as they travel to Williamsburg for a 7:30 p.m. clash.

A former district rival, Williamsburg (6-1) is in the driver’s seat for the championship of its new home (District 6) and can clinch the title with a win next week at home against Lynn Camp. The Yellow Jackets have reeled off six straight wins since a season-opening loss 19-14 to Frankfort and are ranked seventh in the state in the Associated Press poll.

J.B. Donahue has seen a lot of Williamsburg teams in his 16 years as Harlan’s head coach and says this year’s version is one of the best.

“I think it’s one of the better teams. They are better up front than they have been,” he said.

The Jackets feature a potent aerial assault under the direction of 6-foot-3 junior Ryan Moses, who has completed 99 of 172 passes for 1,658 yards and 20 touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Aaron Brock leads in receptions with 41 for 780 yards and 11 touchdowns. Junior receiver Dusty Brown has 23 catches for 405 yards, and 6-4, 225-pound junior tight end Daniel Pettit has 22 catches for 369 yards.

Ed Lawson, a senior fullback, has rushed for 860 yards on 109 carries, and Moses has added 436 yards on 99 rushes.

“Our offense has been executing very well,” Williamsburg coach Jerry Herron said. “Our offensive line has played very well this year, and our quarterbacks and running backs have had a good year. I’ve been pleased with our offensive production. Defensively, we’ve improved quite a bit, but we’re still trying to line up correctly at times and tackle well.”

Donahue is impressed with the timing of the Williamsburg offense, noting it is difficult to pressure them “because they get rid of the ball so quickly.” The Jackets have scored at least 36 points in each game during their current win streak and their 286 points for the season ranks third in the state in Class A behind only Beechwood and Lexington Christian.

The Jackets’ defense has been stronger than usual, led by senior tackle Tyler Rollins (6-1, 260) and senior linebacker Garrett Phillips with 42 and 37 solo tackles, respectively.

Harlan (1-6) features a ground-oriented attack led by junior tailback Andrew Link, who has rushed for 764 yards, and an improving offensive line. Keeping the Williamsburg offense off the field with a ball-control offense could go a long way in helping the Dragons stay within striking distance Friday.

“We need to control the football and get first downs,” Donahue said, noting that a consistent ground game could provide a huge lift for the Harlan defense.

The Dragons also showed improvement in the passing game last week. Ben Cornett, Eric Robinson, Allen Hensley and Vince Bianchi had catches for Harlan against Lynn Camp. Aaron Carr played well at quarterback in his first start in place of Kenny Pennington, who is expected to return this week after recovering from a concussion.

Harlan played perhaps its best game of the year in the hard-fought loss to Lynn Camp, and Donahue likes the way his junior-dominated squad is maturing.

“I think the kids are gaining a lot of confidence, and they realized they played a good football team last week and played them pretty tough,” he said. “I hope we’re not satisfied to be there. I hope they realize how far they’ve come and that we need to go that much further.”

Despite their better record, the Jackets won’t overlook Harlan, according to Herron, who pointed out that he is 0-2 against Donahue and the Dragons.

“I learned a long time ago coaching against coach Donahue not to overlook his team,” Herron said. “He’s one of the schools I’ve not beaten since I’ve been a head coach, so we’re taking this very serious and trying to get ready. We know he’ll have a well-coached team that will line up and execute well.

“We know they’ve had a year where they’ve not had a lot of success, and we know they’ll be ready to play when they come over to our place.”