It was a celebration 100 years in the making.

Last Friday night, Pikeville celebrated its 100th year of football.

Every former player, coach, or support staff from the 1950’s to current was on hand at Hillard Howard Field to watch the Panthers battle against the Powell County Pirates. 

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Cory Vance

One of those on hand was legendary coach himself Hillard Howard. Howard led the Panthers to three straight state championships in 1987, 1988 and 1989.

Pikeville gave its fans plenty more to celebrate as the Panthers rolled to a 56-0 win over Powell County.

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Cory Vance

The Panthers were looking to get the celebration started early and  exploded out of the gates with 42 points in the first quarter behind  big offensive and defensive plays, including two pick sixes by Cole Slone in the first quarter.

Powell County tried to open the game with an onside kick to try and fool Pikeville, but the Panthers were ready and recovered the kick. With the recovery, Pikeville had good field position on their own 46-yard line.

Just two plays later, Pikeville found the end zone when Jayden Justice scampered 38 yards for the TD. After the good PAT kick by Steven Gonzalez-Santes, Pikeville took a 7-0 lead with 11:30 remaining in the first quarter.

On Powell county’s first possession, the Panthers hit the Pirates with a haymaker when Pikeville’s Cole Slone intercepted Powell County’s pass and returned it 30 yards to the house for a score. The pick-six increased Pikeville’s lead to 14-0 after the good PAT kick with 10:30 remaining in the second quarter. 

Pikeville was able to keep the pressure on the Pirates when the Panthers’ Harrison Fields hauled in a 14-yard TD catch. After a good PAT kick, pushed Pikeville’s lead to 21-0 with 7:00 to play in the first quarter.

Pikeville added to the lead when Jeremiah Anderson rumbled in from three yards out for the score to increase Pikeville’s lead to 28-0 after a good PAT kick with 5:52 remaining in the first quarter.

With Pikeville’s offense and defense still on fire, the Panthers found the end zone again on a three-yard TD catch by the Mikey Hager to increase the lead to 35-0 after a good PAT kick with 1:15 remaining in the first quarter. 

Pikeville’s defense found the end zone for a second time in the first quarter when the Slone intercepted his second Pirates’ pass and returned it 17 yards for a TD. After a good PAT kick with eight seconds remaining in the first quarter, the Panthers held a 42-0 lead.

Pikeville found the end zone again in the second quarter when the Panthers’ Jaxon Castle ran it in from three yards out to push Pikeville’s lead to 49-0 with 4:00 left to play in the second quarter.

Pikeville was able to carry the 49-0 lead into the half.

The Panthers added another score late in the third quarter when Griffin White hauled in an eight-yard TD catch to increase Pikeville lead to 56-0 after a good PAT kick with 1:00 remaining in the third quarter.

Pikeville put itin cruise control the rest of the way to get the 100 year celebration under way with the 56-0 win over the Powell County Pirates.

With the win, Pikeville got back to .500 on the season with a 3-3 overall record.