[Panther Thunder]

I do not see Lafayette,Tates Creek and LCA coming to play Pikeville. I see Powell County and Tellico TN but as I have said before that is SV and ER's fault,haha. It is time for people to realize that Pikeville is not the big draw it once was. They still have a good program but not what it was in the 90's because back then they played and usually beat the best.Coach Mac does a great job and they have some talent but not like it used to be. Why blame others when everyone knows there has been a decline?

Tellico and Powell were supposed to be Franklin County and Harrison County and you know it. Franklin County royally screwed the PCB the past two seasons and the committee had to find two teams that would come play under a one year contract.

And while Pikeville is no the draw it used to be (or as you say), a bigger problem is that now-a-days everyone under the sun hosts bowl games and there are a lot of them through out the state that would mean more money and less travel for a lot of schools. Pikeville may not be a draw like they used to be but that hasn't stopped Ashland from bringing them into Putnam twice, Lexington Catholic doing a Home/Home, Corbin inviting PHS to their bowl for 4 years (vs. Corbin, East Jessamine, Boyle County, and Danville), Russell doing a Home/Home, or to get Holy Cross (Lou), Holy Cross (Cov), Corbin, Henry Clay, and Newport Central Catholic for the PCB 5 out of the 6 years prior to 2011 (Good credit given to Belfry who helps strengthen that draw). That does not include the EKY powers that PHS plays but I will not list them, because they should be played. Those out of district games are nothing at which to scoff and you do not see most of those teams just picking up a Betsy Layne, Morgan County, Powell County, etc... The Pikeville name, merited or not, still carries a lot of weight to the high school football community across Kentucky. Just as Paintsville still does in High School hoops and baseball.

Tradition does not die after a few years of mediocrity (of which some schools would love to be so mediocre). Now if something doesn't happen, and a whole generation goes without ever seeing Pikeville in the state semis for 5 out of 7 years with an occasional trip to the Title game, then it will start to lose that prestige, a lot more so than now. And I will concede that it has slipped a good amount, but it still carries good weight with it.