[Nimby]

Sorry but I was not using that term anywhere close to ethnicity, sorry if I offended anyone in any manner. What I meant by pasty was old and slow. Most teams from the 80's era played straight up football. Not to much dancing and darting around the field went on back then. Even in the nfl it was like that. All I was saying is that I don't think they could of covered a man with the athletic ability as xavier shelton had. Those mountain men might have been fast but had they seen a monster like xavier. And to say they could of beaten Mayfields 77-8 teams? Lol

[mysonis55]

Well, I thought the context fit with what I suggested. The pasties stick to the skin, therefore, I took it as he was suggesting that something sticking to someone like that could not cover him. Either way, I am about as pale a white guy as I could be and I did not take offense. Of course, I know what kind of talent Xavier was and there were college db's that would have had a very hard time covering him. If only he could have not let his attitude cost him. He was being set up by Memphis to go to school at a smaller college to get his grades right and they were going to put him to use the next year. He didn't make it through the weekend. I had such hope for that kid. He is probably the most explosive and elusive receiver that I have seen in high school.

[Panther Thunder]

Sorry but I was not using that term anywhere close to ethnicity, sorry if I offended anyone in any manner. What I meant by pasty was old and slow. Most teams from the 80's era played straight up football. Not to much dancing and darting around the field went on back then. Even in the nfl it was like that. All I was saying is that I don't think they could of covered a man with the athletic ability as xavier shelton had. Those mountain men might have been fast but had they seen a monster like xavier. And to say they could of beaten Mayfields 77-8 teams? Lol

Gotcha, good deal! :Thumbs:

[Westside]

That is pretty close to, if not, a violation of rules. Please word your posts more carefully.

I'm a Pikeville fan. I have taken up for Pikeville on many threads and have done so in this thread because I think Pikeville would have won this matchup, but PT this is pretty weak. Are you honestly playing your moderator, trump card when you are in a debate. It looks bad. I've seen a lot worse than this on here with nothing said. For the record I cant stand Mayfield. :lame:

[Panther Thunder]

I am not in a debate. I posted my thoughts. Haven't really argued anything. That was not my intention. Maybe I should have just left it alone. My mistake and apologies.

[mysonis55]

West side why be a hater. We struggled forever with Danville but I don't hate them. I respect them and have spoken well of them a lot on here. Same with Hazard. No need to be a hater.

[Killer in the Sun]

How bout Pikeville vs Paintsville......hahahahahaha......62-8.....30-6......joke football

[TigerBlues]

We get the point and it's done, just one of those gigantic upsets but it's over. Jetpilot is a good guy and like the rest of us just had fun on here. It's all good.

[ontopofthewest]

:thatsfunn:flame::yum::biglmao::thatsfunn:

[EKUAlum05]

Bringing this one from the depths for a minute!

I have been doing extensive research for Belfry History so while I have been stuck in the 80's I decided to try and figure out the truth behind the Pikeville urban myths discussed in this thread.

Here are some interesting findings:
- This thread was about 1987 Pikeville... but almost all signs point to 1988 Pikeville as being the best team of the lot!

1987 Final Rankings
Lit- 12th in the State Overall, the #4 ranked small school overall (yes behind Mayfield in 1987 as well who finished #6 overall)
Cantrall- 11th in the State Overall, the #3 ranked small school (once again Mayfield finished higher at #7)

1988 Final Rankings
Lit- 6th in the State Overall, the #2 ranked small school overall (Fort Knox just ahead of them).

Cantrall-6th Overall in the State, the #2 small school overall behind Fort Knox.

1989 Final Rankings
Lit- Did not finish in the Top 20 overall. They technically would have finished #24, the #3 overall small school in the State.

Cantrall- 11th Overall in the State, the #3 overall small school in the State.


- The myth about Pikeville being the #1 overall team in the State at one point? Technically TRUE. On the first set of Cantrall Ratings in 1988, September 7th to be exact, the Pikeville Panthers debuted as the #1 team in KY! The stint would be short lived as Trinity would take the top spot the next week and Pikeville would never regain it. Pikeville never reached higher than #3 in the Lit Ratings at any point, they did that in 1988.

1987 Lit Peak- #8, never was the top ranked small school.
1987 Cantrall Peak- #11, never was the top ranked small school.

1988 Lit Peak- #3, #1 small school for 4 weeks.
1988 Cantrall Peak- #1, #1 small school for 6 weeks until Fort Knox overtook them.

1989 Lit Peak- Never cracked the Top 20
1989 Cantrall Peak- #14, never was the top small school. Pikeville debuted at #17 then moved to #14 but after the loss to Belfry never re-entered the Top 20.

So even if it was for only one week, Pikeville fans there is documented proof that you WERE THE #1 rated team overall in the state of Kentucky at least for a week. That 1988 run is also by far the best run of the Lit and Cantrall Ratings a 1A team from EKY has ever had.


- As for the National Ranking....

This urban myth is FALSE. There were two reputable weekly National Rankings during this time. One was the USA Today Super 25 and the other was a National Prep Poll that actually also did Regional Top 10 rankings every week.

From the 1987-1989 Pikeville never appeared in either Top 25 or even appeared in any of the Regional Top 10's. Paducah Tilghman (1987 Regional), Trinity (1988 Regional and Super 25, 1989 Regional and Super 25), St. Xavier (1987 Regional), and Shelby County (1988 Regional) were the KY teams to make appearances during this three year stretch.

This is not to say that somewhere out there wasn't a different ranking from a different service, but between the two predominant and universally accepted rankings Pikeville's National Ranking is a MYTH.

[EKUAlum05]

So all Pikeville fans can have it to reference:
https://imgur.com/a/AU0R04o

[EKUAlum05]

FWIW,
2010 Mayfield vs. 1988 Pikeville is a no contest when you look at the rankings.

Mayfield had numerous older teams who substantially outranked that 2010 team including 1987 & 1989.

[RoShamBo]

That Pikeville team would have won by a reasonable margin.

Don't think it would be the blowout others are saying but don't think there would be much doubt.

You are taking about a Pikeville team that was nationally ranked and considered possibly the best overall team in KY. Even the most ardent of Mayfield supporters have to acknowledge that Pikeville team was probably the best 1A team to ever take the the field.

28-7 or 31-14 kind of score.

Wow. Respect, EKUAlum05. You pulled up a 6 year old thread and checked yourself on this one. I prefer to live under the illusion that everything I've every said on here was accurate. nicker:

[EKUAlum05]

Wow. Respect, EKUAlum05. You pulled up a 6 year old thread and checked yourself on this one. I prefer to live under the illusion that everything I've every said on here was accurate. nicker:

HAHA... there has been a few threads eluding to the National Ranking and the #1 State Ranking over the years but the consensus has always been, "Noone can find the info from back then so we can't say for sure."

Since I was already digging deep in the archives I figured why not set the record straight and eliminate any ambiguity.

It didn't really surprise me that there was no National Ranking and it was a tall tale after all, but I was very pleasantly surprised to see that #1 overall ranking legitimized and I am sure Pikeville fans will get a kick out of knowing that a little ole 1A school was on top of the KY Football world even if only for a week.

[PHS DYNASTY]

Again way back Elkhorn City.

Exactly jet. That's going way back. both EC and Lynch were powerhouses back then. EC was a HUGE rivalry with Pikeville in those days.

[Real Badman]

Exactly jet. That's going way back. both EC and Lynch were powerhouses back then. EC was a HUGE rivalry with Pikeville in those days.

Elkhorn City's decline in population and the decline in the coal industry hurt EC's gridiron success, but from 57-81, the series between Elkhorn City and Pikeville was 11-12-1. Elkhorn City would decline from that point, only playing Pikeville closely in '85, '86, '92, '96, '97.

[jetpilot]

Don't know about any national rankings, they weren't around in the 80s as far as I know, but 87 was the best Pikeville team not 88 and no team in KY could touch that team, and any Mayfield team in the 2000s would get steamrolled by that team. Men vs boys, FACT.

[jetpilot]

Elkhorn City's decline in population and the decline in the coal industry hurt EC's gridiron success, but from 57-81, the series between Elkhorn City and Pikeville was 11-12-1. Elkhorn City would decline from that point, only playing Pikeville closely in '85, '86, '92, '96, '97.

I remember the last relevant EC Pikeville game, was 1978 I think, maybe 77, EC was ranked 1 in Class A and Pikeville 1 in 2A, both were undefeated late in the year, huge game, overflow crowd and Pikeville won 47-6. I don't think there was ever a game in doubt after that. And I love and miss EC football...

[Real Badman]

I remember the last relevant EC Pikeville game, was 1978 I think, maybe 77, EC was ranked 1 in Class A and Pikeville 1 in 2A, both were undefeated late in the year, huge game, overflow crowd and Pikeville won 47-6. I don't think there was ever a game in doubt after that. And I love and miss EC football...

You're thinking of 1979. Pikeville entered that game with one loss to Belfry. Elkhorn City was undefeated at the time. Pikeville won at home 47-6 over the Cougars.

1979 Common Opponents:
Whitesburg - EC W 27-6 / PV W 26-0
Prestonsburg - EC W 20-0 / PV W 41-7
Mullins - EC W 61-6 / PV W 41-6


The other games I listed:

'85 Pikeville 22 Elkhorn City 6
'86 Pikeville 7 Elkhorn City 6
'92 Pikeville 14 Elkhorn City 8
'96 Pikeville 20 Elkhorn City 13
'97 Pikeville 34 Elkhorn City 21

[EKUAlum05]

Don't know about any national rankings, they weren't around in the 80s as far as I know, but 87 was the best Pikeville team not 88 and no team in KY could touch that team, and any Mayfield team in the 2000s would get steamrolled by that team. Men vs boys, FACT.

Did you not read anything I posted? LOL

There were two prominent National Rankings around then which were published in multiple media outlets around America, one of which, the USA Today Super 25, has been an institution for decades.

Pikeville never debuted in either National ranking during that 3-year stretch.

As for 1987 vs. the other two years. That will always be subjective to individual feeling, but the Cantrall and Lit Ratings resoundingly suggest 1988 was the superior team of the three based on whatever metrics they were using. If you and all other Pikeville fans feel 1987 was the best, I would err on the side of judgment of those who watched them rather than a computer formula. Just simply pointing out the raw stats that say that the CPU's undeniably believe 1988 was the best team of the lot.

[EKUAlum05]

By the way, if you google:

"Google News Archive" and go to the Williamson Daily News you can find some AWESOME historical stuff for local teams from the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's

Here is the WDN recap of the 1979 Game
https://imgur.com/a/4CehIR4

[jetpilot]

Did you not read anything I posted? LOL

There were two prominent National Rankings around then which were published in multiple media outlets around America, one of which, the USA Today Super 25, has been an institution for decades.

Pikeville never debuted in either National ranking during that 3-year stretch.

As for 1987 vs. the other two years. That will always be subjective to individual feeling, but the Cantrall and Lit Ratings resoundingly suggest 1988 was the superior team of the three based on whatever metrics they were using. If you and all other Pikeville fans feel 1987 was the best, I would err on the side of judgment of those who watched them rather than a computer formula. Just simply pointing out the raw stats that say that the CPU's undeniably believe 1988 was the best team of the lot.

I know Pikeville football 10x better than Cantrall, Lit and CPUs. 95% of Pikeville fans will tell you the same thing about 87 being the best.. I'm sure when Belfry fans are discussing their teams they say let's get Cantrall on the phone and settle this once and for all.nicker:

[jetpilot]

You're thinking of 1979. Pikeville entered that game with one loss to Belfry. Elkhorn City was undefeated at the time. Pikeville won at home 47-6 over the Cougars.

1979 Common Opponents:
Whitesburg - EC W 27-6 / PV W 26-0
Prestonsburg - EC W 20-0 / PV W 41-7
Mullins - EC W 61-6 / PV W 41-6


The other games I listed:

'85 Pikeville 22 Elkhorn City 6
'86 Pikeville 7 Elkhorn City 6
'92 Pikeville 14 Elkhorn City 8
'96 Pikeville 20 Elkhorn City 13
'97 Pikeville 34 Elkhorn City 21

What year was EC's last win over Pikeville?

[jetpilot]

Did you not read anything I posted? LOL

There were two prominent National Rankings around then which were published in multiple media outlets around America, one of which, the USA Today Super 25, has been an institution for decades.

Pikeville never debuted in either National ranking during that 3-year stretch.

As for 1987 vs. the other two years. That will always be subjective to individual feeling, but the Cantrall and Lit Ratings resoundingly suggest 1988 was the superior team of the three based on whatever metrics they were using. If you and all other Pikeville fans feel 1987 was the best, I would err on the side of judgment of those who watched them rather than a computer formula. Just simply pointing out the raw stats that say that the CPU's undeniably believe 1988 was the best team of the lot.

8-bit Commodore 64s weren't very reliable back then. The polls were 99% opinion of the author.

[EKUAlum05]

What year was EC's last win over Pikeville?

Last win on the field was 1975, EC won 6-0. EC won three straight year from 73,74, & 75.

1981 EC technically won as Pikeville had to forfeit after the fact. Pikeville had won 34-15.

1986 they came close losing 7-6.

[jetpilot]

One last thing on 87 and 88 then I will let it die:

88 team barely beat Pineville at Pikeville in the playoffs. Pineville had a TD pass called back in the 4th, their coach said he would have gone for 2 pt conversion to win the game. 87 team put 63 on Pineville to win going away, 89 team in the much anticipated "rematch" won 49-0 or 49-7 at Pineville.

87 team beat Belfry 39-14 at Belfry in a laugher, 88 team beat Belfry 26-14 at Pikeville in a tough game.

88 team trailed 10-0 in the state championship game before coming back in the 2nd half to win going away. 87 state championship was men vs boys and was never competitive.

87 team crushed everyone in their path. Every game was a bloodbath.

[Panther Thunder]

I think 1987 is a clear cut better team than 1988 from what I have watched and based on scores. However, I don’t know enough to say that maybe 1988 played a tougher schedule. 1988 Paintsville was also a closer game than what the scoreboard showed. Paintsville had 1st & Goal 3 or 4 times without ever scoring.

[EKUAlum05]

One last thing on 87 and 88 then I will let it die:

88 team barely beat Pineville at Pikeville in the playoffs. Pineville had a TD pass called back in the 4th, their coach said he would have gone for 2 pt conversion to win the game. 87 team put 63 on Pineville to win going away, 89 team in the much anticipated "rematch" won 49-0 or 49-7 at Pineville.

87 team beat Belfry 39-14 at Belfry in a laugher, 88 team beat Belfry 26-14 at Pikeville in a tough game.

88 team trailed 10-0 in the state championship game before coming back in the 2nd half to win going away. 87 state championship was men vs boys and was never competitive.

87 team crushed everyone in their path. Every game was a bloodbath.

What hurt 87 the most was that Beechwood game to open the season that was called due to weather and the win awarded to Beechwood 21-20. Pikeville got vengeance and then some when those two met in the Semi's, but that Pike County Bowl will always go down as a blemish on an otherwise perfect season.

The other argument for 87 to make is they defeated Henry Clay 28-15 in 87. That Henry Clay team wasn't exactly a juggernaut, but they did win a playoff game. Pikeville beat Henry Clay again in '88 21-6, this time on the road, but that Henry Clay was very pedestrian finishing 6-4 and missing the playoffs. It is worth pointing out that Henry Clay's worst defeat in '87 would come against Boone County 34-0. Boone County went on to lose to Shelby County 17-14.



FWIW:
1987 Pikeville only played one team in the regular season who would reach the State Semi's or further in Beechwood, that was the 21-20 shortened loss. Henry Clay was the only other regular season opponent to reach the 2nd Round. Belfry and Johns Creek each reached the playoffs but lost in the 1st Round.


1988 played no teams who reached the Semi's or further in the regular season. Belfry, NewCath, & Fleming-Neon all lost in the 1st Round. Paintsville was a solid team but lost the tie-breaker to Raceland who made the playoffs instead.

1989 was the only other time in that span they played a Semi-Finalist. Belfry defeated Pikeville in the regular season. Paintsville reached Round 2 and Virgie & Pburg bowed out in Round 1.

If there is one critique you can definitively make about the greatness of those Pikeville teams, it was the lack of playing other elite teams. Due to that Beechwood shortened loss the Panthers were 0-2 in the regular season against team who advanced to the Semi-Finals and played no teams who went on to reach the State Finals themselves. This was the days of 2-teams advancing per District though, so their three wins against teams who reached the 2nd Round should be viewed as if those were teams who reached the Regional Finals today.

[jetpilot]

What hurt 87 the most was that Beechwood game to open the season that was called due to weather and the win awarded to Beechwood 21-20. Pikeville got vengeance and then some when those two met in the Semi's, but that Pike County Bowl will always go down as a blemish on an otherwise perfect season.

The other argument for 87 to make is they defeated Henry Clay 28-15 in 87. That Henry Clay team wasn't exactly a juggernaut, but they did win a playoff game. Pikeville beat Henry Clay again in '88 21-6, this time on the road, but that Henry Clay was very pedestrian finishing 6-4 and missing the playoffs. It is worth pointing out that Henry Clay's worst defeat in '87 would come against Boone County 34-0. Boone County went on to lose to Shelby County 17-14.



FWIW:
1987 Pikeville only played one team in the regular season who would reach the State Semi's or further in Beechwood, that was the 21-20 shortened loss. Henry Clay was the only other regular season opponent to reach the 2nd Round. Belfry and Johns Creek each reached the playoffs but lost in the 1st Round.


1988 played no teams who reached the Semi's or further in the regular season. Belfry, NewCath, & Fleming-Neon all lost in the 1st Round. Paintsville was a solid team but lost the tie-breaker to Raceland who made the playoffs instead.

1989 was the only other time in that span they played a Semi-Finalist. Belfry defeated Pikeville in the regular season. Paintsville reached Round 2 and Virgie & Pburg bowed out in Round 1.

If there is one critique you can definitively make about the greatness of those Pikeville teams, it was the lack of playing other elite teams. Due to that Beechwood shortened loss the Panthers were 0-2 in the regular season against team who advanced to the Semi-Finals and played no teams who went on to reach the State Finals themselves. This was the days of 2-teams advancing per District though, so their three wins against teams who reached the 2nd Round should be viewed as if those were teams who reached the Regional Finals today.

Win was not awarded to Beechwood, and they declined to finish the game later. When the teams met in the playoffs it was an absolute bloodbath. And to say Pikeville didn't play good teams is preposterous. If you are going to try to take away anything from those great Pikeville teams, you might as well put on a clown suit and a big red nose.irateSho

[jetpilot]

MIGHTY PIKEVILLE THE STUFF OF LEGENDS
Mike Fields Herald-Leader staff writer The offensive might of this year's undefeated Pikeville High School football team probably will be talked about for years to come in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. Win or lose in the Class A playoffs, these Panthers have earned a special place in the hearts of their fans. After all, how many other football teams ever produced more than a point a minute? Pikeville's 10 straight victories this season have included such overwhelming mismatches as three 61-0 routs, a 62-7 blowout and a 59-0 laugher. For the record, the Panthers are averaging 51.7 points per 48 minutes every Friday night. If that's not enough to make your head spin, here's a staggering possibility: By the time the playoffs are over they could have three 1,000- yard rushers plus a 1,000-yard passer cavorting about in their backfield. And these statistics could have been even more impressive, considering Coach Hillard Howard played his starters sparingly in most of the lopsided games. "Yes, we have been able to put some points on the board," Howard said in his understated style. But to get a true handle on this Pikeville team, look back to mid-September when the Panthers beat Virgie 61-0 after leading by that score at halftime. The interesting fact to come out of that game was that Pikeville scored more points in two quarters than its opponents did all season. That's right. These guys can play defense, too. In 10 games they shut out four opponents and surrendered a total of 58 points. "A lot of people don't realize that," Howard said. "And that's important
because people are crazy if they think we're going to score 50 points against anybody in the playoffs. We play (host to) Pineville Friday night and we'll be lucky to score a couple of touchdowns on them. "I'm like every other coach. I believe defense wins games and championships. As great as our offense has been this season, I know it'll be our defense that's got to come through the rest of the way." Howard has been around long enough to know. Now in his 16th year as the Panthers' boss, he's the winningest football coach in the school's history with 149 victories. This is the third time he's guided the Panthers through an undefeated regular season, and he's had a couple of teams finish as state runners-up (in Class A in 1972 and in Class 2A in '79). What Pikeville and its fans want now is to cap off a memorable season with a state championship. With the success they've had this year, could the Panthers already be thinking about spending Thanksgiving in Louisville? "I think some of us may have been thinking that the last couple of weeks," said Chris McNamee, a senior tight end and cornerback. "But now that the playoffs are here, we've put that out of our minds. We know we can't look ahead." "That's right," said senior quarterback Matt Blair. "It's tough to keep your mind right when you've got some parents, (former) players and fans already talking about going to Louisville." Even Howard, who's known as a coach with a tight hold on the reins, admits Pikeville's stunning regular-season success has its drawbacks. "When you've gone 10-0 and scored 50 points a game, it's only natural that the mommies and daddies are going to tell the players they're a little better than they really are," he said. "But I think we can make the team realize they can't let up for even one week now. When you start thinking instead of playing, you get beat." When Pikeville plays, it can throw a bunch of talent at the opposition. Forget that this is a Class A team. It has the size, depth and speed of just about any 4A outfit. Start with the backfield. Blair runs the show with poise, which is understandable when you learn he's the grandson of legendary Pikeville basketball coach John Bill Trivette. "But when you've got the running backs and line that we've got, it takes all the pressure off the quarterback," Blair said. Still, Blair has shown he can do more than just hand off. He's thrown for 14 touchdowns and more than 800 yards. But Pikeville prefers to run over you, with Greg Hackney, Bobby Deramus and Chad Thornsbury leaving most of the cleat marks. Hackney, a junior, has rushed for more than 1,150 yards even though he missed two games with a bad ankle. Deramus, a junior who's also a terror on defense at nose guard, has run for almost 1,100 yards. And Thornsbury, a freshman who also plays some defensive end, passed the 700-yard mark in last week's 62-7 rout of previously unbeaten Johns Creek. "Our runners have a lot of speed and they're extremely strong, too," Howard said. "I've never had a set of backs like this. The best way to put it is to say they're football players." Of course, running behind a big, strong offensive line helps. Tackles Tim Honaker (260 pounds) and Sean Neely (235) can open some holes, as can a half-dozen other lineman that Howard considers interchangeable. As for Pikeville's defense, Deramus and Honaker are considered the anchors. Linebackers Robert Mims and Virgil Ray aren't big -- both are about 5-foot-10, 165 pounds -- but they are quick and aggressive. McNamee has come on strong at cornerback recently. "He's played like a man possessed," Howard said. And his sidekicks in the secondary -- Jodie Miller, Tim Sanders and Robbie Wright -- have been steady all season. Despite Pikeville's success this season, some people have criticized the Panthers' schedule. But it wasn't Howard's fault that most of Pikeville's district rivals were weak this year. He had to play all six district foes: Elkhorn City, Fleming-Neon, Jenkins, Johns Creek, Phelps and Virgie. But look beyond those opponents to the two games that seem to legitimize Pikeville's strength: Pikeville beat Henry Clay 28-15 and it beat Belfry 39-14. Henry Clay won its 4A district title and Belfry captured its 3A district championship. After Pikeville beat Henry Clay, Blue Devils coach Jake Bell said he thought the Panthers were big and strong enough to compete in any class. But Howard isn't greedy. He'd settle for bringing the Class A crown home this year. "We've already accomplished a lot, going undefeated and doing it the way we've done it," he said. "But we don't want to be satisfied yet. We want to win this thing. "We realize anybody from here on out can beat us -- Pineville, Cumberland, Beechwood, Paris, Heath, Russellville . . . any of them. But we also think that if we play like we can, stay healthy and get a few breaks, we can win it all. "If we could do that, it'd make a great season a whole lot greater."