Pikeville head football coach Chris McNamee was anxious to see how his team would respond to its showdown with Class 5A Pulaski County.
The Panthers, despite losing several seniors from last year’s state title team, answered the bell in rolling to a 34-12 win over the Maroons in the opening game of the Cumberland Falls Pigskin Classic played at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg on Friday night.
Quarterback Isaac Duty passed for 121 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third.
Running back Brenden Anthony ran 43 yards for a score and hauled in a 12-yard scoring pass. He finished with 13 carries for 77 yards.
Bradyn Hall added a 21-yard scoring pass play and Tayvian Boykins raced 81 yards to paydirt and finished with 105 yards on nine rushes.
Pikeville will return to action this Saturday night in the Pike County Bowl hosting the Johnson Central Golden Eagles at 8 pm. It’s the first meeting between the eastern Kentucky powers since 1977.
At Williamsburg
(Cumberland Falls Pigskin Classic)
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
PK (1-0)….7 14 6 7 – 34
PC (0-1)….6 0 0 6 – 12
Scoring:
First Quarter
PK – Isaac Duty, 2-yard run (Isaiah Stanley kick), 3:13
PC –Harris Denmyer, 69-yard pass from Zac Anderson (kick failed), 2:00
Second Quarter
PK – Brenden Anthony, 43-yard run (kick failed), 8:37
PK – Bradyn Hall, 21-yard pass from Isaac Duty (Tayvian Boykins run), 1:13
Third Quarter
PK – Tayvian Boykins, 81-yard run (kick failed), 10:15
Fourth Quarter
PK – Brenden Anthony, 12-yard pass from Isaac Duty (Isaiah Stanley kick), 5:28
PC – Harris Denmyer, 21-yard pass from Zac Anderson (run failed), 2:32
Next up: Pikeville (1-0) vs. Johnson Central (1-0), Pike County Bowl, 8 pm, Aug. 26