WATCH: Pikeville defeats Belfry in KSR Game of the Week

In a cross-county battle between the Pikeville Panthers and Belfry Pirates, two EKY powerhouses, the former took home the convincing victory in the Kroger KSR Game of the Week.

Led by head coach Chris McNamee, the Panthers took down the Pirates by a final score of 48-13 to cut the all-time series deficit to just one game — Belfry leads 39-38-2. It was a dominant all-around showing for Pikeville, with KSR All-State running back Blake Birchfield leading the way with 173 yards and four touchdowns on the ground while quarterback Isaac Duty went for 195 yards and two touchdowns through the air. The defense also forced three turnovers in the win.

Pikeville’s 48 points were the second-most all-time in the head-to-head series, trailing only the 79 points scored by the Panthers in 1929.

The matchup brought all of Pike County out to Hambley Athletic Complex to take in the mountain rivalry. Among those in attendance? KSR’s own Freddie Maggard and Steven Peake. The former already shared his story from his visit, a trip down memory lane for the former Cumberland High School standout who battled both Pikeville and Belfry during his career. Now, the latter has his own visual story to share.

Just what does this rivalry mean to the community? And more importantly, how big is the win?

“It’s something that our community and our school take a lot of pride in,” McNamee told KSR.

“It’s a pride game. It doesn’t really mean much in the playoffs, but it means a lot around here,” Birchfield added. “Bragging rights, all that. You remember in the past in high school how many times you beat Belfry.”

“It’s a way of life,” Maggard said. “606 football is a way of life, it means more.”

Check out KSR’s video recap below:

Four straight wins for Pikeville for the first time since 1980-83. Bragging rights belong to the Panthers.