What started as a cloudy afternoon at Kroger Field turned into a day of sunshine for the Pikeville Panthers.
In the first of six state championship games this weekend in Lexington, KY, No. 9 Pikeville kicked off Friday’s three-game slate with a dominating 41-9 win over the No. 24 Raceland Rams in the Class 1A title bout. Pikeville’s star running back and Kentucky Mr. Football candidate, Blake Birchfield, ran all over Raceland, racking up 236 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the day. The Panthers limited Raceland to just 270 total yards of offense while holding the Rams to a 2-12 mark on third downs.