[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 184 (Thursday, December 17, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1821]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          CONGRATULATIONS TO PIKEVILLE PANTHERS FOOTBALL TEAM

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                           HON. HAROLD ROGERS

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 17, 2015

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Coach Chris McNamee and the Pikeville Panthers High School Football 
team for winning the 2015 Kentucky High School Athletic Association 1A 
Class State Championship title for the first time since winning three 
straight from 1987 to 1989.
   On December 3, 2015 at Western Kentucky University in the Houchens 
Stadium, the Pikeville Panthers put their skill and heart to the test 
against the Beechwood Tigers, a high school team from Northern Kentucky 
with a legacy steeped in state titles. The two teams battled hard for 
each inch on the field with a tied score of 21-all leading into the 
final quarter, proving they both deserved to compete for state bragging 
rights. With victory in sight, the Panthers battled back for three 
remarkable touchdowns in the last nine minutes of the game. The final 
score was 42 to 28, giving Coach McNamee his first Championship as the 
Panthers' coach.
   The Panthers' win brought some much-needed celebration back to the 
coalfields of Eastern Kentucky, where we've lost more than 9,000 coal 
mining jobs since 2009. These young men have undoubtedly seen the 
impact first hand, as many of them have fathers or other family members 
who have recently been laid off from the coal mines. Through sheer 
determination and hard work, they proved that we can rise above our 
challenges and daunting circumstances to bring hope and victory back to 
the mountains.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Coach 
McNamee and the Pikeville Panthers for bringing the highly coveted 
state title back home to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. I wish them 
all the best of luck in the years to come.

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