Prestonsburg remained in the win column Friday night following a hard-fought 24-19 win over host longtime rival and former district foe Sheldon Clark. The Blackcats improved to 6-0 after posting the win over the Cardinals. Prestonsburg will face Matewan, W.Va., Friday in a matchup against an out-of-state opponent that normally doesn’t appear on its schedule. Tradition-rich Matewan, however, is no stranger to Eastern Kentucky high school football teams.

Prestonsburg was the lone Floyd County high school football team to win Friday night. One fellow Floyd County team lost for the first time while two others continued on losing skids. Allen Central, Betsy Layne and South Floyd all lost to Pike County opponents.

Host Pikeville jumped out in front and led Allen Central 21-8 at the end of the first quarter of the key district game. The Rebels battled back but couldn’t gain an advantage over Pikeville. The Panthers held on to defeat Allen Central 34-24, sending the Rebels into the loss column for the first time this season. Allen Central dropped to 4-1 following the loss.

In another key district game, Phelps held off Betsy Layne 14-8. Betsy Layne dropped its second straight game.

The Bobcats will host South Floyd Friday night in yet another key district game.

At Hi Hat, South Floyd failed to get into the win column. Visiting East Ridge defeated the Raiders 31-22.