For the past three years, Paris has been a thorn in the Mountain Lions’ side. The Greyhounds have won each of the past three games against Pineville with last year’s meeting ending in a 36-8 victory. The 2016 game was the closest between the two with Paris walking away with a 33-28 win.

This year, the young Mountain Lions will have a chance to pick up their third straight victory to open the season. The last time Pineville was able to accomplish that was in 2010 when the Lions opened the season 5-0 with victories over McCreary Central, Berea, Lynn Camp, Jackson County and Paintsville en route to an 8-4 season.

Pineville has been on a roll lately after handing Leslie County a lopsided defeat in the season-opener and Jackson County a 26-16 loss on the road. With the offensive line and senior running back Matt Golden anchoring the offense and Nick Holbrook being a primary weapon on defense, the Lions will look to have their best start in eight years.

Know the Greyhounds

Paris lost a few key parts to graduation, none more important the senior quarterback Aaron Maggard. While his production against Pineville last year was scarce, Maggard led the Greyhounds with 1,285 yards passing and 12 touchdowns with only three interceptions on the year.

His main target, Eric Johnson, is also gone. The then-senior wide out led Paris with 656 yards on 32 receptions in 10 games.

Alec Park replaces Maggard behind center. Paris didn’t use him much during the opening game against Rockcastle County. The senior went 3-for-5 for 86 yards and a touchdown. Jamaun Clark led the receiving corps in yards tallying 77 and a touchdown on his lone reception.

One player that is returning for the Greyhounds is standout running back Matthew Barber. Finishing the year with 960 yards and 14 touchdowns, the junior running back punished Pineville a year ago. During that game, he tallied 242 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries.

If last week’s game was any indication, Barber hasn’t lost a step from last season. In a 40-30 loss to Rockcastle County, he rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

On the defensive side of the ball, Paris lost their leading tackler from a year ago in Will Cox (94 tackles). They do, however, return two key pieces on defense in Jackson Livingood and Tyreeq Nebbitt.

Livingood tallied 82 tackles last season and finished the game against Rockcastle County with 18 tackles. Nebbitt led the team in interceptions last year with three.