BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — A district football championship game Friday between Martin County High School and Prestonsburg has prompted sharp ethical questions after a Prestonsburg player picked up a wristband containing Martin County’s offensive play calls and an assistant Prestonsburg coach took it into the locker room.

A deputy sheriff later retrieved the wristband from the Prestonsburg staff. Nonetheless, according to the KHSAA, there is no applicable rule and no answer to the situation.

Video reviewed by the Mountain Citizen shows a Martin County player dropping his wristband late in the second quarter. A Prestonsburg player then picks it up from the field, tucks it inside his jersey and runs toward the Blackcats sideline. The footage shows him tossing the wristband to an assistant coach, who examines it and quickly places it in his pocket. The coach then has a brief conversation with Prestonsburg assistant coach Shawn Hager before walking down the sideline toward a man in a red hooded sweatshirt, partially revealing the wristband before putting it back in his pocket.

According to witnesses, the Martin County player immediately informed his coach that the wristband was missing. The Martin County coach alerted a game official, who said he would notify the head referee.

As the sequence unfolded, Martin County Deputy Sheriff Kenny Maynard noticed a Martin County assistant coach searching for the lost item.

“I asked what had happened and the coach informed me that one of their players’ wristbands had been acquired by a Prestonsburg player,” Maynard said. “I approached a Prestonsburg staff member leaving the media booth to report the missing item.”

Maynard then waited outside the Prestonsburg locker room until staff brought out the wristband.

Witnesses said they could hear shouting from the sidelines, “They’re calling our plays,” during the second half of the game.

Prestonsburg went on to defeat Martin County 36–30 in a tense game that determined the district champion and secured home-field advantage for the first two rounds of the Class 2A state playoffs.

The incident sparked debate among fans and community members, many of whom question why the assistant coach carried the wristband into the locker room rather than returning it to Martin County’s coaching staff or game officials. Several have described the conduct as “unsportsmanlike” and “a breach of integrity.” Others say it is “cheating.”

The Mountain Citizen reached out to KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett to ask whether the association plans to review the incident and what procedures apply when one team gains possession of another’s play materials.

Tackett responded by email Tuesday, saying Martin County Head Coach Josh Muncy made him aware of the situation Monday.

“There are no rules covering the use of this type of equipment,” Tackett wrote. “The same is true for sideline replay equipment that malfunctions while teams are viewing, and in many cases, headsets that stop working, etc.”

He said because such situations are not addressed in the rulebook, there is no expectation that teams or officials would be prepared for “this very unusual situation.”

Tackett noted that the use of play cards or wristbands is left entirely to each team’s discretion.

“They are not now, nor are they anticipated to be, included within the jurisdiction of the playing rules,” he said.

“It is unfortunate that at least one player somehow ended up without their play card band. It is also quite understandable that the opposing team player sent the card to the sideline for the adult coaches to deal with between plays.”

Tackett added that while returning the materials would have been “the right thing,” there is no rule, policy or regulation requiring it.

“Perhaps if one of the teams had requested a timeout to resolve the situation, it could have been resolved differently, but again, that is a matter between the two teams and two schools,” he said.

This was not an option for Martin County, though, as it had no timeouts remaining.

Tacket confirmed the game outcome will stand: “There is no contemplation of any adjustment to the game as the game results are final.”

Tackett also clarified that contest officials have no role or responsibility in such situations.

The Mountain Citizen reached out to Prestonsburg Principal Brandon Kidd for comment but received no response.

Martin County High School officials declined to comment.

The newspaper has asked Tackett for further clarification on what should fall under “unsportsmanlike conduct,” and is awaiting his response.

This is a developing story.