Piedmont grinds out 29-6 win over Hokes Bluff

By Roy Mitchell

FIELD OF CHAMPIONS — There is a popular saying that goes something like this: “Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”

For defending Class 3A state champion Piedmont, everything seemed to go wrong in the first half against old rival Hokes Bluff this past weekend. By the end of the contest, though, the Bulldogs were able to shed Murphy's Law to prevail 29-6.

The game's first flub occurred about an hour and a half before kickoff, and only Mother Nature was to blame. A ferocious storm featured nearly-horizontal rain and pea-sized hail which uplifting canopies and shook the scoreboard. Another storm midway through the first quarter caused a postponement to Saturday night.

In addition to natural calamities, Piedmont appeared to bring misfortune upon themselves. The Bulldogs' first play from scrimmage lost 20 yards because of a bad snap. A mediocre punt two plays later gave Hokes Bluff the ball on the Piedmont 36.

The Eagles coaching staff gave the pigskin to their workhorse. In just over half a quarter, senior tailback Cole Frederick rushed for 56 yards, carrying the load in an efficient, three-play touchdown drive. The lead was 6-0 after a failed PAT.

The score was costly, however, as Fredrick limped back to the Hokes Bluff sideline. He did not return to the game.

Piedmont's offense continued to sputter, failing to score on its first four drives.
Despite losing Frederick, Hokes Bluff got close to the end zone one more time thanks primarily to senior quarterback Evan Farabee's spirals to senior end Dakota Hallmark. On fourth down and 5 at the Piedmont 12-yard line, Hokes Bluff opted to go for the touchdown instead of a field goal.

Piedmont coach Steve Smith later praised his defender on the crucial pass play.
“Landon Pruit did a good job of picking up the back out of the backfield and forced an incompletion,” Smith said. “It kind of took a little wind out of their sails.”
For Hokes Bluff's remaining first half possessions, they could only muster 8 yards on the ground. As teams trekked to their respective locker rooms, Hokes Bluff led 6-0.

“They out-hustled us, out-played us, and out-coached us. They really dominated us for 24 minutes,” Smith said. “As bad as it had been in that first half with all the things that had gone wrong, we were just one score away from taking the lead.”

In the second half the Piedmont crowd, overflowing thanks to a one-time free admission, saw the home team ditch the spread offense and accentuate their line superiority with the run-oriented power-I formation. Piedmont registered touchdowns in four of their five remaining possessions and only threw the ball twice in the second half.

At 7:05 left in the third quarter, senior back Jamaal Johnson scored on a one-yard handoff up the middle. Chris Strott's PAT gave Piedmont the lead at 7-6.

After Coltin Allison's fumble recovery on the ensuing kickoff, the Bulldog offense added six more on a 42-yard touchdown scamper by Johnson with 8:10 remaining in the game.

James Major's two-point conversion extended the lead, 22-6.

After another failed drive by the Eagles, Mookie Jackson reversed field and scampered into the end zone with 2:49 remaining in the game to the deafening sounds of noisy milk-jug shakers and blue and yellow vuvuzelas (the shrill horn made famous in this past summer's World Cup).

Strott added his third PAT of the night for the final margin.

Smith was quick to credit the players in the trenches for the second-half surge.
“Our offensive and defensive line are the guys that the credit should to go to for the turnaround,” he said.

With Hokes Bluff returning to Piedmont's schedule this year as a region opponent, Smith said the overflow crowd testified to the intensity of the renewed rivalry.

“We're fifteen miles away, and Piedmont and Hokes Bluff need to play each other,” he said. “Hopefully, we'll play every year from here on out.”

Piedmont travels to Susan Moore for another region game this Friday night.