FIELD OF CHAMPIONS — As fitting a moniker as "field of champions" is for the 2009 state champions, the Piedmont Bulldogs' home stadium could also accurately be referred to as the "Taj Mahal of Football."

Wow, football fans. Wow.

Midway through the first quarter of Piedmont's 31-0 win over Weaver Friday night, it was hard to pay attention to the game because there was simply too much to see: a 12x8 video scoreboard complete with a high-tech sound system, wrought iron and brick fencing, matching home side bleachers, and an artificial turf field with a gigantic blue-and-gold letter "P" stretching 20 yards across midfield.

Somewhere out there amidst all that gridiron glitter, the Bulldogs and Bearcats were battling, bare knuckle-style. After two quarters, Piedmont led 7-0 in a game that featured mostly hard hits and massive piles of tacklers, and very few long runs.

Piedmont took the opening kickoff and drove 47 yards for a touchdown on an eight-yard pass from Chris Strott to Sloan Garner. Dillon Terry's point-after with 5:25 left in the first ended the scoring until after halftime.

For the rest of the first half, two stiff defensive units took turns swinging at each other. Every blow landed. Weaver managed only one trip into the red zone, which ended abruptly with a pair of offensive penalties and consecutive incomplete passes.

Piedmont, ranked No. 1 in Alabama in Class 3A, went three-and-out on several series, and was content to run out the second quarter clock after holding the Bearcats out of the end zone.

It was Piedmont's opening drive of the second half that changed the complexion of the game. After holding the Bearcats inside their own 25, Bulldog running backs Jeff Riffey, Jamie Major and Sarandon Dunbar worked together to move the ball down to the 10-yard line. After the Weaver defense stiffened, Terry's 27-yard field goal extended the lead to 10-0 with 6:14 remaining in the third.

After stopping Weaver again, coach Steve Smith flipped to the page in his playbook marked "pass", and Strott, a senior, started firing. Beginning at his 1-yard line after a 57-yard punt by Weaver's Chase Arnold, Strott threw for 98 yards on the four-play drive, including a 61-yard touchdown pass to Garner.

The PAT made the score 17-0 and seemed to deflate the Bearcats.

"It was 7-0 at halftime because they've got a great defense and they came to play," Smith said after the win. "We made some adjustments that worked for us."

Major scored the next Piedmont touchdown on a four-yard run with 6 minutes to play. After another short series by Weaver, Dunbar darted down the middle of the field on a 27-yard run to reach the final score of 31-0.

Dunbar led all Piedmont running backs with 88 yards on 12 carries. Garner finished the night with five catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

"That's a good night for Sloan," Smith said of the 6-foot-7 senior. "He's more than just a jump ball-type of guy."

Piedmont hosts Class 3A Greensboro Friday night.

"They are an extremely athletic team," Smith said of the 5-1 Raiders.