Blake Colston
sports@piedmontnewsonline.com

OKLAHOMA CITY — Brody Largent’s state title was a fitting way to end Piedmont’s 2015 trip to the state tournament.

Largent’s title secured seventh place overall  with 38 points for the Wildcats as a team and gave Piedmont three placers at state. Joining Largent, were senior Francisco Lopez, who finished fourth at 145 pounds, and freshman Logan Chappell who took fourth at 113.

Although Chappell lost the third place match, he still set himself up as one of Piedmont’s top returners next season by becoming a rare freshman placer.

“That kid has a great career ahead of him if he stays focused and motivated,” Piedmont head coach Erik Ford said. “I know he was disappointed he lost the third place match. Hopefully this experience drives him moving forward.”

Chappell beat Collinsville’s Gunner Hamm, 8-0, in the consolation semifinals, then lost to Coweta’s Bennett Moudy 5-2 in the third place match. Chappell beat Moudy 4-2 earlier in the tournament.

Lopez earned a hard-fought 3-1 decision over Altus’ Mikey Abuan to reach the third place match, where he lost to Garrett Chappell of Carl Albert.

“Francisco probably didn’t finish how he wanted to, but he put together an incredible career,” Ford said. “He started wrestling as an eighth grader and now he’s a two-time state placer.”

Lopez’ brother, Michael, lost to Fletcher Edwards of Coweta, 6-5, in his first match on Saturday, eliminating him from contending for a top four finish. Tyler Banks lost a grueling, 3-1, sudden death overtime match to Billy Beyen of Skiatook Saturday morning and was also eliminated.

Collinsville took first as a team in 5A with 112 points to claim its fifth consecutive state title. Coweta was second with a 103.5 and Lawton MacArthur was third with 99.

Blake Colston
sports@piedmontnewsonline.com

Nothing No. 4 Piedmont did offensively during Monday night’s Regional final game against No. 15 Lawton Ike was pretty until it mattered most.

Senior guard Bre Reid hit a fade away jumper in the lane with 2.6 seconds to play to give the Lady Wildcats a 37-36 victory over an Eisenhower squad that led for more than 30 minutes.

Bre Reid talks game winner: https://soundcloud.com/iedmontports/bre-reid-talks-lawton-ike-game-winner 

Blake Colston/Gazette
Bre Reid drives to the basket Monday night against Lawton Eisenhower.

Piedmont shot just 22 percent for the game, failed to make a 3-pointer for the first time all season and had only one player in double-figures. Reid’s clutch shot cured all of that.

“Amazing, that’s all I can say,” Piedmont head coach Jamie Hill said of Reid, who finished with a team-high 17 points. “She made some killer shots, played some really good defense. It’s a testimony to her as a senior and as a leader. She put the team on her back today.” Read more →

Blake Colston
sports@piedmontnewsonline.com

OKLAHOMA CITY — Piedmont’s Brody Largent had no other option.

Tied 1-1 with Shawnee’s Thomas Shepard in sudden death overtime in the 182-pound state championship match at the 5A wrestling tournament Saturday night at State Fair Arena, Largent had to break Shepard’s grasp or lose. Largent did, scoring the most important point of his career to claim a 2-1 win and his first state title in the last match of his career.

“I feel like I’m on cloud nine right now — nothing but smiles,” he said. “I feel incredible.”

Wrestling towards the edge of the mat with less than 20 seconds remaining in regulation time, Shepard turned Largent onto his stomach, and at least momentarily seemed poised to hold Largent down and claim the title. But Largent used a quick move to break free and earn the cherished point.

“There towards the end he had me broke down on my stomach. I was worried, I knew I had to do something to get up,” Largent said. “I turned around, stood up and I knew right then that I had just won the state championship.”

A week earlier, Largent faced an identical position against Shepard in the regional final, but wasn’t able to escape and lost. That, he said, set him up to win this time.

“My dad and I both said right after regionals that whatever happened there was a blessing,” he said. “It gave me a reality check. I knew what I had to do and knew what was coming.”

Largent becomes Piedmont’s second state champion in as many seasons, joining 2014 state champion Blaine Culp.

“Brody has worked so hard to get to this position,” Piedmont head coach Erik Ford said. “It’s huge for him to accomplish this goal that he set 10 years ago when he first started wrestling.”

Earlier in the week, Largent and Piedmont’s coaching staff discussed what his celebration might look like if we won. But when the moment came it didn’t go exactly as planned, or anything like it all even.

“I don’t think I stuck to any of it,” he admitted. “I think I just kind of went with the flow.”

Blake Colston
sports@piedmontnewsonline.com

OKLAHOMA CITY — Bent over with hands on hips, Brody Largent’s jubilation overcame his physical exhaustion.

“Unbelievable, I’m on top of the world right now,” he said  after his 7-2 win over Christian Campbell in the semifinals of the Class 5A state wrestling tournament at State Fair Arena.

With the win, the 182-pound senior clinched a spot in the state finals tomorrow night against Thomas Shepard of Shawnee, and advanced one step closer to fulfilling a lifelong goal of winning a state title.

Listen to Brody Largent: https://t.co/tOND5DaZ9c

Largent, who earlier in the day beat Sam Dawes of Coweta in overtime of a defensive match, went on the aggressive from the start against Campbell. He scored a 2-point take down, then parlayed a seldom-used move into three near fall points to take control of the match.

“He hits a five-point move there in the second period on a move I’ve seen him hit maybe once or twice in his career,” Piedmont head coach Erik Ford said. “That’s the beauty of the state tournament, it brings out your library of wrestling moves.”

Largent coasted to victory from there. He won’t celebrate for lone, though, he said. Instead he’ll turn his attention to Shawnee’s Shepard, who edged Largent 3-2 in overtime at regionals last week. Read more →

Blake Colston/Gazette
Piedmont’s Bre Reid tries to power past a Duncan defender in the first half of the Lady ‘Cats 64-38 victory over the Demons Thursday night in Piedmont.

Blake Colston
sports@piedmontnewsonline.com

Plenty was on the line for No. 4 Piedmont Thursday night at Collett Fieldhouse. If the Wildcats lost to Duncan, their season was over long before they intended.

Playing on a senior night pushed back to their postseason opener due to winter weather, four Piedmont seniors made sure the Lady Wildcats were never threatened in a 64-38 pasting of the Demons, led senior by Bre Reid’s 18 points.

“We’ve been having some slow starts lately, and I think starting the playoffs with a fast start was good for us,” Reid said of Piedmont’s 20-4 lead after a quarter. “Getting up so much — it was good. This was a great win. It built a lot of confidence for us.”

Reid and Piedmont’s other seniors — Hayden Priddy, Kayden Carver and Mina Iyaye all started and scored Thursday night in a nearly flawless performance. Carver scored six points in the first half, Priddy added five and Iyaye four. With a comfortable lead, the foursome watched most of the second half from the sideline. Read more →

Blake Colston
sports@piedmontnewsonline.com

Blake Colston/Gazette
Piedmont freshman Adokiye Iyaye scored 43 points against Lawton Mac the first time the two teams met in Lawton.

Postseason basketball comes to Piedmont Thursday night.

The No. 4 Piedmont girls (18-4) have a relative breather in the opening round of the regional playoffs, as Duncan comes to Collett Fieldhouse for an 8 p.m. tip.

The Lady Demons bring with them a 3-18 record and have just one win in the last month.

Assuming Piedmont advances, it will likely face a tougher test in 5A No. 15 Lawton Ike (10-12) Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The Lady Eagles are led by senior forward Crystal Polk, who averages 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Boys face MacArthur Friday
What a time for a rubber match.

The No. 19 Piedmont boys travel to Lawton to take on No. 16 MacArthur Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Each team has won on the others home floor this season, with Piedmont (8-14) winning the most recent game, 76-70, behind a 43-point performance from Adokiye Iyaye. MacArthur (9-14) won the first meeting, Dec. 5 in Piedmont, 69-62. But this game means more than the others.

The winner of the game will likely face 5A No. 2 Lawton Ike, Saturday at 7 p.m., while the loser’s season is over. Eisenhower (18-4) hosts Durant (3-14) Friday night.

Photo by Julia Henry
Piedmont’s Tyler Banks wrestles Western Heights’ Cesar Castanon at regionals in Duncan.

Blake Colston
sports@piedmontnewsonline.com

For six Piedmont wrestlers, the stakes won’t get any higher than they’ll be this weekend.

Brody Largent, Francisco Lopez, Michael Lopez, Tyler Banks, Wyatt Lewis and Logan Chappell all have a chance to claim state titles at the Class 5A wrestling tournament held at State Fair Arena Friday and Saturday.

Piedmont’s best hope to bring home a title is 182-pound senior Brody Largent. Largent brings an impressive 37-5 record into his first round match with Sam Dawes of Coweta. Dawes (24-3) is the first hurdle between Largent and a dream he’s been chasing all season.

“This is what he’s had in his mind all year long,” Piedmont head coach Erik Ford said. “The moment is approaching fast. (Brody) is the caliber of kid it takes to win it, but he needs to go wrestle three really good matches in a row.”

If Largent gets by Dawes, he would face either Austin Baldwin of Altus or Christian Campbell of Pryor in the semifinals. With a potential rematch with Shawnee’s Thomas Sheppard, who beat Largent at regionals, in the state finals.

Chappell, meanwhile, is only the third Piedmont freshman to ever qualify for the state tournament, joining Reece Henry and Coulton Parker. He’ll face Bennett Moudy of Coweta (34-5) in the first round.

At 126 pounds, Michael Lopez opposes Pryor’s Logan Litke (38-11). It’s a tough first round draw, but Ford has learned to have faith in Lopez, even in tough spots like this.

“A loss at regionals put us on a bad side of the bracket. But with Mike you never know,” Ford said. “I expect him to wrestle well and I’ll never count him out. He’s proven me wrong too many times.”

Despite taking first at regionals, Francisco Lopez’s road to a title won’t be easy, either. The 145-pound weight class is perhaps the toughest in Class 5A, highlighted by the fact Lopez will face a returning state champion in the first round. Justin McGinnes (17-1) of Glenpool was a champion in 4A last year, and is out for a 5A title this season.

“Francisco is definitely one of the top kids in the state, but he’s at one of the toughest weights in the state, too” Ford said. “I expect him to shine under the lights, though.” Read more →

Blake Colston/Gazette

Blake Colston
sports@piedmontnewsonline.com

Piedmont senior Kayden Carver might be graciously listed as 5-foot-9, but in reality she’s not that tall.

So this fall when it came time for Carver to slide up to the power forward position to make room in the starting lineup for talented sophomore Maddie Sperle, she knew it would take time to get used to guarding bigger, longer players. Carver doesn’t look the part of a post player, but she’s learned how to play like one.

“It’s different for me, so it’s taken a lot of adjusting,” she said. “But it’s fun, I like it.”

Like each of her senior counterparts and the rest of the Lady Wildcats’ team would have, Carver made the move without hesitation because it was best for the team.

“She accepted the move. She wanted to do whatever she needed to do to help the team win,” Piedmont head coach Jamie Hill said. “She would ask questions in practice to try and get better there every day, and I think it’s been a positive shift for her because she can contribute so many little things for us.” Read more →