Blake Colston, Sports Editor – Piedmont’s non-district slate ended in forgettable fashion Friday night.
Noble running back Danny Arebalo ran 36 times for 184 yards and two touchdowns as the Bears beat Piedmont 12-3 at F&M Bank Stadium.
Arebalo helped a short-handed Noble team which played without its starting quarterback (3-0) run its way to a victory while Piedmont’s offense stumbled to just two first downs in three quarters.
Piedmont (0-3) has gone seven quarters without finding the end zone since a first quarter score at Weatherford in Week 2.
“When we were on the field our offense didn’t do its part to keep moving the football,” Piedmont head coach Trent Worley said.
Arebalo had little trouble methodically moving through Piedmont’s defense in the first half, scoring on runs of three and 14 yards while totaling 104 yards.
Noble built a 12-3 halftime lead then let Arebalo serve as a battering ram who provided valuable first downs in the second half as Noble protected its lead by controlling possession.
“It’s high school football and the teams that run the football are the most successful,” Worley said. “(Arebalo) is a good ball player. We tried all night to get the ball out of his hands punching and stripping and pulling at the football and weren’t able to do it.”
Bears starting quarterback Hayden Lingle did not play Friday because of suspension. A pair of players – Jay Smith and Dylan Davis – filled in admirably for Lingle, with Davis completing 7-of-14 passes for 96 yards and Smith adding 24 rushing yards on seven carries. Noble gained 352 total yards with 256 coming via 61 rushing attempts.
Piedmont totaled only 70 yards and five first downs, three of which came on its final drive of the game. Quarterback Garrett Morris was 6-of-18 passing for 41 yards. Sophomore Davontae Pickard carried seven times for 35 yards.
The game started promisingly enough for the ‘Cats. Bryson Ensminger
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