By Trey Hunter
Sports Editor
Piedmont now sits at 1-4 overall and 0-2 in district play through five weeks of the 2018 season.
The Wildcats’ backs are not yet against the wall, but playoff chances are narrowing as three teams in District 5A-2, Carl Albert, Guthrie and Bishop McGuinness, have jumped out to 2-0 records, including wins over Piedmont by the Titans and Jays.
The scenario leaves Piedmont with State Playoff hopes still alive, but with work left to be done. And it starts this week against Lawton Ike.
The Eagles and Wildcats enter Friday’s match-up with the exact same records overall and in District 5A-2, giving the winner a slight advantage of grabbing the fourth playoff spot down the stretch.
Piedmont coach Trent Worley says his team understands the challenge and is well prepared after a tough road of games against Noble, Guthrie and Carl Albert over the last three weeks and also the first two weeks against El Reno and Weatherford.
“I think the first five games has really prepared us for the second half of the season,” Worley said after his team’s loss at Carl Albert last week. “Especially in terms of how competitive those teams that we’ve played really are. Ultimately you’re testing yourself against programs like that.
“We’ve made strides along the way and are heading in the right direction. So definitely the first five opponents are going to help us because it’s got us read for the last five too.”
Lawton Ike will be a test, but a passable one for the Wildcats.
The Eagles earned their lone win just last week over Northwest Classen, 34-8 on the road. However, the team struggled to open the season, starting with four straight losses to Lawton Mac, Choctaw, Lawton and Woodward. In all four losses, Ike failed to eclipse twenty points.
Enter Piedmont’s defense.
The Wildcats have put up back-to-back passable grades defensively against Guthrie and Carl Albert, keeping each game close for nearly 45 minutes before the Jays and Titans each ran away with their wins in the final 15 minutes of each game.
Braden Culp (Sr.), Bo Hardy (Jr.) and Joey Mars (So.) have all performed well defensively over the last three weeks and Worley’s group will look to their leaders to help carry them through against Lawton Ike.
“They’re the perfect example of the type of team we are right now,” Worley said of his players. “You watch them play and that’s how we want the rest of our team playing. Their teammates will follow suit.”
Offensively the Wildcats will need to rush the ball aggressively while still picking spots with their quarterback, whether it be Mars who started last week or Dylan Hampton (Jr.) the team’s starter in the first four weeks. Hampton was injured against Guthrie.
Also, Colby Matlock (Jr.) and Hardy will have to be accountable in the backfield. They can put together 120-plus yards together, but ball security will be the key for the duo.
The Wildcats and Eagles kickoff Friday at 7 p.m. at Piedmont.
