By Trey Hunter
Sports Editor
Bend but don’t break .
That was the message delivered to Bo Hardy and Piedmont’s defensive unit this week.
The Wildcats (2-1) rarely bent and never broke Friday night, routing Noble 28-6 in front of a packed crowd at F&M Bank Stadium. Hardy and the Cats defense held one of Class 5A’s highest scoring teams through two weeks to just 320 total yards with three turnovers and five sacks.
“We knew that they were going to have some good pass plays and were going to put together some long drives,” Piedmont’s senior linebacker said after the win. “But we knew if we could just stay in there and keep playing down after down that we would pull it out.”
Senior running back Colby Matlock and Piedmont’s offense jump started the win. Matlock rushed for a 74-yard touchdown on the second play of the game. He then capped the team’s second drive with a 40-yard score for a 14-0, first-quarter lead.
The Bears (2-1) responded with a 65-yard scoring drive capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass from Austin Fisher to Jay Smith. That was it for Noble as Piedmont blocked the PAT and followed by holding the Bears to just 214 yards the rest of the way.
“Our back end stepped up big time this week,” Hardy said of the team’s secondary, which helped hold Fisher to 216 passing yards. “Our DB’s and safeties played amazing. One of the other major things was putting 11 people on the ball every play. I think we did a good job of that tonight.”
Hardy finished with one of Piedmont’s five sacks and one of two interceptions. Senior Zaire Bartee came away with the first pick and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown and a 21-6 lead in the second quarter.
Quarterback Dylan Hampton gave the Wildcats a 28-6 lead later in the period, capping a eight-play, 87-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown run. Piedmont rushed the ball 48 times for 410 yards, including 305 in the first half. The team’s offense also milked nearly 30 minutes off the clock, including over 17 minutes in the second half to help seal the win.
“It keeps us off the field and we can come out with more fire, so it’s great,” Hardy said of how controlling time of possession helps the defense. “The more they keep driving the ball and getting first downs the better.”
Matlock led all rushers with 132 yards on six carries. Senior Davontae Pickard also cracked the century mark with 117 yards on 20 carries while senior Mason Teeter chipped in 85 yards. Hardy himself rushed for 29.
The win marks the second straight for the Wildcats after opening the season with a loss to El Reno. The Bears had scored 41 and 48 points in wins over Class 4A Newcastle and Ada in the first two weeks.
“We’ve known from the start that we’re a really good team,” Hardy said of where the win puts his squad heading into district play. “We just needed to show it. I feel like we’re starting to do that.”
