By Trey Hunter
Sports Editor
Colby Matlock and the Wildcats could sense change coming.
“It’s the dawning of a new era,” the senior running back said. “Change of the school, change of the talent, change of everything.”
Matlock and the Wildcats put a stop to one of the most chronicled runs in Oklahoma high school football, ending three-time defending state champion Carl Albert’s 40-game win streak with a 10-6 victory at F&M Bank Stadium Friday night.
“We just wrote history right there.”
The Wildcats set the tone from the start and the thought of an upset buzzed throughout the stadium by halftime. After forcing the Titans into a three-and-out on the opening possession, Piedmont jumped out to a 7-0 lead on an eight-yard scoring run by Matlock that capped a 58-yard, six-minute drive.
That momentum was put on hold as Carl Albert’s Jayveion Traylor returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. After a missed extra-point and a 45-minute lightning delay, the Wildcats clung to a 7-6 advantage.
“We definitely didn’t want to take a break,” Piedmont coach Jeff Hall said of the delay. “There was a point during the stoppage where we felt like it might have stopped our momentum, especially with a team like Carl Albert. But credit to our guys, they overcame that adversity, handled it and persevered.”
Piedmont’s defense stymied the Titans in the first half, holding them to just 24 yards on two drives while dominating time of possession. The Cats added to their lead just before halftime with a 23-yard field goal by junior Preston Fansher.
“Just playing every single snap,” senior linebacker Bo Hardy said of the defensive unit’s effort throughout the game. “Bending, not breaking just like I said last week. They had a couple of good drives, but we never broke. That was the deal.”
The team’s defense, which allowed a total of 158 yards, including 13 yards on 10 carries to Javion Hunt, one of the state’s top Division I prospects, came up big when Piedmont needed it most.
The Titans drove down to the Piedmont eight-yard line after forcing a turnover on downs to open the second half. However, the Cats pushed Carl Albert back to the 16-yard line and after a 33-yard missed field goal by Jacob Eddy, they preserved their four-point lead.
“Our defense was unbelievable tonight,” Hall said. “We gave up that kickoff return, but other than that we blanked them. That’s a huge testament to the guys on that side of the ball and the coaching staff.”
Piedmont’s flex-bone offense didn’t produce points in the second half, but kept Carl Albert’s offense off the field. The Wildcats possessed the ball for just under 15 minutes in the final two quarters, including two drives that drained almost 12 minutes. The team’s rushing attack produced 270 yards, including 71 from Matlock, which also helped control the clock.
“We only put up 10 points, but we maintained time of possession. That had a huge impact on the overall outcome based on keeping the ball out of their hands,” Hall said.
The Wildcats forced two turnovers on Carl Albert’s final two possessions. Titan quarterback Ben Harris fumbled and was then picked off by senior Caleb Dixon on the final play of the game, sealing the victory and putting Piedmont in the driver’s seat of District 5A-2 for the first time in program history.
“We’re turning the program around,” Hardy said as fans and Piedmont staff congratulated him heading to the locker room. “Nobody in the state thought we could do it.
“We actually knew that we could.”
