By Blake Colston
Sports Editor
Piedmont’s secondary is in for a challenge tonight when the Wildcats (1-1) travel to Noble (1-1) to face a Bears team that has one of the most prolific passing attacks in Class 5A. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Senior safety Cole Riggs will probably be at the center of the action, which is just where Piedmont would like for him to be.
“He’s rangy and can cover lots of ground,” Piedmont head coach Hall said.
Riggs, a 6-foot, 180-pound senior, had an interception in Piedmont’s game vs. Putnam City North last week and his play making skills extended to special teams, too.
Riggs returned the opening kickoff of the season 99 yards for a touchdown, but it was called back due to a penalty. Riggs probably would’ve scored without the illegal block, Hall said.
“That’s why we put a guy like him back there,” Hall said. “We expect those guys to return the ball somewhere around the fifty every time.”
Noble scored 41 points against Blanchard in its season opener and narrowly missed upsetting Midwest City last week in a 14-12 loss.
“It’s a big week for our secondary,” Hall said. “(Noble) is going to stress us defensively.”
Riggs said Piedmont’s defense has ironed out some of the issues from last week’s game against PC North.
“We’re really excited for the challenge this week,” he said. “We’ve had a great week of practice and we really feel like we’ve made a lot of improvement.”
Playing such a big role for Piedmont wasn’t something Riggs expected two years ago.
“My work ethic wasn’t very good and I was one of the slower guys on the team,” he said.
Hall had to convince Riggs to even come out for spring practice at all during his first season as head coach. He even hand-delivered cupcakes to Riggs to, literally, sweeten the deal.
“After that, (Coach Hall) said I better see you at spring practice,” Riggs said.
Riggs showed up for spring practice still slightly skeptical. He’d seen Piedmont change its head coach twice in three seasons and wasn’t sure it would be different this time.
It didn’t take long for him to buy into Hall’s program, though.
“It felt so natural for everyone. It just felt like family from the start.” he said. “It’s the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Riggs is also a star on Piedmont’s baseball team and is committed to play college baseball at Kansas Wesleyan, though he’s open to playing football in college, he said.
“Cole is the perfect example of how baseball can help you in football and football can help you in baseball,” Hall said, noting that chasing down fly balls isn’t all that different from tracking a pass or a kick while it’s in the air. “We’re really glad to have him.”
