With three minutes to go in the football game Friday night, the Piedmont Wildcats took their first lead over Bishop McGuinness on a Josh Mars touchdown and an extra point that was good.
The Wildcats were also trying to get their first victory over The Irish in their program’s history in a battle at F&M Bank Stadium. In the third quarter, Piedmont trailed 14-0, and it would take a comeback to get the win. They almost did it. But McGuiness would score late to end their chance.
After the teams exchanged missed field goals in the first quarter in a brisk wind, The Irish took a first half lead on a 61-yard TD run.
The Irish added to the score in the third quarter with 8:22 to go with a touchdown run from John Paul Spanier. The extra point was no good.
The Wildcats scored on a 10-yard touchdown by Jayden Fuston. Fuston caught a swing pass from Josh Mars with about 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter to find the end zone.
McGuinness led in the fourth quarter 13-7.
McGuinness drove into field goal range with 6:32 minutes to go, but Piedmont’s Kyle McGougan intercepted a McGuinness pass by quarterback Damon Cochran II in the red zone.
Mars then hit Jayden Fuston for a long pass play, and on the next play, Mars took the ball into the end zone for a touchdown.
McGuinness was driving with about two minutes remaining. A pass tipped by Cannon Wood was almost intercepted.
Spanier then gashed the Wildcats’ defense again for yardage into the red zone with under two minutes left.
Spanier scored the go-ahead touchdown to take a 19-14 lead, the final score for the night.
Piedmont had lost 15 consecutive games to The Irish in Class 5A-2.
Piedmont fell to 7-2 and McGuinness improved to 6-3 with the win.
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