By Trey Hunter
Sports Editor
The Wildcats gritted their way into the Class 5A playoff picture over the last six weeks. And after four final quarters of regular season adversity, it paid off.
With a 47-28 win over Woodward Friday night at F&M Bank Stadium, Piedmont punched its postseason ticket, nabbing the final playoff spot out of 5A District 2 for the second time in three years.
“It feels great,” senior defensive back Baylor Hendren said after the game, the team’s turnover chain draped over his neck after sealing the victory with a 49-yard interception return for a touchdown on Woodward’s second to last drive.
“A lot of people don’t think it, but there’s a chance to do big things with this team. We knew that if we were going to come out on top it would be a dog fight and we practiced for that all week.”
A fight it was, and a war of attrition for Piedmont’s defense in the first half and third quarter.
Woodward ran 42 offensive plays compared to the Wildcats’ 19 over the course of the opening 36 minutes and yet Piedmont still carried a 28-21 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats pulled out two fourth-down stops on Woodward’s first two offensive opportunities, stopping the Boomers in scoring territory at the 30 yard-line on their opening drive and at the 19 yard-line on their following set of downs.
“I’m proud of their effort and the fact that they never once flinched,” Piedmont coach Trent Worley said of the team’s defensive unit. “It seemed like every time we had a stop or thought we had a stop, something goofy happened. Credit to Woodward, their guys play extremely hard. But our guys are pretty tough, too.”
Piedmont took advantage of its limited time with the ball in the first half, scoring on three of four drives.
Junior quarterback Dylan Hampton had his share of struggles throughout the game, but accounted for two touchdowns early, including a 29-yard strike to senior Jack Chester and a two-yard run in the second quarter. Junior tailback Davontae Pickard punched in the game’s first touchdown with a three-yard run in the first.
Hampton’s errors included a fumble in the first quarter that was returned for a touchdown and three interceptions in the third. But he, like the team’s defense, never flinched. He completed two passes late in the third and early in the fourth, a 13-yard pitch connection to Chester and a 12-yard hookup with junior Doran Hillman, that led to touchdown and a two-score lead.
“It seemed like it was I turn the ball over and they score and then they score and I turn the ball over,” Hampton said. “But my team being behind my back, especially the defense and the guys telling me to stick with it and keep my head up, that kept me in it.”
Hampton’s first interception opened a sloppy third quarter that included four turnovers, a punt and a turnover on downs.
Woodward capitalized on the first turnover with a four-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Kole Marlatt to tie the game 21-21. Marlatt was the Boomer’s main source of offense, finishing with 136 rushing yards and two scores on 36 carriers.
Piedmont answered with a scoring drive capped by a five-yard touchdown run by Pickard, who finished with four scores in the game. But the flow of the game stagnated from there.
Junior quarterback Parker Pruett fumbled on Woodward’s following possession followed by Hampton’s second interception. The Boomers turned it over on their next drive before picking off Hampton for a third time. Woodward ensued with the only punt of the contest before Pickard’s early fourth quarter score for a 34-21 lead.
“Dylan had a rough game, but on the other side of it he had a really good one,” Worley said of his team’s signal caller. “He had some turnovers there he’d like to have back, but players make plays and you’ve got to go out there and cut it loose and play with confidence. He could have dropped his head but he kept fighting.”
The Boomers did answer back, but it wasn’t enough.
Junior Matt Ogden punched in a two-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 34-28, but after Pickard’s fourth score on the next possession and Hendren’s interception return, the game was sealed.
“That was big,” Hampton said of his teammate’s play. “He made a big play when it counted and helped us win the game. We thought we could do it and we proved we could.”
Now the playoff brackets are set and the Wildcats will travel to Ardmore to take on the undefeated, 5A District 1 champion Tigers in the opening round.
Ardmore is a familiar foe, having knocked out the Cats in the first round two seasons ago, when Hendren and his classmates were sophomores.
“When we were there two years ago it was great,” Hendren said. “But we came up short. This time is even sweeter because now we get another chance at them before we go.”
