By Trey Hunter
Sports Editor
WOODWARD – Davontae Pickard has more than made up for lost time.
Piedmont’s senior running back missed most of his junior season due to injuries. He saw action down the stretch of 2018, but wasn’t much of a factor for the Cats as whole.
Pickard has bounced back this season, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark last week against Northwest Classen and added even more Friday night with 220 yards and three touchdowns in Piedmont’s 42-20 win over Woodward.
“Awesome, it’s meant everything to me,” he said of how special his senior season has been thus far. “Missing most of last year was tough. I knew I had to come out and prove a point. Show people what I can do.”
After a slow start, Pickard busted the game open late in the first quarter, rushing for a 46-yard touchdown to give the Cats a 21-0 lead. His second score came from 23 yards out, extending the lead to 35-7 before finding the end-zone again on the ensuing drive with a 92-yard dash to make it 42-7 late in the third quarter.
“It’s just doing what we do best,” Pickard said of Piedmont’s thrashing of the Boomers on the ground. “Low pad level on the line, hitting the holes hard and playing like we know how to. That’s what we do best. Nobody runs the ball better than us.”
The Wildcats opened the game with a 43-yard drive capped by a three-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Dylan Hampton before recovering a fumble and scoring again on a four-yard run by senior Palmer McCall to take a two-score lead midway through the first quarter.
Following Pickard’s first score and a five-yard touchdown pass from Woodward quarterback Parker Pruett to DW Moffett, Piedmont close out the half with a 81-yard drive capped by a 34-yard scoring strike from Hampton to junior Caden Hendren to take a 28-7 lead into the break.
“It’s the best the offensive line and the whole group has played all season long,” Pickard said. “It feels real good heading into the playoffs knowing our line just had their best game to close out the regular season.”
After Pickard’s back-to-back touchdowns in the second half, Woodward cut the lead to 42-13 with a third-quarter scoring pass from Pruett to Nash Hunter followed by a missed extra-point try. The Boomers made it 42-20 late in the fourth on Pruett’s third passing touchdown of the night, complete to Drake Parker from 30 yards out.
With the win, Piedmont secured third place in District 5A-2, finishing the regular season 8-2 while going 6-1 in district-play.
The Wildcats open the 2019 Class 5A playoffs Friday night at El Reno. Piedmont fell to the Indians, who finished second in District 5A-1, 13-7 in the first game of the season on Sept. 6.
