By Blake Colston
Sports Editor
MUSTANG – When head coach Brandon Jackson met his Piedmont team for the first time this summer, he told them they had the potential to make the program’s first state tournament appearance since 2014, but it wasn’t going to be easy.
“They’ve worked hard ever since that day I met them,” said Jackson who is in his first year at PHS following a stint as head coach at Mount St. Mary’s.
Friday night in Mustang, the Wildcats proved what seven months of hard work could make possible. Walker Kennedy scored a team-high 22 points and had a crucial steal in the final 25 seconds of regulation as Piedmont held on to beat Guthrie, 63-60, to advance to within one win of a state tournament appearance.
Piedmont (16-10) will face El Reno in Saturday night’s Class 5A Area Tournament Consolation title game at Edmond North. Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m.
Walker Kennedy w/ the defensive play of the game. @Piedmont_Bball gets the timeout and possession. Guthrie will have to foul. #OKpreps pic.twitter.com/qKsZCUNQN8
— Blake Colston (@CBlakeColston) March 4, 2023
“They deserve this more than anything,” Jackson said of his team’s success. “People talk about our coaching staff, we’re not out there making the plays. They’ve worked hard from the start.”
Piedmont steered through a three-game losing streak to end the regular season – that included a loss at Guthrie – by opening the postseason with a 36-point win over Lawton Ike, then battled fourth-ranked Oklahoma City Southeast to the end in a 71-65 loss in the regional title game.
“We were immature in thinking the hard part was already done, not realizing the hard part was just beginning,” Jackson said. “But we bounced back and learned it’s going to be hard, but just because it’s hard doesn’t mean we can’t do it.”
Kennedy, who made five 3-pointers for the second time in three games, was the play maker for PHS on offense, but made his biggest play of the game on defense.
The sophomore deflected a pass, then dived in front of Guthrie’s Jaylen Chelf to control the ball for the Wildcats. Piedmont kept possession by calling timeout before Chelf could earn a tie-up, which forced the ‘Jays to foul.
“That’s a game-winning play, Jackson said. “To get it from a guy who carried us offensively, it’s big time. It shows that he’s more than just a shooter.”
“The season’s on the line. I’ve got to get (the ball),” Kennedy added. “I was just making a play for my team.”
The ‘Cats led Guthrie by as many as 14 points in the second half, but the Blue Jays rallied in the final three minutes to take 60-59 lead.
“We got too emotional and started letting crowd noise and the other team get to our heads,” said Jackson of the Blue Jays’ 18-6 run.
Senior Colton Sydnes chipped in with 11 for Piedmont, including a 3-point play that gave the lead back to Piedmont, 62-60, with 25 seconds left. Walker’s steal on the ensuing possession led to Sydnes hitting another free throw before Guthrie’s final 3-pointer missed at the buzzer.
Chelf scored a game-high 26 for the Blue Jays (11-15) in the final game of his high school career. Jeremiah Weay scored nine points for PHS.
El Reno (17-7), which earlier on Friday lost to Del City in the Area Championship game, 53-45, defeated Piedmont in mid-December by seven.
“We take it one game at a time and this is the one game,” Jackson said. “32 minutes of basketball tomorrow and we’re going to make the most of it. All we wanted was a chance, and we have a chance.”
