The SaberCats got out of the bag in the fourth quarter, and the Piedmont Wildcats let one get away after being in control most of the game.
The Westmoore SaberCats clawed their way back in a Class 6A-II District 1 catfight. They used a defensive tackle to score from 3-yards out to pull within a point at 27-28 late in the fourth quarter. They went for a two-point conversion with 1:56 to go and took the lead.
An interception of a Grayson May pass sealed the victory for the SaberCats.
Piedmont received the ball first and after moving the ball to the 38-yard line, Jayden Fuston took a handoff from quarterback Grayson May, broke through the line and found open field to the end zone.
Southmoore was able to scratch their way back into the contest with a drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown from SaberCats quarterback Taven Hayes.
Southmoore had another drive develop in the second quarter that was turned away in the Piedmont red zone when Mikah Rocco stripped the ball from a SaberCats receiver on a screen pass at their own 10-yard line.
On the next play, Wildcats’ quarterback May fumbled, giving the SaberCats the ball back at the 8-yard line. Piedmont’s defense made a fourth-down stop at the 1-yard line with three minutes to go in the second quarter.
A holding penalty nullified a huge Jayden Fuston run into SaberCats territory. But a 22-yard pass from May to Lane Whitworth put the Wildcats up 14-7 late in the second quarter. The score stayed 14-7 at the half.
In the third quarter the SaberCats received the ball and marched down the field to tie the game 14-14 with a 9-yard run.
Piedmont regained the lead on a touchdown pass from May to DreAndre Bruton. Lane Whitworth took an end-around reverse 35 yards for a touchdown and had a two-score lead 28-14.
With 6:52 to go in the fourth quarter Southmoore scored on 3-yard running play to their defensive tackle Na’kwaine Carter, and the SaberCats were just a touchdown away from tying the game.
The SaberCats had a 3-4 record going into the game, 2-2 in district play. Piedmont was 5-2 and 3-1 in district before the game.
With under four minutes to go a pick six interception and TD by defensive back Tatym Stahlman was called back on a defensive holding penalty. The SaberCats drive stayed alive. A roughing the passer call then moved the ball to the Piedmont 30-yard line.
Then Na’Kwaine Carter scored again from 3-yards out and even added the two-point conversion to take the lead.
An interception of May ended the Piedmont hopes of regaining a lead.
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