Piedmont Boys Win Region
The Piedmont Academy boys basketball team clinched the Region 1-AA title Friday night and did so at the expense of an old nemesis.
The Cougars upset Gatewood 50-44 in the championship game of the region tournament, hosted by Piedmont. The win allows coach Josh Daher’s team to enter the GISA Class AA state tournament as a No. 1 seed.
The Cougars (17-10 overall) will meet Christian Heritage, a No. 4 seed, Thursday at 8:30 p.m. in an opening-round game to be played at Middle Georgia College in Cochran.
“This is such a great thing for our program,” Daher said. “Our players stayed with our game plan and we never lost our composure.”
Piedmont jumped out to a 10-point halftime lead, but Gatewood rallied in the second half, as Daher felt they would.
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“They couldn’t get anything to fall in the first half,” the Piedmont coach said. “We knew they were going to make a run. We simply had to be ready to withstand it and to keep doing what we were supposed to do. Our student section was great. Their efforts helped us win the tournament.”
Gatewood had moved to within 28-24 after the third quarter but Piedmont scored 22 points in the final eight minutes to hold on for a six-point victory. Bobby Mitchell scored a game-high 19 points while Jakey Dunagan scored nine. Justin Wilson and Tyler Cullum both finished with eight points while Davis Kimball contributed six.
Daniel Jackson paced Gatewood with 14 points.
The Gators won both regular season match-ups, although the games were close. Gatewood won 34-27 on Jan. 7 and 34-28 on Jan. 27.
The Cougars advanced to the championship game with a 36-23 win against Covenant. Mitchell (13 points) and Dunagan (10 points) were both in double figures.
Wilson added six points in Thursday’s win while Hank Strickland, Tyler Cullum and Zach Beggs all scored two. Owen Kimball added a first-quarter free throw.
Piedmont opened the Region 1-AA tournament with a 50-46 win against Central Fellowship Feb. 8. A 24-point effort from Mitchell helped the Cougars earn the close win. Wilson finished with 13 points while Davis Kimball scored nine. Cullum scored three while Beggs added a free throw.
Daher has been busy preparing his team for the opening round of state. He said he had obtained film on Christian Heritage and he would concentrate on keeping his team focused.
“We are a number one seed and that’s what you want,” Daher said. “However, that doesn’t mean our road is going to be easy. However, we wouldn’t have to play another number one seed until the Final Four.”
The goal for the Cougars all season has been to reach Milledgeville for the Final Four. No Piedmont team has ever reached the semifinal round of the state basketball playoffs.
