Cougars Open Season in Marquee Matchup
The long offseason has now led to game week for the Piedmont Academy football team.
In the opening Friday of the GISA season, Piedmont will be involved in the top matchup of week one as the Cougars travel to Camilla to face the Westwood Wildcats. The contest will pit the two-time defending Class AA champion (the Piedmont Cougars) against the two-time defending Class A champion (the Westwood Wildcats.)
At stake will be the longest active winning streak in GISA football as both teams have won 26 in a row. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
“It’s time to play,” said fourth-year Piedmont head coach Rhett Farmer. “It’s time to go against someone else.”
Battling such a formidable foe in the opening week presents various challenges, but Farmer said his team still has plenty to work on itself this week in practice.
“I’m not completely happy with where we are right now,” the coach said. “We have to get better. We have seven non-region games to get ready for the ones that count. We would like to continue our winning streak this week, but this is a long season. We are young in so many spots that game experience will benefit us tremendously.”
While some familiar names return from last fall, there are numerous new faces who will be on the field for the Cougars this week and throughout the 2012 season.
Hunter Knox will be at quarterback this fall while Peter Lawson and Austin Taylor will also be available under center. Nick Dimsdale returns in the offensive backfield at fullback. Hunter Clark, Malik Reid, and Chas Nelson will also see time at that position.
Lawson returns at tailback after earning numerous honors his junior season. Gaven Edge, who may also be used some at fullback, will also be called upon at tailback. Farmer noted Lawson can also fill in at fullback if needed making him a true triple threat in the backfield. Hank Strickland and Taylor will also be available as tailback this fall.
Mills Smith returns as wide receiver, while a host of other players will also see action at the position throughout the season including Britton Bailey, Strickland, Edge, Ben Davis, Alan Powell, Evan Harvey, and Jackson Gillian.
Andrew Wilson, Alex Perry, and Edge will be used as tight ends.
Up front, Payden Cantera will be at center with Glade Tuggle at right guard and Luke Andrews at left guard. McKenzie Brittain will line up at right tackle with Justin Autry on the left side.
Mike Weatherly, Hunter Burson, Hunter Pope, Chris Cain, Gabe Hestad, Clay Kirkpatrick, and Zach Wilson will add depth to the line.
On the defensive side of the football, Lawson returns at linebacker. Clark and Nelson will also be at linebacker this fall. Reid, Taylor, Dimsdale, and Bailey will be in the defensive secondary position as will Strickland, Knox, Gillian, and Powell.
Farmer said he wants to keep as many players as possible from taking the field on offense and defense.
Smith will line up at defensive end this season.
Helping add depth will be Tuggle (DE), Edge (DE/LB), Davis (secondary), Cantera (DT), Alex Perry (DE), Andrew Wilzman (DE), Autry (NG/DT), Harvey (DE/LB), and Wilson (NG/DT). Andrews, Hunter Burson, Weatherly, Josh Hempel, Brittain, Pope, Cain, Zack Whitwell, Hestad, and Kirkpatrick will be called upon to contribute on the defensive line.
For special teams, Hempel and Nelson will handle the point-after kicking duties. Hempel and Clark will handle kickoffs with Brittain and Harvey working at long snapper.
In scouting Westwood, Farmer said the Wildcats run a similar offensive scheme to the Cougars.
“They will line up in a pro set, twin formation and use the spread,” Farmer said. “The thing about Westwood is they do it from the shotgun. They run many of the same schemes as us, just not under center. They will also use more four wide receiver sets than we ever would.”
Speed is a factor for Westwood as All-State running back J.T. Edore returns along with All-State tight end/middle linebacker Jamie Davis.
“Westwood has great speed up front,” Farmer said. “They are not real big (along the line). They lost some offensive linemen from last year just like we did. They keep it simple and just run their schemes very well.”
Piedmont defensive coordinator Wes Tanner knows a strong test awaits his players this week.
“It’s definitely going to be a challenge,” Tanner said. “Westwood is a team that has multiple threats which always have to be accounted for. It is easy to look at the numbers from last year and say that it is just about Edore, but that is not the case. Each skilled guy is a threat every time they touch it. We will definitely be in for a battle and I think we will be up for the test. Assignments will be the key and not taking plays off. Our players are looking forward to it.”
Sophomore Chason Worsham will also be counted on in the offensive backfield.
Defensively, the Wildcats will use a 4-3 look and take advantage of their speed to swarm to the football.
“They still have plenty of talent,” Farmer said.
The Piedmont team plans to take a chartered bus to the game leaving around noon Friday. Farmer said he would rather be at home with such a young team in several spots.
“We will have some sophomores and freshmen seeing varsity action for the first time,” Farmer said. “They may not truly understand what it’s all about at this level yet. I hope they don’t view Friday as a field trip where they are getting out of class for a bus ride. If a road trip affects us that much, then we have some serious problems. We are playing to have the longest active winning streak in the state.”
The on-the-field scouting for Westwood began last week in practice and will continue this week. Piedmont coaches watched the Wildcats in their preseason scrimmage last week.
“The thing about them is they line up in so many sets that you have to be ready for everything,” Farmer said. “We will continue working on perfecting our technique this week, just as we will all season. We will not try to be tricky. We have to block and tackle. Their backs will run hard with speed and power. Defensively, we have to lock up and make sound tackles.”
Westwood is coached by Ross Worsham, who played collegiately for Hall of Famer Erik Russell at Georgia Southern in the mid-to-late 80s. He is in his seventh season directing the Wildcats.
“We are trying to keep everything as routine as possible,” Coach Worsham said Monday. “We are not preparing for this game any different than any other. At the same time, you can’t fool the kids. We feel this is a marquee matchup in the opening week of the season. Winning streaks don’t last forever, but both teams have a lot of pride and want to extend it. We will prepare as well as we can and I know both will put forth their best to win.”
One thing Worsham said his team needs to guard against is the importance of the outcome in the long term this fall.
“If you don’t win, it doesn’t mean you still can’t have a successful season, and if you don’t win you can’t let it prevent the rest of your season from going well,” the Westwood coach said. “Hopefully, this contest will prepare us for our region games this season. Piedmont has a fine program and tradition that we know it’s going to be a tough game for us.”
The Wildcats will look to slow Lawson down. Worsham said the Piedmont senior may be the best back in the state, regardless of classification.
“They are going to ride his back and try to win using him,” Worsham said. “I would do the same thing if he was on our team. This is a game where one or two plays could be the difference. We have to be where we need to be defensively and wrap up and finish tackles. Offensively, we hope to be able to move the football some and score some. It’s not going to be easy because of Piedmont’s size. We have to do the little things right to have a chance to emerge wih the win.”
Friday’s game is at Centennial Stadium, located at 255 Powell Street in Camilla.
SCOUTING REPORT:
THE GAME: Piedmont (0-0) @ Westwood (0-0), Friday, 7:30 p.m., Centennial Stadium in Camilla
LAST SEASON: Teams did not play each other
LAST GAMES: Piedmont defeated Edmund Burke 13-8 for 2011 Class AA title; Westwood defeated Memorial Day 33-21 for Class A title.
COACHES: Piedmont, Rhett Farmer, entering fourth season with Cougars, 33-5; overall coaching record of 37-12; Westwood, Ross Worsham, entering seventh season at Westwood, 47-24.