Cougars Begin Region Schedule
Few teams have faced a non-region schedule as tough as the one endured by the Piedmont Academy football team this fall.
The Cougars are hoping those games have helped prepare them for the start of the 4-AA slate, which begins Friday on the road against Dominion Christian at 7:30 p.m.
“You hope to play your best football toward the end of the year,” coach Rhett Farmer said. “You play non-region games to help prepare you for region. Hopefully, our tough non-region schedule will help us.”
Piedmont was off last Friday and while Farmer said he would have liked the bye week to have been a couple weeks earlier, it was still beneficial in terms of allowing players to rest and heal.
The Cougars also went into the open week coming off a win, something which was also vital.
“It would have been a rough stretch if our last game had been a loss,” Farmer said.
With the extra week, Piedmont began preparing for Dominion immediately as well as working on improving itself in various areas.
“We showed our team things that Dominion has historically done,” Farmer said. “They will spread you out with a lot of shotgun formation. They have a very athletic quarterback and their best running play is when things break down and he creates something. He will drop back to pass and when teams have an undisciplined pass rush it leaves open running lanes for him.”
Being disciplined defensively will be a key for the Cougars.
“We have to defend well in the secondary and adjust to their motion and different sets,” Farmer said.
While it’s possible some players, including quarterback Hunter Knox, will return this week, Farmer said some players will continue to be sidelined. Practices will not have a physical nature again this week.
The Dominion Knights are having a strong season and enter this week’s game at 6-1 overall. It will also be the region opener for Dominion. The Knights’ lone loss in 2013 came on Sept. 13 in a 39-7 contest with Trinity, Sharpsburg.
Dominion has also defeated AAA schools Griffin Christian and Heritage. The school is located in Marietta. It will be the first of three consecutive region games for Piedmont.