Championship Countdown

(Note: Chris Bridges, who covers Piedmont Academy athletics for The Monticello News, recorded these observations as the countdown to the first pitch Friday between the Cougars and Trinity Christian School continued at Russell Gilbert Memorial Field.)

•11:55 a.m.: Piedmont Academy headmaster Tony Tanner and coaches Rhett Farmer and Alvin Hawkes are stationed at the admission entrance to accept admission from fans as they enter. Farmer has worked the gate all season and the superstitious nature of baseball coaches Danny Camp and Dan Funt have him doing it again for the championship.

•Noon: Piedmont players are dressed in their game uniforms and are putting their equipment in the dugout.

•12:05 p.m.: A few fans begin arriving at the ballpark.

•12:10 p.m.: Cougar players work in the batting cage in preparation

for the championship series.

•12:15 p.m.: Camp speaks with the radio broadcast team covering Trinity.

•12:24 p.m.: Camp checks the scoreboard box in the press box to make sure it is operating correctly.

•12:32 p.m.: Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer” plays over the P.A. speakers.

•12:37 p.m.: Wyatt Galloway, Michael Edwards, Tyler Mills and Mack Brady began taking warm-up tosses in right field. Other players soon join them.

•12:46 p.m.: More fans arrive and set up chairs and tents in anticipation of a long afternoon at the field.

•12:49 p.m.: Piedmont players meet in shallow right field and are addressed by their coach.

•1 p.m.: The Trinity radio team begins its broadcast.

•1:05 p.m.: Piedmont players continue warm-ups in right field.

•1:06 p.m.: The bus carrying the Trinity players arrives.

•1:12 p.m.: Camp talks with Trinity coaches outside the Crusader dugout.

•1:24 p.m.: Piedmont takes official pregame infield.

•1:36 p.m.: Trinity takes official pregame infield.

•1:44 p.m.: The four umpires assigned to the series walk on the field.

•1:51 p.m.: Coaches meet at home plate with the umpires to go over final instructions and to exchange lineup cards.

•1:58 p.m.: The starting lineups are introduced by Carole Tyler.

•2 p.m.: Piedmont teacher April Allen sings the national anthem.

•2:04 p.m.: Piedmont Academy pitcher Zach Beggs takes his final warm-up tosses.

•2:06 p.m.: Trinity batter Cam Soles steps into the batter’s box. Beggs fires the first pitch of the series. The home plate umpire calls it a strike. The GISA Class AA state championship baseball series is officially underway.