Championships

When Trinity Christian School’s Andy Coleman grounded out to Zach Beggs to end the state championship series between the Crusaders and the Cougars, the celebration was on for Piedmont Academy.

What else would one expect when a state championship season is completed by winning the ultimate prize? For the Cougars, the 2014 season ended with 32 wins and only four losses, but it was the final victory, even the final out, which will likely be remembered as much as any.

The GISA Class AA state championship series was set to begin Friday afternoon with a doubleheader between Piedmont and Trinity. As it turned out, the teams were only able to play two complete innings that day before the weather decided to not be cooperative.

After lightning was detected in the area, the bottom eventually fell out and several inches of rain fell on the field at Piedmont. Suddenly, the prospect of playing the following day was in doubt.

However, parents, fans and supporters began working Friday as soon as the rain ended in an attempt to get the field ready. It was slow work to begin with and even Saturday morning there was doubt whether the games could be played within a few hours.

A team of volunteers made sure that the teams would be able to take the field that day, however.

“That’s just how it is when it comes to Piedmont,” said Danny Camp, who has coached the program for 17 years. ‘When you say you need help to get something done, you get help.”

Initially the plan was to play one game at 5 p.m. Saturday. However, with so many pitching in to get the field ready, the start time was moved to 3 p.m. with the hopes of finishing the first contest and then playing another.

Even with another weather delay Saturday afternoon, the two games were able to be complete with the final out recorded not long before darkness set in.

For the Diamond Cougars, the 2014 season will long be remembered. The players will eventually move on to other things in their lives, but May 31, 2014, will also be a special day.

Championships are never guaranteed. Many quality teams never earn the championship trophy. However, this year’s Piedmont Academy team was simply too good, too strong, too determined not to win it.

Going into the championship series, Trinity had won each of its playoff games and scored 81 runs in six contests in the process. In the two games against the Cougars, the Crusaders scored two runs. Trinity was good, but Piedmont was simply better.

It seems whenever a play had to be made this past weekend, a Cougar stepped up to make it.

There were plays like freshman left fielder Mack Brady throwing Trinity’s Andy Coleman out at second in game one as he tried to stretch a single into a double and then throwing Wyatt Payne out at second as he tried to do the same thing in game two.

There were efforts like Zach Beggs striking out seven consecutive batters at one point in the first game. Also in game one, Beggs faked a throw from the pitcher’s mound to second base trying to keep Trinity’s Payne, who had doubled close. Payne thought the throw went into the outfield and took off for third. Beggs calmly threw the baseball to teammate Luke Andrews at third who was waiting for Payne to pass by to tag him out.

Like most accomplishments of this nature, it will take a while before it completely sinks in on the players. That’s natural.

However, make no mistake this has been a special group of players and coaches. A team that has been supported in all ways by its parents, fans, alumni and the community can accept a loud round of applause today.

Monticello native Chris Bridges is editor of the Barrow Journal in Winder. He welcomes feedback from readers of The Monticello News at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.