Clay Crushing Cougars Excel

Even though the shooting season has just begun, the Piedmont Academy Clay Crushing Cougars are headed towards another strong season.

On Saturday, Piedmont competed in Atlanta at the Tom Lowe Shooting Grounds. A total of seven schools and 77 shooters took part in the events. Shooters competed in the disciplines of skeet and trap and worked to meet the requirements needed to compete at state.

Piedmont’s state qualifiers were Andrew Chapko (skeet), Anne Marie Hildebrant (skeet and trap), Mitch Marsh (skeet), Noah Quick (skeet), Zach Sanders (skeet and trap), Morgan Tillman (skeet), Mike Weatherly (trap) and Hunter Whiting (skeet and trap).

Hildebrant and Sanders finished in the top 10 for skeet. Sanders and Weatherly finished in the top 10 for trap. Sanders finished overall in the top 10 for combined scores.

“This was a rare opportunity that the junior varsity and varsity squads were able to shoot together,” Piedmont coaches said.

High shooters for the JV squad were Browning Benton and Eli Waits.

Overall, it was a great day for breaking targets, coaches said.

The Clay Crushing Cougars also recently announced Cameron Vaughn as a new member of the coaching staff.

The varsity team will next be competing at the Ocmulgee River Gun Club on Oct. 18. Upcoming shoots for the JV team are Oct. 15, Nov. 19, and Dec. 10.