Cougars Sweep Oak Mountain

Piedmont Academy’s varsity basketball teams swept visiting Oak Mountain Saturday.

The Lady Cougars used a 28-point performance from Amelia Dodson to record a 54-51 victory. Dodson scored eight points in both the first and second quarters and then added six more in the third quarter and six in the fourth quarter, including four free throws.

Piedmont’s girls, now 2-3 overall, led 42-24 after the third quarter but then had to hold on the victory as Oak Mountain went on a 27-8 run in the game’s final eight minutes. The Lady Cougars had three players in double figures. In addition to Dodson’s standout night, Lucy Tuggle finished with 11 points while Haley Tyler added 10.

Madison McCart scored three points while Madison Burnham had two.

A 17-point effort from Chandler Burrell and a 16-point game from Mack Brady helped the varsity boys to a 64-33 win Saturday. Sam Wright (five points), J.T. Webb (four points), Joseph Anderson (four points), Chris Cain (three points), Zach Wilson (two points and Sam Younker (two points) all helped lead a balanced scoring attack for the Cougars.

Piedmont led by three points after the first quarter but had moved in front by 13 points at halftime. The Cougars had taken a comfortable 19 point cushion after the third quarter.

Saturday’s win by the varsity teams followed losses to John Milledge Academy at home the previous night.

The Lady Cougars lost a close 40-30 game while the varsity boys fell 65-35.

Dodson once again led the Piedmont girls on Friday with 17 points. Tyler and McCart both scored four points while Matti Smith finished with three and Tuggle scored two.

Burrell paced the varsity boys with 13 points while Wilson finished with six and Tanner Casey and Michael Edwards both scored four. Brady and Wright finished with three each while Cain scored two points.

First-year Piedmont varsity boys coach Alan Richardson said he is getting a better grasp on how good some of the competition is that his Cougars are facing.

“Right now, some teams are just better than we are,” Richardson said. A lot of that falls back on me. The kids are working extremely hard. No one likes to lose but they have taken the loses well and are learning from them.”

With one game remaining before the break, the first-year Piedmont coach hopes to earn a win and gain some momentum going into the second portion of the season.

“We are hoping for the best,” Richardson said. “We want to find a way to win and go into the break at 303. We are just starting to click on all cylinders. I see so much potential in these players. We have so many pieces of the puzzle in place. We have to keep building our confidence. A region championship is our goal. It will be a daunting task with some of the teams we face. We hope to peak at the right time.”

The varsity teams will play Nathanael Greene in Siloam Saturday, Dec. 19 for games beginning at 2:30 p.m.