Junior Pro Cougars Defeat Gatewood, 28-6

Piedmont Academy’s Jr. Pro football team hosted Gatewood Tuesday and improved to 2-0 with a 28-6 victory.

It was the first time the young Cougars had faced Gatewood and the players looked forward to competing against one of the school’s oldest rivals.

Piedmont started the game on offense and scored on the first play from scrimmage on a 60-yard run by sixth grader Joe Clark.

Gatewood, after having no success with the run, went to the air and scored on big pass play for a touchdown in the first quarter, tying the game at 6-6.

The Cougars then mounted a strong second possession, marching the length of the field on 10 plays, capped off by Clark on a four-yard touchdown run.

The half ended with Piedmont up 14-6.

Gatewood received the football to start the second half and tried to mount a comeback after several successful plays only to have the wind snatched from their sails when sixth grader Mason Owens scooped up a loose ball on a dropped pitch and took it 45 yards for a key defensive touchdown.

From that point, it was all Piedmont when Owens connected with third grader Matt Allen on a screen pass that went for 49 yards for the final Cougar score.

The defense played lights out, coaches said, and was led by fifth grader Ridge Stroud who had four tackles for the night, two for big losses.

The boys faced a much tougher challenge this week and met that challenge head on,” said coach Marc Allen. “The added excitement of playing our biggest rival really got them amped up and we are so proud of their effort.”

The Jr. Pro Cougars will travel to Eatonton to face Gatewood in rematch on Tuesday. The game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.