Special Group Of Piedmont Players And Coaches Win It All Again

The Piedmont Academy baseball program has traveled this road before but the scenery never gets old.

The Diamond Cougars rallied to defeat Windsor Academy two games to one and claim the GISA Class AA state title for the fifth consecutive season. After the Knights took a hard-fought 4-2 win in game one of the series, Piedmont proved to just be too strong, winning game two 8-2 and then game three 10-0 in five innings.

A standout pitching staff along with a very solid offensive lineup helped propel the Cougars to the top of the mountain again.

As has been the case in previous seasons it was a team effort which took Piedmont to state championship glory. From the pitching of Sam Wright and Tate Parks to the offensive firepower of Rob Allgood, Chase Porter, Zach Spivey and Wright (among others) the 2018 version of the Diamond Cougars were simply too strong in too many areas to be denied the ultimate goal.

The remainder of the Class AA ranks will try again next year but for now Piedmont Academy baseball continues to reign supreme.

A tip of the baseball cap also goes to coach Wes Tanner for winning his second championship as head coach. Tanner will begin a new professional career now but his mark on the baseball program will long be remembered.

Assistant coaches Colt Spivey and Cameron Vaughn also played key roles in directing the program.

The road to championship glory was not completely smooth this season. As is usually the case there were a couple of bumps in the road but the maturity of the players and coaches really never left any doubt about how the season would turn out.

Noah Faubli and Parker Clark were the lone seniors on the 2018 team and both played their roles in unselfish manners.

The five championships in as many years is really something unheard of. It takes talent, coaching and a little luck to win state titles but when you look at what the Piedmont program has now accomplished one has to be impressed.

Freshman Cameron Mobley played a key role in several areas in 2018. From his defensive play in center field, to batting leadoff and to his pitching talent, Mobley looked wise beyond his years on the diamond.

His father, Chad, is a former standout baseball player for Piedmont and offered his thoughts to me recently on the long-term success of the program.

“The players are just so good now,” said Chad. “They really work at it all the time.”

Chad and I talked at the beginning of the season as well and he said the team would improve with each game and be at its best for the postseason. His words proved very accurate.

How much longer the program can continue to be on top remains to be seen. Certainly Piedmont will be the favorite to win it all again next season. Quality players have graduated before but the team simply comes back ready to go each time the following season.

This year’s squad never doubted and always had one goal in mind. That goal was accomplished Sunday as the players and coaches accepted another state championship trophy.

These players and coaches are the definition of champion. It actually goes beyond what they accomplish on the diamond. They represent their school and community well. It’s always great to see our young people excel in all areas.

Monticello native Chris Bridges is a long-time newspaper columnist who has covered Piedmont Academy athletics since 1988. He welcomes feedback from readers of The Monticello News at pchrisbridges@gmail.com