Lady Cougars Are Region Runner-up, Cougars Qualify for State As #4 Seed
The Piedmont Academy Lady Cougars finished as region runner-up and are now set for the GISA Class AA state tournament.
Coach Michael Wilson’s team defeated Brandon Hall and St. George to advance to the region championship game last week. The Lady Cougars then faced Oak Mountain in the finals falling 53-44 in a game that was close throughout.
In the title game Madison McCart had five blocks and Haley Ann Frank made five steals to help lead the defensive effort.
Oak Mountain led 10-8 after the first quarter and 23-19 at halftime. The Lady Cougars were within two points at 36-34 after the third. A 17-10 run by Oak Mountain in the game’s final eight minutes proved to be the difference.
Hailey Hooper scored a team-best 19 points while Frank finished with seven points in the title game. It was the second consecutive big performance by Hooper against Oak Mountain. In the final regular season match-up between the teams Hooper had a game-high 20 points including four 3-pointers.
In the region championship game Hooper had three baskets from 3-point range.
McCart added five points and Maddie Waddleton scored four. Lucy Tuggle finished with three points. Sydney Stroud and Jayden Young both had two.
In the semifinal victory against St. George Frank led the team with 11 points while McCart scored seven and Hooper finished with five. The Piedmont girls earned a 33-27 win.
Waddleton scored four points while Stroud scored three. Young added two points and Madison Johnson scored one.
In the opening round, the Lady Cougars defeated Brandon Hall 58-27. McCart led a balanced scoring attack with 10 points. Young finished with nine points while Stroud scored eight and Hooper added seven.
Also contributing were Gracie Hunt (five), Frank (five), Haiden Crews (three), Johnson (two), Waddleton (two), Deacon Robinson (two) and Fleming Sealy (two).
Going into the region tournament Wilson said he was confidence the Lady Cougars would do well.
“I’m pleased with where we are right now,” the coach said. “I think we are playing as a team, we are taking good looks at the basket and making the extra pass. Defensively, I feel we have made strides with our effort and movement. We still need to improve defensively for us to achieve our goals.”
To continue the season the Lady Cougars will need to play as a team.
“We will focus being great teammates, sticking up for each other, sharing the basketball and cheering those on the court,” Wilson said. “As the cliche goes ‘the hay is in the barn.’ It’s now up to a team to step up, believe in themselves and take the next step.”
The Piedmont girls hosted Southwest Georgia in the first round.
The Piedmont boys entered state as the number four seed from the region. The Cougars fell to Flint River 71-54 in the opening round of region but defeated St. George 52-48 to qualify for state.
In the Flint River contest Sam Wright led the team with 15 points while Bradley Greenwood and Clay Jones both scored 10. Ryan Holder finished with seven points and Caleb Coffey and Tate Marks both scored six.
In the win against St. George, Coffey scored 13 while Holder added 11 and Wright totaled 10. Marks finished with nine points and Bradley Greenwood scored five.
The boys were scheduled to play at Terrell Academy in the opening round of the state tournament on Wednesday (Feb. 13).
“Terrell is a very good team,” said coach Will Johnson earlier this week. “We will be playing in a hostile environment. In watching their games you can see right away they have a very loud and supportive student section. We have been in similar situations this season though.”
In scouting Terrell, Piedmont’s coach said the opponent plays a 2-3 zone.
“We have to be patient and not let the crowd dictate how we play,” Johnson said. “If we match their toughness we will be fine. This won’t be the best team we have played this season. It is actually a good match-up for us and gives us a good path to make it to the Final Four if we play to our potential.”
A key for the Cougars, their coach said, will be to have someone “step up their game.”
“We need a big performance to compliment Sam and Tate,” Johnson said.
“Caleb Coffey is capable of that. He had 13 points and 12 rebounds. We will also look to Ryan Holder and Bradley Greenwood.”
In preparing his team for the state tournament Johnson said a win would be huge for the team and program as a whole.
“We have some big wins this season, including John Milledge and Gatewood, but this would be the biggest,” he said. “Terrell is a senior led team and is battle tested. We just have to be focused and ready to play.”