Coots Wins State Wrestling Title, Cougars Finish in Top Five as Team

For the second year in a row Trent Coots stood above all of his competition for the Piedmont Academy wrestling team.

Coots earned another GISA state wrestling title this week winning the 132-pound division in Americus. The Mat Cougar standout lost one match in the state sectionals but went 3-0 in the state finals and was able to avenge that one loss.

It was also the second state championship for Coots at 132 pounds for whom wrestling is a family event. Coots’ brother, Kaden Miller, coaches the Piedmont wrestling program.

Teammate Gray Morgan was state runner-up at 285 advancing to the championship match.

Overall seven of Piedmont’s 11 wrestlers placed at the state finals and placed in the top five overall.

“It was an accomplishment for our team to finish that high,” Miller said. “In a couple of matches things didn’t go our way. Some of our sixth-place wrestlers could have easily been fourth and that would have bumped us up even more in the team standings.”

Andrew Parrish was fourth at 138 while Boone Pope had a strong showing at 113 at fifth place.

Tanner Locklear (126), Jakobe Trembley (195) and Garrett Kirksey (220) were each sixth in their respective weight class.

“All in all it was a very good showing at the state finals for us,” Miller said.

Piedmont also earned a team region championship for the 2019-20 wrestling team. Pope, Locklear, Coots, Parrish and Morgan were each individual region champions.