Gridiron Cougars Are Named to All-Region and All-State Teams

The on-the-field success enjoyed by the Piedmont Academy football team in 2019 has led to several postseason honors.

The Cougars, who recently finished as state runner-up for GISA Class A, had four players named All-Region and one to the All-State team.

Chris Pittman was named All-Region and All-State for his junior season. Pittman was a standout on offense and defense. For the season he passed for 1,301 yards and 14 touchdowns. Pittman had a rushing and throwing touchdown in 9-of-11 games.

Pittman ran for 954 yards and 11 touchdowns during the state-runner up campaign.

Owen Brady, Trent Coots and Payton Wallace were also named All-Region. Brady was the team’s leading tackler with 91 stops.

Offensively, Brady also had 40 catches for 422 yards and six touchdowns. Wallace caught 28 passes for 405 yard and five scores.

Coots was a dual threat rushing and receiving. He ran for 304 yards and three touchdowns while catching 12 passes for 137 yards and three additional scores.

Coach Will Johnson credited offensive linemen Garrett Kirksey, Mark Hicks, Gray Morgan, Mason Tanner, Zach Spivey and Jacob Ferguson for helping create the team’s offensive stats.

In the official game stats from the state championship contest against Thomas Jefferson, Pittman was 11-for-21 passing for 130 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 121 yards on 16 carries and a score.

Coots rushed six times for 18 yards and also had 82 yards in kickoff returns. Tate Marks had to two carries for 16 yards and Tanner Locklear had one for four yards.

Marks had three receptions for 44 yards and a score against Thomas Jefferson while Brady had two catches for 43 yards.

Wallace hauled in four passes for 35 yards and a score and Bradley Greenwood made one catch for five yards. Jackson Welch had one reception for three yards.

Brady was the team’s leading tackler in the title game with nine total stops. Eric Tobler and Welch both had seven tackles.

Pittman finished with six tackles and a fumble recovery. Morgan, Kirksey and Hicks were noted by coaches for their standout play on the defensive line.