Cougars To Play for State Friday

It comes down to one game for the Piedmont Academy football team.

The Cougars will try to win the third state championship in program history when they face Thomas Jefferson Academy on Friday in a game to be played at Mercer University in Macon. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. with the winner taking the GISA Class A trophy home.

It is the first time since 2014 Piedmont has advanced to the state football finals. The Cougars fell to Memorial Day that season in the championship contest.

Piedmont (4-6 overall) is coming off one of its most exciting wins in recent history with a 28-24 victory against Monsignor Donovan in the state semifinals on Nov. 22. There were several lead changes in the contest with the Cougars rallying for the win late in the fourth quarter.

Thomas Jefferson (8-3 overall) dispatched Flint River 43-7 in its semifinal contest. The Jaguars defeated Piedmont 42-18 in an earlier game this season in September in Monticello.

“We had a good week of practice,” said Johnson. “We practiced Thursday morning and I told the players it was a blessing to be practicing on Thanksgiving since not many teams are still playing at this point. I told the players our brotherhood is important because it is something they will look back on and always remember.”

The Cougars avenged an early season loss to Monsignor Donovan in the semifinals and are hoping for similar results when they face the TJA Jaguars in Macon.

Piedmont players went back to work on Sunday as championship week arrived.

“We have been having good practices,” said senior Gray Morgan. “We can’t get caught up in the moment once Friday gets here. Playing mistake-free football will be a big key.”

Morgan, who helps anchor the offensive line, said he and his teammates have to protect their quarterback and recognize blitz packages.

“We are the ones who have to make sure our quarterback and receivers get to where they need to go,” Morgan said.

“There is a lot of excitement in the school,” Johnson said. “Hopefully we can go out and complete our mission.”

The key offensively for the Cougars this week will be protecting quarterback Chris Pittman. With the junior having such a standout season, Piedmont’s opponents have been game planning to stop him. Pittman has passed for 1,171 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 831 yards and 10 scores.

“We have to run our offensive plan and limit penalties,” Johnson said. “In the first game against Thomas Jefferson we had our sloppiest effort with 12 penalties. We have to finish drives and make all of our possessions count. The way Thomas Jefferson runs their offense we have to take advantage of all the chances we have.”

Having two weeks to prepare for an option team is beneficial, according to the Cougar coaches.

The Jaguars run a triple option offense similar to those the service academies at Army, Navy and Air Force employ. It was the offense Georgia Tech used through the 2018 season for former coach Paul Johnson, who also ran it with much success at Navy and Georgia Southern.

“Defensively, it is certainly about playing assignment football,” said Piedmont defensive coordinator Matt Britt. “However, it would be great if it was as easy as that to stop. You still have to be able to beat the player trying to block you. It is not as simple as stopping the dive, the pitch or the quarterback.”

One major difference in running the option at the high school level as compared to the collegiate one is the blocking scheme. Cut blocking is allowed in college but is more limited by high school rules.

“In high school cut blocking has to occur immediately after the snap and inside the tackle box,” Britt said. “If your defensive end is outside that box then offensive linemen cannot cut block him. Still Thomas Jefferson is a very good offensive team and run the option very well.”

While a triple option team does not have as many offensive formations as opponents running a different scheme, Britt said it is still tough to prepare for.

“Thomas Jefferson will have three or four different sets,” Britt said. “When we played Monsignor Donovan in the semifinals we saw about 10.”

While the Jaguars won’t throw the football many times they have had success in the air game. Typically that’s because defenses playing option teams usually focus on stopping the run.

“They are pretty much satisfied getting three or four yards a play,” Britt said. “If you do that you get first downs and keep the drive alive and the clock running. We feel good about our plan going into the game. They are going to make some plays on offense but we can’t allow several big plays.”

Piedmont’s defensive coordinator said he doesn’t expect anything different from Thomas Jefferson than what the Cougars saw in the previous meeting this season. Britt said the Jaguars will have a new wrinkle or two early but will then settle into the basic option attack.

“Early in the first game we had some success using twists,” Britt said. “That confused them early. This time we have to use something that will last throughout the contest.”

While Pittman has been a big weapon for the Cougars offensively in 2019, he has also emerged as one of the team’s top defensive players in the secondary.

“To me the best attribute is his toughness,” Britt said of Pittman. “He is six feet tall and skinny but he is tough.”

Owen Brady has also been a key defensive player this season and is the team’s leading tackler.

“He has been a consistent leader on defense all year,” Britt said.

Thomas Jefferson has wins against John Hancock, Piedmont, Flint River (twice), Central Fellowship, Glascock County, Monsignor Donovan and Augusta Prep. The Jaguars are led by second year coach Terence Hennessy who said he expects a much closer game than his team’s win early in the regular season.

“There is definitely no guarantee of the same outcome,” Hennessy said. “Coach Johnson has done a very good job. In our first matchup they were still working to find their identity. Now they are a much improved football team. He is in his first year of rebuilding similar to what we are doing in our second year.”

Thomas Jefferson’s coach said his team must control the football on Friday.

“Piedmont likes to spread the field and that concerns me,” Hennessey said. “We like to go four yards and a cloud of dust. We want to control the clock and keep Piedmont’s offense off the field.”

The keys for the Jaguars, according to their coach, will be the “Three No’s.”

“We have to have no turnovers, no stupid penalties and no big plays by our opponent,” Hennessey said. “We have not had a game yet where we have done all three of those.”

TJA lost to Crisp Academy in the Class A semifinals a season ago on its way to a 5-5-1 record. The team has gone beyond that win total in 2019 as well as advancing to the championship.

Fullback Matt McNeely has rushed for more than 1,000 yards for Thomas Jefferson while wingbacks Cameron Evans and Aiden Cobb are also legitimate rushing threats. Johnson said Jaguars quarterback Rhett Willis, a senior, does a solid job of operating their offense.

“A championship means so much to schools like us and Piedmont,” Hennessey said. “I know both teams will give all they have.”