Junior Pro Cougars Begin New Season
The Piedmont Academy Junior Pro (elementary school) football team began the 2016 season with a convincing 37-8 victory against Flint River Tuesday at Cougar Field.
The young Cougars had more than 235 yards of offense in the opener.
Coached by Marc Allen, the young Cougars consist of players in grades 3-6. The next game will be Tuesday against Gatewood, also at home with a 6 p.m. kickoff. The team is playing a league which is comprised of players in grades 4-6.
After receiving the opening kickoff Tuesday against Flint River, Piedmont fourth grader Hudson Reed set the tone for the rest of the game with a 40-yard return to the 14-yard line, putting the Cougars in excellent field position for their first possession.
This first possession then quickly turned into the first touchdown for the Cougars after three consecutive runs by sixth grader Joe Clark. He capped the drive with a two-yard run into the end zone.
Piedmont’s defense proved to be too tough for Flint River early on and their first possession ended up in a safety being scored for the Cougars by Reed. After the safety, Piedmont ended up starting their second offensive series from their own 40-yard line and made quick work by scoring on the first play of the drive on a 40-yard touchdown pass from sixth grader Mason Owens to third grader Matt Allen.
The longest play of the evening came during the Cougars third possession when Owens broke free for a 43-yard run. That possession ended in another touchdown run by Clark which ended the first half with Piedmont leading 23-0.
Piedmont’s offense continued to pound the opposition in the second half after a quick turnover on downs after a failed 4th down conversion attempt by Flint River to open the half.
Owens connected with Allen on another pass, which was followed up by a 17-yard run for a touchdown by Allen. The final possession of the game for Piedmont was led by two big runs, one by Reed for 20 yards and the other by sixth grader Drew Maddox for 19 more yards.
After a steady dose of Maddox, who pounded his way down the field on subsequent carries, he finished off the drive with a 1-yard dive into the end zone for the final touchdown of the evening making the final score 37-8.
Piedmont’s offense racked up a total of 237 yards, 185 on the ground and 52 through the air.
The leading rusher for the first game of the season was Maddox with 65 total yards. The offense showed itself to be very balanced with five players have double digit yardage, Piedmont coaches said.
The defense also had an outstanding game allowing only one first down and one touchdown late in the game. The defense was lead by fifth grader Sean Davis who ended up with six tackles, four of them behind the line of scrimmage, but many other Cougars contributed in a strong showing. The defensive game was capped on the final play with an interception by fifth grader Chase Hadaway.
“We were really proud of these boys and the work they have put in,” Allen said. “They started practice the week prior to school starting and have endured some very hot conditions in getting ready for this game. Our motto for the season is ‘Prepare to Pound’ and they really lived up to that by preparing in practice and then pounding on the field.”
The entire roster of players on the 2016 squad includes Gavin McCart, Hudson Reed, Hunter Thomson, Mason Owens, Chase Hadaway, Matt Allen, Drew Maddox, Daniel Harris, Samuel Clark, Rhett Harris, Ridge Stroud, Dalton Wallace, Andrew Cumbie, Jake Vaughn, Russ Hagwood, Gabe Moore, Joe Clark, Sean Davis, Rep Morton, George Russell and Jake Pope.
Upcoming games include Aug. 30 against Gatewood at home (6 p.m.), Sept. 6 at Gatewood in Eatonton (6 p.m.) Sept. 20 at Flint River in Woodbury (6:30 p.m.), Oct. 6 against Creekside at home (6 p.m.) and Oct. 15 at Eagles Landing in McDonough (noon).
Assisting Allen with the team are Jeff Clark, Andy Maddox, Mike McCart, Jeff Morton, Justin Owens and Dickey Thompson.