Cougars Fall in Shootout
With the total number of points put on the scoreboard, Friday night’s game between Piedmont Academy and Edmund Burke resembled an Arena League football contest or perhaps a game played in Canada.
The teams combined for 87 points as well as 761 rushing yards as neither team punted in the contest. In the end, however, host Edmund Burke held on for a 46-41 victory in a rematch of the past two GISA Class AA state championship games.
“We executed well on one side of the football and played very poorly on the other,” said Piedmont coach Rhett Farmer. “It came down to who had the football last with enough time to do something.”
While certainly pleased with the offensive numbers, Farmer said the defensive effort was not strong enough for a victory.
“We were not very physical and did not use good technique,” the coach said. “We got away from our basics and didn’t respond to what they were doing well. When you score 41 points, you expect to win. I can’t place all the blame on our defense because Edmund Burke executed their offense well. They did fumble a couple of times, but we didn’t get on it.”
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Peter Lawson had another big night with 179 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. Hunter Knox, the team’s Player of the Game, rushed for 119 yards on 15 carries and three scores. Nick Dimsdale added 81 yards on six carries with a touchdown and a two-point conversion reception.
While the teams’ rushing total was almost identical— 379 for Piedmont and 382 for Edmund Burke—there was a huge difference in the number of carries. The Spartans rushed the football 62 times while the Cougars had 36.
“It was our best offensive performance of the season,” Farmer said. “We ran the option very well including the sweep and quarterback sneak. Hunter played well as did Peter and Nick. Our offensive line and receivers also did a good job with their blocks.”
Despite the huge numbers on offense, Farmer said the defense will need to improve.
“It didn’t seem like a real football game,” the coach said. “We just couldn’t get a stop at any time.”
Individually, there were several strong defensive efforts including 10 solo stops and five assists by Malik Reid. Knox added six solo tackles and two assists while Lawson had five solos, three assists and a pass break-up.
Justin Autry contributed five solo stops and five assists while Andrew Wilzman recorded four solo tackles. Josh Hempel had a strong defensive night with six stops and five assists.
The Cougars return home this week for a matchup with Trinity (Sharpsburg), a AAA foe.
“They didn’t play well this past week, but they are pretty good,” Farmer said. “They played John Milledge well early in the season. They have picked up some players and have good numbers. They have some quality skill players.”
Offensively, this week’s opponent has shown a tendency to use a spread attack and the I-formation.
“They have several quick backs,” Farmer said. “They will also throw it more than we do.”
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Cougar Field.
Stats vs. Edmund Burke
Offense:
•Peter Lawson: 15 carries for 179 yards and 2 TDs
•Hunter Knox: 15 carries for 119 yards and 3 TD, 2-point conversion run
•Nick Dimsdale: 6 carries for 81 yards and 1 TD, 2-point conversion reception
Defense:
•Peter Lawson: 5 solos and 3 asts. and 1 pass break-up
•Malik Reid: 10 solos, 5 asts.
•Britton Bailey: 1 solo, 2 asts.
•Nick Dimsdale: 4 solos
•Mills Smith: 3 solos
•Hunter Knox: 6 solos, 2 asts.
•Hank Strickland: 2 solos, 4 asts.
•Gaven Edge: 1 solo, 2 asts.
•Payden Cantera: 1 solo, 3 asts.
•Justin Autry: 5 solos, 5 asts.
•Andrew Wilzman: 4 solos
•Chris Cain: 1 solo, 1 assist
•Zach Wilson: 1 solo
•Josh Hempel: 6 solos, 5 asts.
Special Teams:
•Zach Wilson: 1 solo, 1 punt for net 15 yards