Piedmont shuts out Lauderdale County, 31-0

Piedmont quarterback Jack Hayes runs through a Lauderdale County tackler on his way to the end zone during their Class 3A second-round playoff game on Friday. Photo by Greg Warren, East Alabama Sports Today.

By East Alabama Sports Today

PIEDMONT – Shutouts are hard to come by any time during the season, but they’re especially rare in the playoffs.
Piedmont scored its third shutout of the season, but just the sixth in the playoffs under Coach Steve Smith when it blanked Lauderdale County 31-0 Friday night in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs.

The Bulldogs (10-2) now host undefeated Winfield (12-0) Friday in Round 3.

“I was not even aware of that until you said it,” Smith said. “It’s always good to get a shutout though. It’s very difficult to be able to pull that off in the playoffs with the caliber of teams you’re going to see this time of year.”

It was the Bulldogs’ first playoff shutout since the opening round of 2019 (35-0 over J.B. Pennington). Each of the last three years the Bulldogs posted a shutout in the playoffs, they went on to play in the state championship game (2019, 2018, 2015).

Omarion Foster had two interceptions to help the cause, giving him eight for the season. Landon Smart had 16 tackles, including five behind the line of scrimmage. Luke Rhinehart recovered a fumble.

The Tigers’ deepest penetration into Piedmont territory was the 25, and Foster ended that with one of his picks.

The Bulldogs jumped on top with a time-consuming 10-play, 75-yard opening drive capped by Jack Hayes’ 3-yard run.

Hayes also had three touchdown passes in the game – two to Austin Estes and one to Gatlyn Gardner. Sloan Smith accounted for Piedmont’s other points with four extra points and 23-yard field goal that gave it a 17-0 halftime lead.

Hayes completed 10-of-20 pass attempts for 165 yards and rushed for 76 yards on 14 carries. Estes had five catches for 112 yards.

Hayes now ranks fourth on the AHSAA all-time list for career touchdown passes (109) and fifth on the all-time list for career touchdowns accounted for (146).

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