Staff Reports
GLENCOE – Piedmont senior quarterback Jack Hayes threw five first-half touchdown passes to four different receivers in leading the Class 3A, No. 3 Bulldogs to a 45-10 win over the Glencoe Yellow Jackets. It was the Bulldogs’ eighth consecutive victory over the Jackets since 2015.
Piedmont (5-2, 5-0) drove down to the Glencoe 10-yard line on its first possession of the game and went up 3-0 on a 28-yard field goal by Sloan Smith.
Following a Glencoe punt, the Bulldogs started their second drive on their own 12. Hayes rolled left and spotted an open Ishmael Bethel behind the Glencoe safety. Bethel caught the ball in stride at the 10 and eased into the end zone. Smith converted his first of five extra points to give Piedmont a 10-0 advantage.
Glencoe (2-5, 0-5) used a kickoff return by Aaron Mann and a 61-yard run by Garrett Gaskin to move into the Piedmont red zone. The Bulldog defense held at that point, Yellow Jacket senior placekicker Gavin Bray converted a 32-yard field goal attempt, making the score 10-3.
Cody Holloway returned the ensuing kickoff 19 yards to set Piedmont up at Glencoe’s 47-yard line. Two plays and 23 seconds later, a Hayes-to-Max Hanson 12-yard toss moved the margin back to 14 points.
In the second quarter, Hayes engineered drives of 55, 55 and 42, with each ending in the same fashion.
Early in the period, Hayes found freshman Rollie Pinto in the right corner of the end zone to complete a 12-yard score. On his fourth touchdown toss, Hayes was flushed out of the pocket and rolled toward the Bulldog bench. Just before being hit by the advancing defenders, the senior signal caller launched a rainbow to the deepest part of the end zone, where Hanson made the reception behind the Glencoe secondary.
Hayes’ fifth and final touchdown toss came on a 27-yard wheel route by Parker Thornton. Once the senior fullback gathered the ball, he then cut back across the defensive grain and sprinted to the end zone.
With Hayes’ work completed, backup quarterback Cole Wilson took over in the second half. Wilson, a sophomore, used 6:30 of the third-quarter clock to drive Piedmont 74 yards for the Bulldogs’ final tally. Freshman Dontavious Jordan carried the ball the final two yards, and Chase Cardelli tacked on the extra point.
Garrett Gaskin added a touchdown to the Jackets’ tally with an 11-yard scamper to start the fourth quarter.
Piedmont is at home next Friday evening against Geraldine. The Bulldogs will celebrate homecoming and senior night at the Field of Champions. Piedmont has never lost to Geraldine in five contests.
Glencoe looks to claim its first region win against Ohatchee.
