Staff Reports
SYLACAUGA – Piedmont senior quarterback Jack Hayes had another spectacular outing on the football field Friday night at Sylacauga.
Hayes threw three touchdown passes and ran for two scores, including a 64-yard touchdown for the Bulldogs’ first score – the longest of his career – in a 41-20 victory over the Class 5A Aggies.
Hayes also became the first player in Alabama High School history to have 200-plus touchdowns accounted for and the first player to throw 150-plus career touchdown passes.
However, before Hayes set some those records, Sylacauga took a 6-0 lead on a 28-yard Jahmari Jeffries pass to Quindavius Swain with 5:29 remaining in the first quarter. Piedmont’s Trevor Pike blocked the extra point.
Hayes tied the game with his 64-yard run, and Sloan Smith’s extra point provided Piedmont a 7-6 lead with 3:56 to go in the opening quarter.
Hayes extended the Bulldog lead to 27-6 with a pair of touchdown passes to Ish Bethel covering 21 and 76 yards later in the first quarter, and a 1-yard toss to Trent Young with 4:01 remaining in the first half.
With Young’s score, he became the 20th player to catch a touchdown pass from Hayes.
Following a Jefferies 52-yard pass to Quindavius Swain that cut the Bulldog lead to 27-13, Hayes hit Max Hanson on a 10-yard touchdown pass just before halftime to push Piedmont’s lead to 34-13 at the break.
Hayes added a 13-yard run at the end of the third quarter for another Bulldog touchdown. The Aggies’ Connor Twymon connected with Swain on a 34-yard pass with 3:27 to go in the game for the final score.
Piedmont (8-2) entertains Oakman to begin the Class 3A state playoffs on Friday. Sylacauga’s season ends at 0-10.