By Deunte Marshall/
Sports Correspondent
Class 3A No. 5 Glencoe defeated third-ranked and Region 6 rival Piedmont, 31-28, on Friday (Sept. 19) at Wilson Darnell Stadium.
A 19-yard field goal by Joseph Bright with 3:11 left in the game held up as the winning points.
“I just approached it like an extra point,” said Bright after the game. “I went through my routine and made the kick. I knew it would go through, because I have a great coaching staff and teammates who believe in me.”
Piedmont had a chance to win the game after the field goal, but the drive came to an end when Tyler Lusk’s pass attempt to Mike Bennefield on fourth-and-6 came up short.
It was the Yellow Jackets first win over the Bulldogs (3-1, 2-1) in the past seven games in the series.
“We played our hearts out through all adversity and any challenge that was placed in front of us tonight,” said Glencoe head coach Lee Ozmint. “Our offense helped our defense out tonight and vice versa.”
Glencoe only allowed only 14 points to the Piedmont offense while holding the Bulldogs to 38 total rushing yards and coming up with four sacks. The Yellow Jackets outgained the visitors 396 to 348 in total yardage.
The Yellow Jackets’ (4-0,3-0) opening drive went for 41 yards and six plays, ending with Dylan Stone’s 3-yard touchdown run. The first of Bright’s four extra points gave the hosts the early advantage with 9:10 to go in the first quarter.
Piedmont answered with a six-play, 71-yard drive that was capped by a 37-yard touchdown strike from Tyler Lusk to Mike Bennefield with 5:07 remaining to tie the game at 7-7.
The Bulldog defense then made a big play when Michael Hayes intercepted a Stone pass attempt. On the following play, C.J Savage ran 41 yards to paydirt on a reverse to give Piedmont a 14-7 edge with 10:58 to go in the first half.
The Glencoe offense quickly responded with a four-play 61-yard drive that took only a minute and a half off the clock and ended in Stone’s 24-yard touchdown run that forced another tie at 9:25.
The Yellow Jackets then took a 21-14 lead into halftime by way of Thomas Ozmint’s 29-yard scoring run with 1:21 left.
The Bulldogs tied the game at the 9:16 mark of the period on Lusk’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Cody Daughtry.
The ensuing Glencoe possession ended with a lost fumble inside the Piedmont 5-yard line, and on the next play from scrimmage Lusk found Savage open for a 98-yard touchdown at 5:27.
But the Yellow Jackets countered with Thomas Ozmint’s 16-yard touchdown run with 1:49 remaining in the quarter.
Glencoe controlled the final 12 minutes, as the Yellow Jackets drained off a good portion of the game before Bright’s game-winning kick.
Thomas Ozmint finished with 193 rushing yards on 26 carries.
Stone ran 21 times for 172 yards while adding 32 yards through the air.
Mason Brown led defensively with 11 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Austin Bush and Chance Duncan each had seven tackles.
For Piedmont, Lusk was 16 for 27 in passing for 310 yards and three touchdowns.
Savage had seven receptions for 193 yards.
Anthony Alexander had 13 tackles, while Michael Hayes had 11.
Glencoe travels to Hokes Bluff on Friday in a non-region game.