Staff Reports

PIEDMONT – Elijah Johnson and Jack Hayes had two touchdown runs apiece to lead Class 3A, No. 1 Piedmont to a 26-17 non-counting replacement football win over visiting 7A Grissom on Friday night at the Field of Champions.

Grissom (3-2) struck first on a 73-yard touchdown toss from Jakob Foss to John Allen Stogner with 2:48 remaining in the first quarter. Rikardo Zimmerman’s extra point made it 7-0 Tigers.

Johnson accounted for the next two scores on runs of 3 and 10 yards in the second quarter to put Piedmont (5-0) in front 13-7 at halftime.

Grissom regained the lead as Foss hit the Tigers’ Elijah Johnson on a 72-yard scoring strike with 9:17 left in the third quarter. Zimmerman’s extra point broke the tie to give Grissom a 14-13 edge.

Hayes had a 1-yard score at the 6:56 mark of the third to put Piedmont back out in front 19-14. The 2-point conversion try failed.

Zimmerman closed the Bulldog lead to two at 19-17 with his 40-yard field goal with 10:25 remaining in the game, but Hayes put the game out of reach for the Tigers with another 1-yard run with 3:13 to go. Sloan Smith’s extra point was good for the final.

Piedmont is scheduled to host Class 3A, Region 5 rival Ohatchee on Friday.