By Al Muskewitz, East Alabama Sports Today

PIEDMONT – Jack Hayes threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter and accounted for Piedmont’s first four scores to lead the second-ranked Bulldogs past Glencoe 56-0 Friday night.

Hayes threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Omarion Foster to open the scoring, then followed it with scoring strikes of 15 and 22 yards to Austin Estes. Hayes then opened the scoring in the second quarter with a 15-yard run to give the Bulldogs a 28-0 lead.

“We felt like we had some matchups throwing the football that could work in our favor and we were able to convert,” Piedmont coach Steve Smith said. “I was proud of the way we executed and score the way we were able to score.”

Brayden Morgan extended the lead to 35-0 at halftime with a 46-yard touchdown run.

The Bulldogs (3-0) added three more touchdowns in the second half – a 31-yard run by Parker Thornton on the opening possession of the third quarter, a 49-yard interception return by Gatlyn Gardner and a 3-yard run by Brodie Homesley in the fourth quarter.

The shutout by the defense was Piedmont’s second of the season.

With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 2-0 in Class 3A Region 5. They are tied for the region lead with Ohatchee.

“We’re glad to get another region win,” Smith said. “We try to approach each week as that week’s game is the biggest game on the schedule because it’s the next game. I thought we improved in some areas. We have some things we have to clean up, but for the most part we played pretty hard.”