If Piedmont were to form a football team of current students, would it be competitive in Division III? I think most of us agree that all we need to do to feel good about our team is beat Berry. The team would have to compete in the USA South since there is no football in the CCS. However, we would see some CCS foes including Maryville, Lagrange, Belhaven, and Huntingdon. This football conference also consists of Brevard, N.C. Wesleyan, Greensboro, Methodist, and Southern Virginia. The Lions’ biggest competition would be Maryville.
Coaches
Let’s start with the sideline.
The head coach will be Professor Joe Dennis. Joe has experience coaching his son’s baseball team. He will also be good with off-the-field tasks such as handling the budget and organizing games because he does all the organization for the mass communications department.
The offensive coordinator will be track coach Brian Gawne. Coach Gawne dual sport football and track and field in his college days. This led to a Division III All-American award as an offensive lineman, as well as multiple national championship appearances in track. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his work as a coach of the track, cross-country, and wrestling teams.
On the defensive side, Coach Delf will be calling the shots. Delf played four years of college football as an offensive lineman at Berry College and his strength and hard-hitting mentality will bring a brutal, hammer-like force to the Lions’ defense.
Quarterback
The starting quarterback for Piedmont is pitcher Garrett Burton. Throwing a baseball and throwing a football can’t be that much different right? His strength gives him the ability to stand strong in the pocket. Burton is also an RA. The quarterback needs good leadership, and if he can handle the parties in the village, then he can handle a team full of football players.
Running Back
Lined up in the backfield is the stolen base leader on the softball team, senior Kennedy Votava. Votava stole 19 bases on 22 attempts last year. Stealing a base takes speed and lots of power, taking off from a still position. This is similar to a running back who has to take a handoff, use some power to cut back and turn on the jets through the defense. Votava’s efficiency in reaching second base will correlate to efficiency in reaching the end zone.
Receivers
In Piedmont’s wide receiver core, the Lions will need a mix of height and speed. The wideouts need to be tall and able to jump high to be red zone threats. Basketball forward Andelin Hill fits perfectly. Her six-foot frame has the height to reach over many corners. Hill’s 252 rebounds in 30 career games prove she can jump up and grab a ball flying over her.
The other wideout will be a six-foot-one track runner who is in the history books for being fast. Silas Goolsby has the second-fastest time for the 200-meter and 400-meter races in Piedmont indoor track history.
Finally, the slot receiver is stereotypically short, shifty, and a little aggressive to make contested catches. Savannah Limehouse fits this description. At five-foot-two, her playing style is fast, and not afraid to hurt the other team’s feelings. She can easily run from the slot, up the seam of the defense, and throw some elbows to catch a ball in a tight space.
Tight End
At tight end could be no other than Noah Hutchinson. The 6’6” basketball forward would be a lethal red zone threat. A jump ball in the endzone and posting up in the paint can’t be that much different. Imagine how easy one-handed football catches must be for him.
O-line
Who better to have than his very own weight throwers on the track team. The starting right tackle is Kerrigan McClain. Kerrigan has the third best mark in shot put in Piedmont outdoor track history, along with the fourth best in weight throw in indoor track.
Who better to line up next to Kerrigan with another thrower? David Anderson, another thrower, has the tenth best shot put throw and ninth best weight throw in Piedmont’s history. Plus an already great established connection and great chemistry with McClain means these two will be an iconic duo on the line.
On the left side will be a men’s lacrosse duo. Lined up at left tackle is sophomore defender Luke Warren. If you ask Luke, he will tell you all about his days dominating at North Gwinnett. His speed also becomes a factor making him a great run blocker because he can get to the second level of the defense very quickly.
The guard next to him is his commander on the lacrosse field Trey Tuggle. Tuggle fills up some great size and strength to block the A and the B gap. Tuggle also has some sneaky speed making him a great pulling guard that will take anyone down.
The center position will be filled by another member of Gawne’s throwing team. Jadyen Smith, a freshman, is crazy strong. No marks from him yet in track, but I watched this man casually throw four plates on to squat in the weight room. The shotgun snap may need some reps, but I am not worried about filling in the A gap.
D-line
On the edge rush for the Lions is a big, hard-hitting, defensive duo on the lacrosse field. Andrew Pagano leaves bruises all over his arms. Eric Fewell does not let anyone run by him. These are some sneaky fast players who can beat offensive tackles with their speed and power rush.
At defensive tackle is their fellow defenseman, Carson Vikos. His size and strength will not allow any running back through the A gap. Lined up next to him is soccer defenseman Nathan Jacome. He may not plug the hole in the same way, but his height will knock down passes left and right.
Cornerbacks
The cornerback will feature the goalkeeper duo between the men’s and women’s soccer teams. Bobby Wood and Haylee Dornan’s position on the soccer field would translate perfectly to the football field. Being able to catch a fast shot coming off someone’s foot is nothing compared to a football floating in the air.
Linebackers
The outside linebackers may be an interesting look but could be playmakers on the field. Roommate duo Chloe Spradlin and Noelle Poteete may be overlooked because of their size, but their attitude on the field will send the Berry Vikings right back to Valhalla.
In between the two outside linebackers is Jacob Hasbrouck. The number that he puts up in the weight room will allow him to hold his own, laying the lumber on any slant route that enters his neighborhood. As a captain of the lacrosse team this year, he will also have no problems taking command and calling the shots for the defense.
Safety
The Lions will feature a cover two look meaning they will need a strong and a free safety. At strong safety is former high school safety, Zach Avila. He features the perfect combination of speed and strength. His hard-hitting mentality is just a bonus to the position. A sneaky walk-on to make the free safety position is soccer player Gretchen Dedolph. Her size allows her to roam the deep coverage without the quarterback seeing her. Her speed and ball-hawk abilities will create a lot of turnovers for the Lions’ defense.
Special teams
As you can imagine the kicker and the punter on the team have to be current soccer players. The kicker will be the guy proven to have the strongest and most accurate shot on the soccer field. Sophomore Davis Knight scored 11 goals this season. We just hope kicking a soccer ball under the crossbar can translate into kicking a football over the crossbar.
The punter would have to be women’s soccer transfer Hannah Thompson. Not only was she good at blocking shots this season, but she also managed to let the ball explode off her foot. Whenever she would punt, it seemed like the ball would float in the air for an hour and eventually come down on the opposing side of midfield.
