TUSCALOOSA – Members of the statewide media whispered it early and often in the press box before the game: “Cordova, in a runaway.”

Fortunately for several hundred blue-and-gold-clad fans in the stands at Bryant-Denny Stadium, word of their team’s impending demise at the hands of the No. 2 team in Alabama never made it down to the Piedmont sideline. 

The Bulldogs (13-2) matched the two-time state champs blow for blow throughout the first half Thursday morning in Tuscaloosa, then withheld a furious second-half comeback attempt to win the Class 3A state championship in overtime, 35-28.

After playing to a 28-28 tie in regulation, Piedmont scored first in overtime on tailback Christian Cantrell’s eight-yard run. Chris Strott’s PAT put the Bulldogs ahead by 7. 

Luke Smith dropped Cordova quarterback Jake Howton for a five-yard loss on first down. Then, tailback Ryan Smith – the spark for the Blue Devil offense throughout the game –lost the ball in a pile of Piedmont players inside the 10.  

Luke Smith popped up with the ball in-hand and an official indicated the game was over. An already raucous Piedmont crowd went bananas as the Bulldog players and coaches rushed onto the field to celebrate. 

TV cameras panning through the Calhoun County contingent found grown men hugging each other, their eyes welling with tears. For several minutes, music from the marching band fought for attention with a hundred gravel-filled milk jugs and a handful of air horns. When the Piedmont players approached to the fence to salute the fans, the noise became deafening. 

Quarterback Chase Childers and Cantrell carried the load for the Bulldogs. Cantrell gained 108 yards rushing and scored four touchdowns, three on the ground. Childers had 102 yards on 21 carries, threw a touchdown pass and scored a two-point conversion. 

During the post-game press conference Piedmont coach Steve Smith had trouble containing his emotions, especially when asked about his senior quarterback. Minutes before, Childers had been voted the game’s Most Valuable Player. 

“Chase is nobody’s Division I prospect, because he’s too short and he’s too everything else,” Smith said. “But I’ll tell you something else. He’s too much of a winner. And … and I’ll take that any day of the week.” 

Smith said bringing home Piedmont’s first-ever Blue Trophy means the world to him, the players and the entire community – especially considering that excellence on the football field is practically a way of life in Calhoun County. 

“We have all the respect in the world for the Alexandrias, the Oxfords, and the Annistons, and other people like that in our county who have been here before and brought home the trophy,” Smith said. “But we got ours this time.” 

Piedmont set about getting theirs late in the first quarter on Cantrell’s 19-yard run, but the PAT bounced off the upright. The drive was extended after Cordova interfered with a Bulldog receiver on third-and-long. The penalty moved the ball to the 26-yard line, and Cantrell scored three plays later. 

Cordova came right back, scoring after a long kickoff return gave the Blue Devils the ball at the Piedmont 27. Ryan Smith bolted down the sideline for the touchdown. The PAT was good, and Cordova led 7-6 with under a minute remaining in the first quarter. 

Cordova’s defense held and their offense drove down the field again. Howton’s dive for the pylon put the Blue Devils up 14-6 with seven minutes left in the half. 

After Cordova botched an onside kick attempt, Childers and Cantrell worked together to march the Piedmont offense into the end zone, closing the score to 14-12 with 4:38 remaining. Piedmont was called for offensive pass interference in the end zone on the two-point try.  

The Blue Devils used a long pass to Ryan Smith to move deep into Piedmont territory on the ensuing possession, but a fourth down pass towards the end zone fell incomplete, and the Bulldogs took over on their own 19 with 1:35 left in the half. 

If the Blue Devil coaches watched film of Piedmont from the quarterfinals, they must have sensed trouble when Smith directed Childers to shift his attack into overdrive after the turnover.  

“We can run powers, we can run quarterback draws, we can run bootleg passes, anything we want,” Childers said of the Bulldogs’ hurry-up offense. 

Childers expertly mixed the runs and passes, relying on Jamaal Johnson and Noah Willis to move the ball to the 18-yard line. With 10 seconds remaining, Childers threw a fade route to Johnson for the go-ahead TD. Childers then added the two-point conversion for a 20-14 halftime lead. 

Just as against Susan Moore in round three, the last-minute score was a huge momentum changer for the Bulldogs. 

“We work on the hurry-up offense twice a week,” Steve Smith said. “Taking the lead at halftime was huge, especially knowing we were going to get the ball to begin the third quarter.” 

Piedmont took the second-half kickoff and further deflated the Blue Devils, grinding over five minutes off the clock before Childers faked an inside handoff and found Cantrell wide open at the goal line. The six-yard completion put the Bulldogs up 28-14. 

Cordova fought back as the game wound down. Ryan Smith ended a 10-play drive with a 16-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. After forcing Piedmont to punt, Howton scored on a four-yard keeper with 3:44 remaining. The PAT tied the score at 28-28. 

After the kickoff rolled inside the 10-yard line, Piedmont’s offense set up at the 7 but was forced to punt again with only seconds remaining. Cordova lined up for a desperation pass attempt, but a penalty and consecutive sacks by the Bulldogs moved the ball back to the 34. On fourth down, coach Pete Bush chose to kneel on the ball and take his chances in overtime.