Scouting Report – Piedmont

On Friday night the Piedmont Wildcats defeated the El Reno Indians 31-7. During the game, there were a handful of players on both teams who stood out in a big way. Some were well-known players who are expected to have big years while others were players who flew under the radar coming into 2020 and pleasantly surprised us in week one. Here are a few players from Piedmont that impressed us Friday night. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="51857" first="Wesley" last="Morrison"] - Running Back - Class of 2022</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="51857" first="Wesley" last="Morrison"] made his first start at running back on Friday night and he certainly made the most of it. Morrison seemed to carry the ball 3 or 4 times on every possession for Piedmont’s run-heavy attack and finished the night with 24 carries for 96 yards. Though he did not have any touchdowns or many breakaway runs, Morrison was the games leading rusher and improved with every carry as the game went on. His vision and decisiveness in the backfield were noticeably better in the 4th quarter than in the 1st quarter. With his talents and Piedmont’s system, Morrison may find himself among the state leaders in rushing yards if he continues to perform like this. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="51858" first="Decata" last="Warrior"] - Defensive Back - Class of 2021</strong> Passing the ball on Piedmont’s defense was already looking like a challenge coming into this game with for El Reno without their starting QB, and [player_tooltip player_id="51858" first="Decata" last="Warrior"] certainly did not do El Reno any favors. The Senior Safety was all over the field in both the passing game where he <span style="font-size: 1rem;">did not allow anything over the top of him all game and came away with an interception </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">right before halftime, and in the running game where he was more than willing to deliver big hits to anybody who came his way.</span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38523" first="Caden" last="Hendren"]</strong> <strong>- Wide Receiver/Defensive Back - Class of 2021</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="38523" first="Caden" last="Hendren"] was a player we highlighted in our top players preview this offseason for 5A and he showed why in week one. On offense, Hendren caught the only two passes that Piedmont completed for 99 yards and 2 touchdowns. On defense, he played alongside [player_tooltip player_id="51858" first="Decata" last="Warrior"] and did not allow El Reno to do much of anything in the passing game and nearly came away with a pick on a tipped ball in the third quarter. Finally, on special teams, Hendren returned punts and kicks all night and had an electrifying punt return touchdown that was called back due to a block in the back penalty. Hendren is a phenomenal athlete who should be at or near the top of everyone’s recruiting board. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="51859" first="Joey" last="Mars"] - Quarterback/Linebacker - Class of 2021</strong> Due to Piedmont’s offensive system, Mars may not compile the stats that a typical successful quarterback does, but make no mistake, he had an incredible performance in this game. Mars went 1-4 passing with a touchdown and added a touchdown on the ground as he facilitated Piedmont’s rushing attack for 181 yards on 50 carries. Then on the defensive side of the ball, Mars made tackles all over the field at linebacker, showing off his athleticism and sideline to sideline speed. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="51862" first="Bo" last="Phelps"] - Quarterback - Class of 2021</strong> Coming into Friday night [player_tooltip player_id="51862" first="Bo" last="Phelps"] was the backup QB but that did not stop him from making the most of his opportunities in this game. His first snap came in the second quarter on a third and long and the result was a 78-yard touchdown to [player_tooltip player_id="38523" first="Caden" last="Hendren"]. Phelps then started the second half and ran the offense with a lot of confidence. While he and Mars are both listed at 5’11", Phelps looks a little bit longer on the field than Mars and throws the deep ball very well. Piedmont played both QBs consistently throughout the second half and have stated that they will continue to play both for the foreseeable future. So look out for Phelps as well as Mars at QB this year for the Wildcats. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="51863" first="Jacob" last="Anglin"] - Running Back/Defensive Back - Class of 2023</strong> Anglin is another youngster for Piedmont who made a lot of noise in his 2020 debut. On offense, Anglin had a few carries while lining up all over the field at wingback, wide receiver, and running back directly behind Mars and Phelps. On defense, Anglin flew around and delivered some big hits to El Reno ball carriers. Anglin showed great agility and ferocity on both sides of the ball as he brought the wood as both a run blocker and as a defender. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38738" first="James" last="Maguire"] - Running Back/Defensive Lineman - Class of 2022</strong> While he was not on our top players preview list, [player_tooltip player_id="38738" first="James" last="Maguire"] was another player on this Piedmont team that we expected to have a big season and he did not disappoint in week one. He used his lethal combination of power and speed on offense where he had a few carries on short-yardage downs and on defense where he found himself in the backfield nearly every play including his 2 fumble recoveries. Maguire is currently ranked 11th at his position for the class of 2022 but with performances like this he will definitely rise up our board before the season is over. &nbsp; &nbsp;