There was very little for the Anson crowd to celebrate at homecoming last Friday night.

Piedmont, led by former Anson coach Luke Hyatt, cruised to a 49-6 victory.

Piedmont scored the contest’s initial touchdown midway through the first quarter. Piedmont converted the extra point to grab the early 7-0 lead.

Just over three minutes later, the Panthers found the end zone and tacked on the PAT to extend their advantage to 14-0.

Piedmont’s defense stymied Anson in the first half, keeping the home team off the scoreboard. The Panthers added to their lead by scoring a touchdown less than a minute into the second quarter and added another score just before halftime to take a 28-0 lead into the locker room.

Piedmont (6-2 overall, 1-1 in the Southern Carolina Conference) stretched the margin to 35-0 in the third quarter before Anson was able to find the end zone. Ravon Kirkland scored the Bearcats’ lone touchdown of the night, but the extra point failed to make it 35-6.

The Panthers responded to the Bearcats’ only score by tacking on their sixth touchdown of the contest. Piedmont added another score in the fourth for the final margin.

The loss drops Anson to 1-7 on the season and 0-2 in the SCC.

Coaches’ thoughts

Anson coach Ralph Jackson thought the game was an emotional one for his team, since it was homecoming and the Bearcats were facing their former coach.

Hyatt resigned from Anson last year to accept the job at Piedmont. School officials tabbed Jackson as Hyatt’s replacement.

“That’s the biggest thing, we have to learn how to control our emotions better,” Jackson said. “I think the guys have done a great job as far as controlling themselves, but tonight, I think the stage got too big because it was too personal. It was personal for a lot of the guys, and we keep doing what we do. You know, we’ve got to keep working, keep plugging, and it’s going to resonate eventually.”

Jackson added he wasn’t surprised by his players feeling emotional facing their former coach.

“I know a lot of guys still love Coach Luke, and they care about him, and I know he cares about them, so it’s probably an eye-opening experience for a lot of those guys,” Jackson said. “So, for him to walk out of here with a victory, you know, kudos to him. That’s life. We win some, we lose some. We’ve just got to keep plugging. For our guys, they have to understand that this is not the end of the world.”

Jackson continued the loss on a special night, especially during a difficult season, was hard on his players.

“They’re hurt. Their feelings are hurt,” Jackson said. “I do believe they wanted to win, but for some reason we just can’t get it all together right now.”

Jackson added he sees signs his team is improving.

“I look at body language and demeanor,” he said. “And when we say discipline, we want those guys to understand that discipline is the most important thing about a person: how a person acts, how a person responds. You know, I’m not a person who gets kicked or knocked down and stays down. I want these guys to understand we’re working through that, because we’re all in life getting knocked down at some point in time. But depending on how successful you will be, is do you get up, or do you lay and wallow in it? And I’m not a guy that’s going to play in mud. I’m going to get right up and go to work.”

Hyatt praised his former team and thought it was well-played contest from both sides.

“The kids just come out and played well, you know, and Anson played hard all night long, just like we knew they would,” Hyatt said. “You know, it’s probably the best defensive front we’ve seen all year. They gave us a lot of trouble and you know, we were able to break a couple there later on. But hats off to both teams for doing a great job tonight, and great sportsmanship from both sides of the field, and you know, just good luck to both teams down the road.”

Hyatt, just like his counterpart, didn’t want to single out any specific player or players for their individual effort in the victory.

“We don’t really name MVPs,” he said. “There was just a couple of kids that had good performances tonight. The running backs played good, offense played good, offensive line played good. Defense played well, tonight, too. I’m real proud of them.”

Piedmont coach Luke Hyatt, center, resigned as Anson’s head coach last year before starting with Piedmont.
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_IMG_3122-toned.jpgPiedmont coach Luke Hyatt, center, resigned as Anson’s head coach last year before starting with Piedmont.

The teams faced of during what was a tough game for the Bearcats on Friday.
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_IMG_3249-toned.jpgThe teams faced of during what was a tough game for the Bearcats on Friday.

Teammates watched from the sidelines as the Bearcats fell to Piedmont.
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_IMG_3321-toned.jpgTeammates watched from the sidelines as the Bearcats fell to Piedmont.

Coach Ralph Jackson watched as his team struggled to defend against the Piedmont Panthers.
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_IMG_3324-toned.jpgCoach Ralph Jackson watched as his team struggled to defend against the Piedmont Panthers.

Piedmont coach Luke Hyatt said Anson was a tough opponent, playing good defense throughout the game.
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_IMG_8668-toned.jpgPiedmont coach Luke Hyatt said Anson was a tough opponent, playing good defense throughout the game.

Piedmont coach Luke Hyatt said Anson was a tough opponent, playing good defense throughout the game.
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_IMG_8794-toned.jpgPiedmont coach Luke Hyatt said Anson was a tough opponent, playing good defense throughout the game.

D’Angelo Tyson chats with Anson’s ball boys as he watches his team struggle against Piedmont.
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_IMG_8804-toned.jpgD’Angelo Tyson chats with Anson’s ball boys as he watches his team struggle against Piedmont.

Piedmont dominated from the beginning of the game, blocking nearly all of Anson’s attempts to take the ball down the field.
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_IMG_8817-toned.jpgPiedmont dominated from the beginning of the game, blocking nearly all of Anson’s attempts to take the ball down the field.

Players waited for their turn to get back on the field.
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_IMG_8826-toned.jpgPlayers waited for their turn to get back on the field.

After the game, Coach Jackson talked with the players, encouraging them and asking them to invest in the game.
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_IMG_8837-toned.jpgAfter the game, Coach Jackson talked with the players, encouraging them and asking them to invest in the game.

By Imari Scarbrough

iscarbrough@civitasmedia.com

Reach reporter Imari Scarbrough at 704-994-5471 and follow her on Twitter @ImariScarbrough.