GAME 2 v. TRUCKEE

New offense taking hold
By Jimmy Durkin
Staff Writer
Article Launched: 09/21/2007 03:05:42 AM PDT

PIEDMONT -- The second act of Piedmont High School's A-11 offense showed worlds of improvement from Week 1, but it wasn't enough to get past Truckee in a 15-7 nonleague football loss Sept. 14.

Piedmont (0-2) was effective with a short, accurate passing game that is a necessity in the dual-quarterback, six-receiver offense. Quarterbacks Jeremy George and Ryan Lipkin combined to complete 20 of 27 passes for 168 yards. But the running game was muted, managing just 11 yards on 17 carries.

"I don't believe in moral victories, but we were way better than last week," Piedmont coach Kurt Bryan said, comparing this performance to the Highlanders' 31-2 loss to Campolindo in Week 1. The biggest sign of growth was displayed in a 12-play, 78-yard drive that spanned the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth.

Eight of nine pass attempts were complete on the drive, and George (14-for-19, 108 yards) capped it with an 8-yard TD pass to Joey Andrada for the Highlanders' first offensive points of the season. "That was great for the kids ... that was great for the system," Bryan said. "We finally put all the pieces together against a very good team."

Truckee coach Bob Shaffer was impressed by what he saw from Piedmont and believes it has potential. "They definitely have some personnel that can run (the A-11)," Shaffer said. "They just need a little more experience. But that's a good football team."

The Highlanders' undoing was a strong Truckee (2-1) running game that gained 237 yards and punched in two touchdowns.
The Wolverines scored on a 6-yard TD run by Ryan Macken early in the second quarter, and they made it 12-0 on a 4-yard Ryan Roberts run in the third quarter. Piedmont's lone touchdown came with 8:39 left in the game to make it 12-7.

After Piedmont's defense held Truckee to a field goal, the Highlanders came up empty on their ensuing drive.
Piedmont got the ball back one final time, but an interception ended the comeback hopes. "The defense played fantastic," Bryan said. "I thought in the first quarter when we were inside the 20-yard line and didn't score, that was a killer. . . . But I was very impressed with what I saw in the second half on offense."