Bearcats rally behind teammate
- Updated: November 5, 2016
Weaver rises up after losing Ortiz early in the game; Piedmont extends its winning streak to school record
Weaver players and cheerleaders display three fingers as a salute to teammate Cody Ortiz, who left Friday’s playoff game with a broken leg. Below, Paul Hubbard streaks down the sideline with a kickoff return that answered Fultondale’s only touchdown. (Photos by Daniel Lee)
By East Alabama Sports Today
FULTONDALE — Weaver won one for its C.O. Friday night.
Senior tight end Cody Ortiz suffered a broken leg early in the first quarter of his team’s Class 3A playoff game with Fultondale, but instead of wallowing in the adversity, the Bearcats rallied around their fallen teammate and routed their hosts 37-7.
It was Weaver’s first playoff win since 2005. The Bearcats (8-3) host Lexington (8-3) next week in their first home playoff game since 2005.
In addition to the players rallying around Ortiz, the team bus stopped by the hospital on the way home so the players could present their teammate with the game ball.
“We’re happy about the win, but he’s on our minds big time,” Bearcats coach Daryl Hamby said. “This team is a very close team. It put us in a different mindset. We could have gone either way with this. It was just shocking to all of us, but the guys decided to fight through it.
“It’s what Cody and his parents said on the way; win this for me, keep playing. That’s what we did.”
Ortiz was injured in the aftermath of a short pass reception with the game still scoreless. The Bearcats jumped out to a 14-0 lead, then Fultondale scored on an interception return 90 seconds before halftime, but Paul Hubbard returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown and it was 20-7 at the break.
They recovered a fumble on the first play of the second half, converted it into a Maurice Goodman touchdown catch and continued to pour it on.
“It was all about fight,” Hamby said. “They were in it til the end. They just turned it to a different gear. We had so many guys that were kind of nicked up, playing through pain, it was incredible to watch them.
“We had a lot of guys step up. What they’re doing is … they found out the why they’re playing. It’s for a greater reason than just them, and when they do that this is the product of that.”
Maurice Goodman goes up for a 15-yard touchdown catch — his second of the game — to extend Weaver’s lead to 27-7. (Photo by Daniel Lee)
PIEDMONT 41, HOLLY POND 26
PIEDMONT – Lee Stanley ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Taylor Hayes accounted for 215 yards of offense and three scores as top-ranked Piedmont extended the state’s longest winning streak to a school-record 21 games.
The Bulldogs (11-0) will host Colbert County (9-2) at the Field of Champions Friday in a rematch of last year’s state semifinals.
Hayes ran for 68 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 147 yards and a 25-yard touchdown pass to Darien Bossie. His scoring runs covered 57 and 7 yards.
The Bulldogs (11-0) led 27-0 at halftime and 41-0 early in the third quarter.
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