Piedmont, AL – Miller arrived in Piedmont to win championships however, the Bulldogs’ roster changes give Miller a opportunity to showcase his grit.
by Joe Medley
Jonathan Miller is a low-key and straightforward person. He doesn’t play around before being honest in his honest manner.
The player who scored 100 games over 11 seasons at Saks does not leave an ash trail of the crux in describing why the decision to move north, and then to Piedmont.
He is looking for the same thing that Piedmont has achieved every year since the beginning of 2009. He is looking for the opportunities Piedmont has provided each year to do the only thing that was not available to Saks. Saks.
“I’m at a stage in my career that it’s my goal to be a champion in all honesty,” he said at Calhoun County Quarterback Club Media Day in July (see more details in the preview interview).
If Miller does that in year one at Piedmont, however, it’s not fair to call it a chasing-championships story. It’s not fair to portray it as a coach putting himself into a system and doing it as Secretariat.
If Miller is successful in winning a championship during the first year at Piedmont it will be worthy of coach-of-the-year consideration. One glance at the roster’s turnover and calendar to see the reason.
Miller is the new coach of the team which Steve Smith turned into a perpetual winner, but he didn’t succeed the team Smith led to the Super 7. Smith had last led into the Super 7.
It’s not enough to mention nine players who were able to graduate on offense, and six graduated on defense.
Quarterback Jack Hayes was one of the nine players lost on offense. Take a look at the list of state records that were broken Hayes left behind, he ought to count at minimum three players who lost their starting positions.
Four of his career’s passing and total-offense records indicate Hayes as their quarterback, and possibly their top running back and Alabama may not have a resume that is similar to Hayes.
Two-time Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 3A back of the year as well as a two-time Super 7 most valuable player was among seven All-State players who graduated.
Two-time class 1A-3A Calhoun County player of the year was also one of the 17 Calhoun All-Calhoun County players who graduated.
If Smith and his long-time defensive coordinator James Blanchard hadn’t started anew at Westbrook Christian, they’d have quite a roster change at Piedmont.
To put that into perspective the Piedmont region has four teams that are either placed in the top ten or receiving votes in the preseason ASWA poll.
Smith playing Westbrook is enough to allow the Warriors to win votes even though they were not making the playoffs in 2022. Miller will be looking at Smith’s Field of Champions at Smith when Piedmont faces Westbrook in the Oct. 6 regional game.
The slate for non-region includes the Class 4A winner and the 4A quarterfinalist, and a 5A team that has made an interesting coach hire. The team went down in 2022 without a win, Sylacauga switched towards Chris Smelley.
Everything that was difficult for Piedmont this season became easier, while what was easy for Piedmont the previous season was harder.
“It’s likely the toughest schedule I’ve ever played in or been part of, and we’ve played in several great one,” Miller said.
Miller was caught in the trap that Smith set and could have seriously pushed Smith in 2023.
It’s not like Piedmont was thrown off the high cliff. Not at all. The Bulldogs have two state-of-the-art players returning as well as eight all-county returning players.
Smith developed an entire program from the ground from the ground up Smith designed a program from scratch, and Miller has shown that he is able to make the most value from the tools he’s got. Miller is expected to add H-back and tightend duties to defensive lineman from all-state Chance Murphy’s duties this season.
Do you recognize any of these Piedmont fans? Smith did it with his son Sean in 2019 and it was the catalyst for Piedmont’s return to the game in the Super 7 against Mobile Christian in the Super 7.
As with Miller However, we’ll be honest. If Piedmont continues its streak that has been eight straight 3A semi-final appearances thanks to this roster change, in line with this schedule it is the team of Smith and Miller are worthy of an abundance of praise.
Bulldog facts
Things to be aware of about Piedmont football as we head into 2023’s season:
-” Jonathan Miller enters his first season as Piedmont’s head coach, and 12th overall season as head coach. He had a 100-32 record in his 11 seasons with Saks with a total of 10 playoff appearances, which included three semifinals. In his time, the Saks teams also took home three regional titles.
The Bulldogs were 12-3 overall and 7-0 within Class 3A and region 6 by 2022. They took home the seventh time in the last eight years. They advanced to the 3A semifinals for the 8th time in a row, and reached they reached the final of the state championship for sixth times in the last eight years.
Key graduation losses for 2022 include these All-State players QB Jack Hayes (3A back of the year), the WR/DB Max Hanson, OL ChrisJon Gurley, the DB Cody Holloway, LB Rhett Alford, LB Brody Epps, K Sloan Smith. Other All-Calhoun County players who graduated are players from FB/TE Parker Thornton, WR Thomas Propst, OL Conner Williams, DL Trent Young, and DB Jake Austin, OL Braden McDaniels DE Cam Lockeridge, OL Caedon Ooten, OL Landen McDaniels and Gatling Gardner. Gatling Gardner.
The following All-State selections are back the following players: junior WR Ishmael Bethel, and the senior defensive lineman Chance Murphy. The following All-Calhoun County stars are back the following players: senior D.B. Trevor Pike, sophomore WR Riley Pinto, senior DL Fisher Adams, senior LB Luke Rhinehart, senior DB McClane Mohon and junior L/LB Kale Austin.
Watch out for players to watch The junior QB Cole Wilson succeeds the record-setting Hayes. The large left-handed Wilson is a formidable player and also has receivers Pinto as well as Bethel.
-” MIller replacing Steve Smith following Steve Smith went to Westbrook Christian was not the only noteworthy coaching change. James Blanchard, Smith’s defensive coordinator for 17 years, was the one who succeeded Smith. Miller was promoted Landon Pruitt to defensive coordinator and then hired Monty Young to coach linemen. Young played as a defensive player at the time of Miller at Saks before playing with Jacksonville State University before coaching remains with Saks in addition to Munford. The majority of Smith’s Piedmont staff has returned.
