BEARVILLE — Pierce County will get a bigger test Friday night in Quitman against Class AA Brooks County than it did against Alabama’s 2025 Class AA state champion Coosa Christian on the road in Gadsden.
The fourth-ranked Bears (1-0), who moved up six spots in Sunday’s Atlanta Journal Constitution Top 10 poll, cruised to a 55-0 victory scoring all of their points in a record-setting first half in Gadsden, AL, against heavily overmatched Coosa Christian School. Up next is the unranked Trojans (0-1), who fell 49-35 as the No. 8 team in Class AA to Class AAA third-ranked Worth County in their opener in Sylvester. The Rams won the 2025 Class A DI state championship.
Pierce County is looking for a fifth consecutive 2-0 start under eighth-year head coach Ryan Herring and the eighth time in the last nine seasons.
“This is going to be a very physical and brutal game,” Herring said of the matchup. “We’ve got to be ready for the physicality. There are going to be several games on the schedule like this with Swainsboro and Toombs County.”
“We (coaches) haven’t played four quarters in the two scrimmages and in Game 1. This is going to be a fourquarter game. How we handle that is the question.
“We’ve still got things that must be cleaned up this week. The other key is we’ve got to keep improving each week — we’ve got to.”
Friday’s meeting is the 10th in the series dating back to 1992 with Brooks County holding a 6-3 advantage. PCHS has won the last two encounters posting a 17-14 victory in its last trip to Quitman in 2024 on a last second field goal. The Bears notched a 28-16 home victory last year.
Brooks County is a senior-laden program returning four first team all-Region 1-A defensive players, and two seniors and a junior who earned second team laurels.
Offensively, the Trojans return one first team honoree (senior) and four second team selections. One of the second team returnees is senior wide receiver George Lamons (6-foot-4, 220 lbs.), rated the No. 5 tight end by MaxPreps, who has committed to Auburn.
Lamons scored four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) in the season-opening loss at Worth County. He caught nine passes for 104 yards and netted 29 yards rushing on five attempts. Lamons also returned a kickoff 58 yards.
“They (Brooks County coaches) are putting it in spots to get his hands on the ball,” Herring said of Lamons. “He’s lining up in the “Wildcat” at quarterback, running jet sweeps, catching a variety of screen passes and he can beat you deep and on jump balls. He just looks so much better than he did last season. He’s going to be a handful.”
Junior quarterback Jamarion Crumity (5-6, 130) came on in relief of senior second team selection Junior Burress (5-7, 140) and completed 20of-29 passes for 228 yards throwing for a touchdown against two interceptions. Crumity added 28 yards rushing on nine attempts.
Buress was 4-of-7 for 59 yards in his limited playing time.
“The starter got hurt and the backup came in,” said Herring. “I thought the backup threw the ball better.”
Senior wide receiver Khalil Watts pulled in six passes for a team-high 119 yards vs. the Rams in Week 1. Senior running back Caden Cobb (6-1, 210) led the ground game rushing for 95 yards on 15 carries and scored once.
Returning All-Region offensive linemen include junior Greg Turner (6-2, 280) and senior Rodney Frazier (5-11, 210).
“The running back ran hard,” added Herring. “He’s tough to bring down. It’s a typical Brooks County offensive team that plays hard. They (Trojans) had some snap issues last week with Worth (County) having two scoops and scores and having an interception returned for a touchdown.”
The Trojans’ defensive unit was torched for nearly 400 yards by an explosive Worth County offense.
“They got in a ‘Radar’ look,” said Herring of the 6-2 front where all 11 defenders — including standing up the linemen — align in specific offensive gaps to read and react laterally. “I think they (Trojans) will show their hand against us with a lot of different looks.”
Returning to the Brooks County defense are first team defensive lineman Jeremiah Mickens (5-9, 200), senior defensive back Marcus Hardwick (5-10, 150) and Cobb, who plays linebacker. Hardwick had three tackles vs. Worth County while Cobb finished with five.
Second team returners are senior defensive lineman Phillip Brinson (510, 175), senior linebacker Zuri Vaughn (5-5, 160) and junior defensive back Jayden Bryant (5-9, 150). Vaughn recorded a teamhigh seven tackles, one tackle for loss and a quarterback sack against the Rams. Bryant finished with five tackles and caused a fumble.
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