Senior breaks school record with 367 yards
BEARVILLE — Pierce County senior running back Jae’Veon Williams etched his name at the top of one of the greatest individual performances in program history with a 367-yard, four-touchdown effort leading the thirdranked Bears to a 35-7 victory here Friday night over Class AA 10th-ranked Swainsboro on First Responders Night.
Williams totaled 136 yards (nine carries) in the first period, stood at 205 yards by intermission (21 attempts), and entered the final quarter with 300 yards (28 rushes) making him the first PCHS running back in 46 years with consecutive 300-yard nights.
He broke the school mark of 330 yards set in a 2023 playoff win over Fitzgerald by Caden McGatha his 30th carry of the night with nine minutes left in the game.
Williams had big runs of 78 yards (first attempt), 71 (touchdown, first carry in second half), 29, 28 (touchdown), 18 (touchdown), 17, 16, 15 accounting for 272 yards on eight attempts. His other 24 carries totaled 95 yards — a good night for many backs — and a touchdown.
He extended his consecutive 100-yard rushing games to 13 and multiple touchdown games to 15.
“Jae’Veon had a great football game,” said PCHS head coach Ryan Herring. “I can’t say enough about the way he ran the ball. I’m proud of him. He did that with a sore shoulder.”
The victory was the 14th consecutive home opening win for PCHS (3-0) with the last loss to Swainsboro (44-41) in 2012. The Tigers (1-3) have lost consecutive games while trying to capture the 600th victory in program history, the first a week earlier to top-ranked Toombs County (49-21).
“That’s not a bad football team,” Herring said of Swainsboro. “They’re (Tigers) not far off from being a really good football team. They play a tough schedule because nobody wants to play them. It’s tough on people like them and Brooks County, because nobody wants to play them.
“They’ve got to play tough games. Their region is tough ... their non-region is tough. So, my hat is off to them, just like it is Brooks County. Another thing, it helped us having last week off, too. I mean, let’s just be honest. They played Toombs County last week.”
Pierce County scored on five of eight possessions. Another offensive series was one snap to end the first half and while the final possession was running out the final 3:24 of the game.
PCHS totaled 441 yards of offense (417 on the ground) and controlled the clock for 31:07. The Bears’ defense allowed 217 yards with 78 coming on Swainsboro’s lone touchdown play tying the game at 7-apiece in the first
Photo By RICK HEAD quarter. Pierce County held the Tigers’ offense to 1-of-8 on third down conversion attempts.
“We (coaches) knew, just like the Brooks County game, if we’ll stop the run, we would be in good shape,” Herring said. “We didn’t think they could beat us just throwing the ball. The game plan was to stop the run and just rally to defend the pass. I thought that was huge plus our ability to get off the field on third down.”
The Bears scored on their first offensive possession, a five-play, 92yard drive following Swainsboro’s longest time of possession (2:52) offensive series of the first half.
Williams raced 78 yards off right tackle down the Pierce County sideline getting tackled at the Tigers’ 16. He scored four plays later from four yards away. Peyton Perez, who replaced injured Fleming Cochran as kicker, nailed his first-ever PAT for a 7-0 with 6:18 left in the opening stanza.
The Tigers answered 19 seconds later. Quarterback Joshua Gray (6of-16, 132 yards, interception) connected with Marco Danford (three catches, 83 yards) for 78 yards on second down pulling Swainsboro to within 7-6. Luis Ruez tied the score with the PAT at 5:49.
PCHS took the lead for good three series later. The Bears, after a punt and turning the ball over on downs at the Swainsboro 37, put together an 11-play, 65-yard time-consuming drive (6:33). Pierce County converted twice on third down (4-of-7 for game) and once on fourth down to keep the drive alive.
Williams found a seam at right guard and never broke stride in racing 28 yards for the touchdown. Perez kicked the lead to 14-7 with 1:28 left in the half.
It took one play in the third quarter for the Bears to open up some breathing room. Williams darted 71 yards sliding past Florida commit linebacker Ja’Bios Smith’s diving attempt for the tackle inside the Swainsboro 20. Perez was true with the PAT for a 21-7 lead just 19 seconds into the second half.
PCHS capitalized on Luke Stone’s fumble recovery of Kyle Johnson’s (16 carries, 107 yards) third down miscue at the PCHS 41. The Bears followed with a time-consuming 6:38 drive covering the 59 yard in 10 plays.
Pierce County converted twice on third down to keep the chains moving. Following nine consecutive runs, Jack McClellan (1-of-3, 24 yards, interception) hit a wide open Chance Williams for 24 yards on a second down play with 39.6 seconds on the third quarter clock. Perez split the uprights with the PAT upping the margin to 28-7.
After exchanging interceptions, Dylan Johnson for Pierce County and Kamarion Dukes for Swainsboro, PCHS followed the Tigers’ three-and-out with the final touchdown of the night.
The Bears went 69 yards in five plays eating up 2:52 of the fourth quarter clock. Williams carried on four of the five snaps with a 29-yard run to start the possession an and 18-yard run on the final snap for the touchdown with 7:09 remaining. Perez drilled the PAT for the final margin.
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