“He’s just an average bear, but we’re gonna keep him.”
There are athletes who seek team goals more than individual accolades. Pierce County head coach Ryan Herring calls them “special.”
Pierce County senior running back Jae’Veon Williams is in that mold. He was a Class AA all-state running back last season after posting 1,797 yards and 30 touchdowns. He entered this year as a 2026 Class AAA pre-season all-state selection.
The 5-foot-9, 190-pound bullish-style back is living up to the hype having gained 878 yards — third best in the state for all classifications — with 10 touchdowns. He’s had back-to-back 300-plus yard rushing nights and consecutive four-touchdown efforts.
It’s his last performance which has gained state-wide notoriety. Williams rushed for a school-record 382 yards and four touchdowns shredding a talented Swainsboro defensive unit in the Bears 35-7 victory September 11.
The performance earned him the Georgia High School Football Daily/Atlanta Journal-Constitution Varsity Player of the Week honor sponsored by Alpha Insurance. He joins fellow PCHS players D.J. Bell (2021) and Caden McGatha (2023) to capture the honor.
The award put Pierce County in rarefied company as the sixth school to win the award three times. The other five are Collins Hill, Gainesville, Lee County, Milton High School and Rabun County.
Ted Langford, representing GHSFD, and Leanne Davis, of Alpha Insurance, were in Bearville last Wednesday morning (September 16) to present the award.
“This is our 18th year we’ve been publishing a digital newsletter,” Langford said of GHSFD. “There are more than 400 high schools in the state of Georgia, and 1,000s and 1,000s of players. Our editors review all the top individual performances to determine who had the biggest and best game in the most important matchup from the previous weekend.
“This past week (September 11 games) was particularly tough, probably the toughest one we’ve had in terms of picking a state player of the week because there were so many great performances.”
Langford mentioned players from Central-Carrollton (WR/DB Jake Ivester; 10 receptions for 253 yards, two touchdowns; clinching interception in a 73-66 victory over Houston County), from Northeast High School (QB Jordan Wiggins was 22-of-29 passing for 379 yards and six touchdowns; rushed for 115 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns in a 58-40 victory over Perry), and from Houston County (RB Austin Stinson rushed for 411 yards and six touchdowns on 27 carries; returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in a 73-66 loss to Central of Carrollton) received consideration.
“In all the meetings we (writers) had, one player’s name kept coming up in every discussion,” said Langford. “That player was running back Jae’Veon Williams. Just a phenomenal effort. Jae’Veon broke the school record by more than 50 yards.”
Langford read a quote Herring delivered about his running back.
“Jae’Veon is as good as they come tackle-to-tackle running through the smoke,” Herring said. “He has a knack for finding creases most running backs can’t see. At the same time, he also can bounce it outside and stretch the field.
Friday night, he ran through the ‘smoke’ as good as I’ve ever seen.”
Running through the ‘smoke’ describes a player lowering his head, trusting their vision and exploding directly through the mess to gain positive yardage.
Langford praised the work of offensive linemen Trent Kennedy, Dathan Thornton, Lee Thornton, Logan Spivey, Leland Williams, Ocean Henderson and D.J. Moody, sniffers Noah Delaney and Luke Stone and wide receivers Chance Williams, Demontrey Clark and Jashun Faison.
“Trust me, those guys never get the credit they deserve,” said Langford. “They do a lot to make a team successful.”
Williams also had high praise for his teammates.
“They’ve been working hard in practice and its carried into our games,” he said. “I just trust them.”
Herring added its easy for linemen to provide blocking for a hard-running player.
“When the running back is running through the ‘smoke’,” said the coach, “it’s easy for them to want to block well when you’re playing as hard as he’s playing.”
Williams said at the snap, he trusted his blockers and his mind.
“Whatever I saw, I just went,” said Williams. “Everything just felt smooth ... just felt perfect.”
He added the game slowed down and felt like everything and everyone was in slow motion.
Williams is the first back under Herring with consecutive 300-yard rushing nights. He was 18 yards from becoming his second back in nearly 25 years with a 400 yard night. “I would have liked to have seen him get 400,” Herring said. “That would have been cool.” With at least seven games remaining and a possible run to a state championship of five games, the single season rushing record held by Bell of 2,228 in 2022 could be threatened. Williams needs 1,351 yards for the mark. He needs 25 more touchdowns to break Bell’s record of 34 in 2022.
The only thing Williams wants, though, is to lead his team to Atlanta and win a championship. After hoisting a trophy, he would like to get a full ride (scholarship) and play collegiately.
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