No. 1 Toombs Co. in clash of titans
BEARVILLE — The biggest Class AAA matchup of the season takes place Friday in Lyons, as secondranked Pierce County travels to “The Pit” to face topranked Toombs County in a Region 3-AAA showdown.
Both teams enter the contest 4-0 overall and 1-0 in region play. Pierce County comes in off a 48-6 win over Johnson-Savannah, while Toombs County overpowered Beach 76-7. “We’re going to face the best team in the state,” said head coach Ryan Herring. “It’s a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup being played in a great environment and basically a new stadium up there. I’m anxious to see where we stand against the best team in AAA and perhaps the best team in the state.”
The game features two of the state’s top five rushing leaders. PCHS’s Jae’Veon Williams has accumulated 1,185 yards (12.6 yards per attempt) with 16 touchdowns.
Williams has scored at least two touchdowns in 16 consecutive games dating back to the 2025 season opener.
He has rushed for at least 301 yards in three straight games with 10 touchdowns. Williams scored six times in PCHS’s last game.
Toombs County’s Donterrius Mincey (5-foot-10, 195 lbs.) has racked up 858 yards (11.0 yards per carry) and scored a stateleading 19 touchdowns. Mincey enters with three consecutive 200-yard performances totaling 692 yards and 15 touchdowns.
He ran roughshod over Beach (eight carries, 230 yards, four touchdowns vs. Beach) in Friday’s win. Mincey has scored at least four touchdowns in all four games including seven against Swainsboro.
“Mincey has great top end speed,” said Herring. “If he breaks out he’s gone.”
This will be Pierce County’s 14th game in program history versus a top-ranked team (2-11) in Georgia’s recognized polls. It’s the fourth time during the Herring era. PCHS is 1-10 in road game matchups and 1-2 when entering as a Top 10 member.
The Bears picked up their first victory in school history over a No. 1 team in the 1981 season opener in Homerville beating Clinch County 22-14. They lost their first-ever playoff game 33-14 at Vidalia in a 1981 Region 2-AA playoff game.
Friday’s meeting marks the 10th game between the two programs with Pierce County holding a 63 series lead following five consecutive victories. The Bears escaped 17-14 in their last trip to Lyons in 2023.
“We’re going to face a team that his six Power 4 signees on defense after one of their (Bulldogs) defensive backs committed Thursday to Iowa,” Herring said. “The most we have faced is when Crisp County had five the year (2020) we beat them in the semifinals.”
Toombs County’s list of signees with Power 4 schools includes senior 2025 Class A DI First Team All-State defensive back Alex Scott (5-foot-11, 180 lbs.), who is headed to North Carolina State, senior linebacker Kareem Palmer (6-2, 215), an Auburn commit, and senior defensive lineman Nick Fraizer (6-5, 260), a Colorado State commit).
Still not signed with Power 4 schools are 2025 First Team Class A DI All-State defensive lineman Jamarcus Johnson (6-5, 308) with offers from Georgia, Florida, Miami, Auburn, Oregon, Southern California, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida State, and junior defensive back Nick Carroll (5-11, 171) with offers from Ohio State, UCLA, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Oregon and Georgia Tech.
Other defensive players are senior defensive lineman Hayden Bullard (6foot, 260), junior defensive lineman Zaylen Davis (6-foot, 230), who already has an offer from Reinhardt, senior linebacker Slade McDonald (5-8, 180), senior defensive back Deon Moore (59, 145), who has offers from McPherson, Point Skyhawks), senior linebacker M.J. Burton (5-9, 200), senior linebacker Kyrell Williams (6-foot, 198) and Mincey, who had offers from Rice, Tulsa, Mercer, Florida A&M, Marshall, Citadel, Liberty, Kennesaw State, Cornell, Dartmouth, Gardner Webb and Georgia State as a defensive back before his break season on offense.
“They play a 3-4,” said Herring of the Toombs County defensive scheme. “The nose (Johnson) has offers from every major college in the country. To me, their (Bulldogs) best player is the defensive end (Bullard). They also have a linebacker (Palmer) going to Auburn. They have some other great players.
“For us, we’ve got to identify their look in the box. We’ve got to stay on schedule.”
Pierce County’s defense, which is allowing 108.5 yards per game, will be severly tested by a Bulldogs’ offense that enters averaging 475.1 yards per game including 500 yards vs. Class 5A fourth-ranked Benedictine and 539 yards against rival Vidalia.
PCHS has surrendered just 19 yards on the ground on 79 attempts (0.24 yards per rush), one touchdown and 4.7 yards per game. Toombs County enters averaging 281.1 yards a game, 8.9 yards per attempt and has scored 24 touchdowns.
The Bulldogs generate 194 yards through the air on the arm of senior quarterback Joseph Owens (6foot, 175), who has completed 43-of-58 (74%) passes for 752 yards and three scores to go with an interception.
“It’s a very balanced offense that is so dangerous,” said Herring. “It’s about 70-30 (run to pass). They love to run counter and when you key on stopping the run the passing game is wide open. If you try to stop the pass then they gash you.
“The quarterback manages the offense. They do things with an RPO-like scheme. They also have a ‘check with me’ at the line of scrimmage after seeing what the defense is line up in.”
Carroll, a five-star recruit on defense, and senior Brandon Stevens (5-11, 160) are the top two receivers. Stevens has a team-high 21 catches for 409 yards and one touchdown while Carroll has pulled in 15 catches for 225 yards and a team-high two scores.
“That No. 3 (Stevens) will be the fastest player on the field Friday night,” said Herring. “Both, though, are very talented. Overall, Toombs is as fast as anybody on the perimeter on both sides of the ball with their skill players going both ways.”
The coach added the Bulldogs’ offensive linemen, led by senior R.J. Langston (5-11, 352), who has offers from Erskine and Reinhardt, do not play on the defensive side.
“The key for us is not allowing the big play through the air or on the ground,” said Herring. “They are going to score ... we just have to make them drive the ball and earn the touchdowns.”
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