LYONS — Secondranked Pierce County went toe-to-toe with top-ranked Toombs County here Friday in the renovated “Pit” before falling 28-7 in a Region 3-AAA matchup of unbeatens.
The titanic battle was one of two in South Georgia pitting a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup, the 48th and 49th meetings all-time between the top two teams in the same classification since 1952. Class 6A’s No. 1 Thomas County Central picked up a 49-26 victory at No. 2 Lee County in a Region 1 confrontation to give No. 1 teams a 26-22-1 advantage.
The showdown here in Lyons showcased the state’s No. 1 rusher with the Bears’ (4-1 overall, 1-1 region) Jae’Veon Williams and the state’s top scorer with the Bulldogs’ Donterrius Mincey.
Williams, who entered with 1,184 yards and three consecutive 300-yard rushing nights, rushed for 266 yards - 190 in the first half - on a career-high 41 attempts against perhaps the most talented defense in the state with six Power 4 commits. He scored once ending his school-record streak of 16 consecutive multi-touchdown games.
Mincey entered with a state-leading 19 touchdowns and as the No. 5 rusher in the state with 881 yards. He overcame a slow start (31 yards in the first half - no touchdowns) to score twice in the second half and finish with 175 yards on 17 attempts.
“Are you kidding me,” said PCHS head coach Ryan Herring when told after the game of Williams’ total. “I was just hopping he would get 100 yards against that bunch.
Wow! He got peppered all night and never wavered when there wasn’t any blocking. He didn’t point fingers.
“He ran hard on every carry. You saw tonight why he’s the best running back in the state. That has nothing to do with me ... God makes running backs ... I don’t. God gets all the glory. Jae’Veon showed everybody at the game tonight he’s the best running back in the state.
“If you can run for 262 yards when they (Bulldog defenders) know you’re coming at them against that defense this year ... you’re special.”
Williams worked for his yardage. There were 25 carries of three yards or less totaling 34 yards. His other 16 carries totaled 232 yards with runs of 46, 78 (touchdown) and 21 yards. He also had gains of 13 and 14 for five doubledigit runs.
Mincey was held in check until the second half. He had four doubledigit yardage runs of 16, 13 (touchdown), 49 and 76 (touchdown) with the last three carries coming over the final 24 minutes. His first touchdown with 9:37 left in the third quarter broke a 7-all tie to give Toombs County the lead for good.
The Bulldogs, who entered leading Class AAA in scoring at 51 points a game, tacked on two fourth quarter scores to widen the margin.
“That’s the most talented team in AAA,” Herring said. “We’re 7-7 at the half. We didn’t play badly in the second half, but we had some issues on defense and it starts with me. We (coaches) have got to do a better job of coaching and get that corrected. This was a game that should have ended 14-7.
“The (go-ahead) touchdown was an inside zone run and I knew it was coming. The quarterback scores after riding the running back inside (RPO action). We have a hat and a half (defender plus one) and we didn’t make the play. Then we gave up the last score.
“Defense wins championships ... our defense kept us in the game. But in the second half, we had just a couple of things happen. Our better players didn’t play well and sometimes that happens. You need your good players to play better in these types of game.”
PCHS missed out on two scoring opportunities inside the Toombs County 20 in the first half and once in the second half. The Bears, after Dylan Johnson’s 47-yard kick return of the opening kickoff set up shop at the Bulldogs’ 48. They got as close as the Toombs County 37 before punting the ball away with Jack McClelland’s 41-yard punt downed at the Bulldogs’ two.
The home team quickly went 98 yards in six plays needing just 2:27 to open a 7-0 lead. Mincey’s fouryard run on third-and-3 kept the offense on the field. Three plays later, quarterback Joseph Owens (8-of-17, 135 yards) connected with Brandon Stevens, running behind the PCHS secondary, for 67 yards. Alex Catero kicked the first of his four PATs with 4:29 on the clock.
Aided by Williams’ 46yard burst up the gut of the Toombs County defense to the home teams’ 14, the Bears reached the eight on the last play of the first quarter. An incomplete pass on fourth down on the opening snap of quarter two turned the ball over.
After a quick three-andout by the Bulldogs, PCHS drove from its own 46 to the Toombs County 10 before stalling. Two 15-yard penalties helped move the chains. A Bulldog defender broke through the line to block Jayme Perez’s 27-yard field goal attempt with 5:55 left in the half leaving the score at 7-0.
Another stalled series by the potent Toombs County offense and 32yard punt set the Bears up at their own 26. Following a little flip/shovel pass from Williams to Jashun Faison losing four yards, PCHS ran the same play one snap later. Williams faked the flip and raced uncovered around right end as Bulldog defenders bit for the 78-yard score with 4:56 left before intermission. Perez tied the score with the PAT.
Toombs County’s highly-touted Nick Carroll returned the second-half kick 53 yards getting tackled at the Bears’ 28. Mincey scored five plays later from 13 yards away running through a seam at left guard for what proved to be the winning score. Catero kicked the margin to 14-7 with 9:37 left on the clock.
The Bulldogs’ halftime adjustments limited Pierce County to just 73 yards in the second half after surrendering 198 in the opening 24 minutes. After two PCHS punts in the third quarter, the Toombs County offense found the end zone five plays into the final period for a 21-7 lead.
Owens followed a 31yard pass completion on a third-and-10 with backto- back keeps around right end for gains of 13 and 22 yards to cap a 66yard drive. The Catero PAT with 9:41 to play gave the home team a twotouchdown advantage.
PCHS, in a slow and methodical drive eating up 5:43, came up short on a fourth-and-11 from the Toombs County 24 with 3:58 to play ending a 10play possession.
Mincey ended a dominating second half with a 76-yard run three plays later outracing Bear defenders to the end zone with 2:13 to play for the final margin after the Catero extra point.
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