Johnson and McClellan run wild totaling 420 yards, 8 touchdowns in 65-20 win
BEARVILLE — Fourthranked Pierce Coutny’s junior tandem of Dylan Johnson and Jack McClellan had a Beach party during the fourth-ranked Bears’ 65-20 victory here Friday night during a rainy homecoming between Region 3-AAA teams.
During the halftime pageantry, Miss Riley Thomas and Miss Daisy Cruz were crowned cohomecoming queens after voting by the PCHS student body. Miss Maddie Lee, the 2025 homecoming queen, did the honors.
The PCHS (5-1 overall, 2-1 region) duo combined for 420 yards rushing on 30 carries and eight touchdowns in the absence of Jae’Veon Williams - the state’s leading rusher at the halfway point of the season with 1,450 yards.
The two entered with 217 combined yards on 34 carries and four touchdowns.
Johnson set the tone with a 93-yard scoring run on his first carry finishing the night with a careerhigh 264 yards (schoolrecord 247 on 14 carries in the first half) on a careerhigh 16 carries and scored a career-high five touchdowns - all five scores in the first half.
Johnson scored on runs of 93, three, 29, 17 and 65 yards to help PCHS race out to a 49-20 halftime advantage. He also had close to 100 yards in kick and punt returns. His rushing total gave PCHS five consecutive games of 264-plus yards by a running back.
McClellan also set career- best marks in all three categories as well. He finished with 14 carries, 156 yards and three scores on runs of 22, 15 and 23 yards.
The 65 points set a school mark for points at home eclipsing the previous mark of 64 set in a wild 64-62 triple overtime win September 18, 2015 against Jenkins of Savannah. The point total is shy of the school mark of 67 points scored in a 67-36 victory September 28, 2012 at Tattnall County.
The game, though, was marrred by a plethora of penalties, several questionable by the flag-happy referee crew. Beach had 13 infractions marked off for 126 yards while PCHS had 10 for 138 yards setting a mark for most combined penalty yards of 264 in over 500 games played by Pierce County.
“This was an extraneous week and night for us,” said head coach Ryan Herring of the program dealing with the death of long-time supporter Tommy Colley at Toombs County. He received a tribute before kickoff from the school system.
There was also a sudden change in the Pierce County coaching staff Wednesday, September 30.
“In spite of all of that,” Herring continued, “I am proud of the way we played for the most part defensively. We’ve still got some defensive things we’ve (coaches) got to clean up ... most of it is football IQ.
“Offensively, when you have over 400 yards running - that’s a good night. We ran the ball well. I’m so proud of the way we blocked and we ran the ball hard. Both Dylan and Jack are able runners.
“I’m glad we rebounded from last week (28-7 loss to No. 1 Toombs County). We wanted to hurry and get that taste out of mouth. But, we’ve just got to improve defensively. If you want to play in December you’ve got to have some brains on defense. There are a lot of corrections that need to be addressed. They are easy things that have to be done right.”
The PCHS defense surrendered 249 yards. Eight plays covered 12 yards or more, which included touchdown passes of 18 and 27 yards, and a scoring run of 76 yards.
The Bears’ offense generated 467 yards - all on the ground on 38 attempts - scoring touchdowns on their first eight possessions. Seven of those offensive series averaged 2.6 plays and 56 seconds which included two oneplay scores and two twoplay scores.
PCHS scored on its first snap after the defensive unit forced the Bulldogs (2-4, 1-2) into a threeand- out. Pinned at the seven after a 55-yard punt, Johnson bounced off right tackle and sped through the Beach secondary for the 93-yard score. Jayme Perez kicked the first of his school-record nine extra points for a 7-0 lead with 9:18 on the first quarter clock.
Four touchdowns would come in the final 2:47 of the opening period as the rain intensified. The Bears followed their first touchdown with their longest drive in time of possession eating up 5:59 of the first quarter clock to open a two-touchdown lead. The 52-yard march consisted of 10 plays.
Johnson, who carried on six of the snaps, plowed the final three yards for a 14-0 lead with 2:47 remaining setting off a 35point outburst in a span of 2:54 reaching into the second period.
Beach needed one play and 17 seconds to get its first score of the night. After netting two yards on their opening six plays, the Bulldogs’ Jacob Price (10 carries, 98 yards) ran up the middle of the PCHS defense for a 76-yard scoring jaunt. Jaylen Brown’s PAT sliced the margin to 14-7 with 2:30 to play in period one.
Chance Williams returned the ensuing kick 85 yards 12 seconds later pushing the lead back to 14 points at 21-7.
The Bulldogs raced 62 yards in five plays to score with :07.8 remaining with Darius Nelson hauling in a 27-yard pass from Jayvion Williams (7-of-13, 114 yards). Williams, under a heavy rush and running back towards midfield, heaved the pass off his back foot from the PCHS 45 to the wide open Nelson. Brown’s PAT cut the deficit to 21-14 in a wild finish to the opening stanza.
Gifted great field position after a fielded line drive kick into the front wall and a 15-yard personal foul penalty tacked on spotting the ball at the Beach 32, PCHS scored in two plays, the first of four touchdowns in the second quarter.
McClellan did the honors on the first snap of the period with a 22-yard run 11:53 before intermission for a 28-14 advantage.
A three-and-out by the Bulldogs was followed by a four-play, 53-yard scoring series by Pierce County. Johnson cut upfield off left tackle running past defenders for a 29yard score and a 35-14 lead with 8:27 left in the half.
After Beach turned the ball over on downs at the Bears’ 45 on its next possession, PCHS followed with a four-play, 55-yard scoring drive with Johnson bolting the final 17 yards to extend the lead to 42-14 4:11 before intermission.
The Bulldogs moved 68 yards in six plays for their final touchdown of the night to cut the deficit to 42-20. Dionte Riley pulled in an 18-yard scoring pass from Williams with 1:05 remaining in the second period. Two penalties later, both against PCHS, Johnson stormed in from the outside to block the PAT.
It took the Bears just one play to respond on the legs of Johnson, who weaved his way through the beleaguered Beach secondary on a 65-yard scoring run just 50.9 seconds before halftime to give PCHS a 49-20 bulge.
PCHS scored 16 points in the first 2:18 of the third quarter before the “30-point mercy rule” was inacted with a running clock.
McClellan darted 15 yards on the fourth snap and 55 seconds into the third period pushing the margin to 56-20.
Beach called for a fair catch on the ensuing kick at its one. The ensuing snap sailed out the back of the end zone upping the lead to 58-20.
PCHS’s final score came two plays after the free kick and 24-yard return by Johnson to the Bulldogs’ 36. McClelland scored two plays later sprinting 23 yards to cap the night’s scoring with 9:42 left in the third period.
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