CANEY BAY — Pierce County’s Jae’Veon Williams rushed for four touchdowns and two Bears’ quarterbacks threw for a touchdown each here Friday night in a 52-0 victory over Region 3-AAA neighboring foe Brantley County.
Williams, who had his consecutive 100-yard rushing games end at 17 returning from an injury in third-ranked PCHS’s (7-1 overall, 4-1 region) last game vs. Tattnall County two weeks earlier (October 8), compiled 241 yards on 23 carries and scored on runs of nine, five, 18 and 15 yards.
The Bears completed their first passes in nearly a month dating back to the September 25 matchup at Toombs County. The touchdown passes from Dylan Johnson (39 yards) and Jack McClellan (55 yards) to Chance Williams (three catches, 97 yards) were the first since September 11 against Swainsboro.
The Bears scored on all six first-half possessions to build a 38-0 advantage at the break with the second played with a running clock.
“We got an assortment of looks tonight,” said PCHS head coach Ryan Herring afterwards. “They (BCHS coaches) did a good job. They gave us some stuff (5-3 flex) where they were going to bend, but don’t break which was smart. The defense was similar to what Rabun County ran against us.
“We had to just drive the ball. I thought our guys did that. There wasn’t anything real fancy about it. Lets just get in a phone booth and line up.
“Defensively, we’ve just got to continue to get better. We’ve still got a ways to go ... tonight wasn’t the end goal. We want to get better every week and every week we are getting better.”
The Pierce County defense caused the Herons’ (3-5, 2-3) offense issues forcing eight fumbles for minus-59 yards in losses. PCHS recovered three of the miscues setting up two scores.
“More than half the stuff they (Herons) ran offensively we hadn’t seen,” said Herring. “Matt (Hendrix, head coach) threw us some curveballs on both sides of the ball. I got nothing but respect for Matt ... he is one heck of a coach. They’re lucky (Brantley County) to have him, I can tell you that.”
The Bears capitalized on Brantley County’s first mistake on the first play of the game. An option pitch went awry with PCHS’s Chance Williams pouncing on the pigskin at the Herons’ nine.
“Pierce is always going to play extremely disciplined on defense and be exactly where they’re supposed to be,” said Hickox. “In order to beat them (Bears), you’re going to have to play extremely crisp. We (coaches) felt really confident about the game plan. We lost a couple of players this week and had to scrap that plan Wednesday morning. That really screwed us up defensively as well.
“I felt like the kids responded really well. We just lacked the reps of a Monday Tuesday getting back into the pitch stuff. I also thought we had a good defensive game plan as well.”
Jae’Veon Williams burst off right tackle for the nineyard score just 21 seconds in on Pierce County’s opening snap for the only touchdown it would need. Alex Lacot connected on the first of his seven PATs for the 7-0 lead.
Brantley County would confuse the Bears’ defense on its next two drives. The Herons put together a gutty 13-play, 40-yard drive eating up 6:21 off the first quarter clock only to stall at their 17. Kevin Guest’s 35-yard field goal attempt sailed left of the left upright with 5:18 on the clock.
BCHS had several big plays including a 14-yard pass from J.T. Johns (3-90, 23 yards) to Jayden Byron (2 catches, 14 yards) to kickstart the possession. Johns (seven carries, 29 yards) had runs of nine, four for a first down on third-and-three, and 16 yards on a fourth-and-six to keep the drive alive.
The Bears followed with a six-play, 80-yard drive in 2:36 to extend the margin to 14-0. Williams gained 30 yards on the first four snaps moving the ball out to midfield.
Johnson (60 yards on four totes), who had a 50yard touchdown run wiped out by a penalty, came right back on the next snap to connect with a streaking Chance Williams for the 39-yard score on the ensuing snap. Williams split the two Brantley County safeties to snare the slightly overthrown pass with 2:42 remaining in the first period.
Again, the Herons would threaten. Malachi Saunders (six carries, 79 yards) found a hole at left tackle and sped 78 yards towards the far endzone on a second-and-15. PCHS’s Johnson ran down Saunders making the touchdown-saving tackle at the Bears’ 12.
That would be the last first down of the night for the Herons over the final 38:15.
Three plays later, after losing seven yards, Guest’s 36-yard field goal attempt on the first snap of the second period came up short.
“We drove the field twice and missed the field goals,” said Hickox. “I really wish we could have capitalized on those opportunitys and gained a little momentum. Take that early turnover away, add those two field goals and the players going into halftime feeling completely different.
“Pierce’s defense, their (Bears) discipline, how physical they are on offense ... give them all the credit.
Pierce County followed with a 24-point burst which included three touchdowns by the sixminute mark of the second period.
The Bears went 81 yards in five plays needing just 1:25 of clock time for a 210 lead. Jae’Veon Williams’ 27-yard run on first down got the possession off and running. Johnson scrambled for 29 yards two plays later advancing the ball to the BCHS 20.
Williams did the honors with a 15-yard run followed by a five-yard effort for the score with 10:35 remaining in the half.
Johnson followed the Herons’ three-and-out with a 71-yard punt return back to the Brantley County 18. Williams scooted the remaining distance on the next snap extending the lead to 28-0 with 8:48 showing on the clock.
PCHS followed the next Herons’ three-and-out with another one-play touchdown. McClellan connected with Chance Williams on a quick slant. Williams spun towards the Brantley County sideline to elude the defender and sped 55 yards for the score with 6:03 left in the half for a 35-0 bulge.
After a third straight three-and-out by BCHS, Pierce County ate up the final 3:46 off the clock settling for Lacot’s first career field goal from 34 yards out as the horn sounded for a 38-0 advantage at intermission. The Bears converted two fourth-and short plays with Johnson going for nine yards on the first and 11 yards on the second to spot the ball at the Herons’ 17.
Brantley County got its first defensive stop of the game when Dallas Jackson intercepted an errant Johnson pass on the Bears’ first possession of the second. The Herons would punt the ball away after another three-andout.
Pierce County followed with a 52-yard drive with Jae’Veon Williams doing the work on four carries capped by a 15-yard run off left tackle for the score with 2:44 showing on the running clock for a 45-0 lead.
Johns got sacked on the third play of the final quarter as three PCHS defenders hit him at the same time. The ball came loose with Jashun Faison scooping up the bounding pigksin and scoring from six yards out with 10:04 to play.
BCHS fumbled away the ensuing kick with the Bears making the recovery at the Brantley County 27. The PCHS possession stalled losing five yards aided by two penalties against the visitors.
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