BEARVILLE — Second-ranked Pierce County heads into Friday nights matchup with Wayne County looking for a 3-0 start for the seventh time in eight seasons and fourth straight.
The Bears (2-0), coming off a 44-0 victory in Caney Bay against winless Brantley County, has advanced to at least the quarterfinals in five of the seasons in which they’ve opened 3-0.
The Yellow Jackets (0-3) entering have lost 12 of 13 games under second-year head coach John Mohring. The only victory was via forfeit over Appling County last year.
Wayne County has fallen this year at Glynn Academy (38-14), at Brunswick (35-10) and to the visiting Pirates (38-26). The 50 points scored have surpassed the 41 the Yellow Jackets totaled in 2024.
Friday’s matchup will be the 14th between the bordering counties dating back to the 1984 season. PCHS has won four of the last five including three straight by shutout cutting Wayne County’s series lead to 8-5.
In Friday’s home loss to Appling County, the Yellow Jackets fell behind 25-0 in the first half before pulling to within 25-19 in the third quarter.
“We’re going into a game against a team that is looking to come out swinging,” said Pierce County head coach Ryan Herring. “They’ve got some good looking athletes, but things haven’t gone well for them so they could be a desperate team looking to pull out all the stops to get their season turned around.”
A couple of players in the Wayne County 3-4 base defense catching Herring’s eye are senior defensive end Dawsyn Sikes (6-foot-4, 220 lbs.; 13 tackles in first two games; four tackles for loss) and linebacker Wyatt senior inside linebacker Wyatt Hickox (6-1, 225; team-high tying 16 tackles through two games).
Senior linebacker Ostin Kinard is tied with Hickox with 16 tackles (team-leading six TFLs). Senior defensive back Jarvis Fullmore (5-9, 165) has been involved in 13 stops. He has an interception.
“Their (Yellow Jackets) defensive end is one of the better ones in the state,” Herring said of Sikes. “He has a motor. We played against him last year and he’s put on a world of muscle since then.
“We won’t see many kids with a motor like he has. They (defensive coaches) move him around a lot trying to put him where they think you’re going to run the ball. We’ve got to know where he’s at all the time. He is a good looking human being.” Wayne County will slide into a 50 look and may give some 60 look variations. “We’re going to probably see variations of any type of 50 front and probably variations of a 6-2,” said Herring. “They’ll walk down the strong safety to give you a six-man surface. “No. 0 (Hickox) is a big, muscled up kid, too. We’ve got to be ready for different looks. We got to be really good with our blocking rules, and we’ve got to be really good at being physical.”
Through two games, PCHS has 442 yards on the ground 63 attempts and thrown for 203 on 14 completions. Quarterback Drake Dowling leads the potent ground game with 182 yards (32 carries) with Jae’Veon Williams (24 attempts) and Dylan Johnson (three carries) tied for second with 133 yards.
Dowling has completed 14-of-19 passes for 192 yards with Chance Williams hauling in a team-high six passes for 102 yards.
Wayne County will use a lot of oneback sets with four wide or with a tight end and three receivers, according to Herring.
“No. 8 (Sikes) will line up at tight end and H-back,” said Herring. “They (Yellow Jackets) run behind him a lot because he is a brute. They’ve got thick bodies along the front.
“No. 6 (Tyreese Wright, Jr., 5-9, 195) is their best skilled guy and plays on both sides of the ball. He runs the ball and plays some linebacker — he’s a tough kid and athletic. He’s going to be the one running the ball. He’s, he’s pretty dang good.”
Wright entered the Appling County game with 60 yards rushing (touchdown) and 18 yards receiving.
Calling the signals is freshman Max Copley (6foot, 165). His two-game totals are a 50 percent completion rate with 89 yards. He’s also rushed for
23 yards.
Herring said two players are questionable with injuries after the win at Brantley County.
“We’ll (coaches) know more as the week goes on what their status will be,” he said.
PCHS vs. WCHS Jackets lead 8-5 PCHS WCHS
1984 ...........7..............14
1985 ..........10.............15
1988...........6...............7
1989 ..........16.............18
1992 ..........23.............19
1993 ..........35 ............42
2004 ..........0 .............28
2005 ..........0 .............29
2016..........52 ............34
2017 ...........8 .............30
2020 .........14..............0
2021..........25 .............0
2024 .........35 .............0
