BEARVILLE — Pierce County will continue its current streak of playoff appearances with with an invitation to the 32-team Class AA “Big Dance.”
The Bears (8-2), who finished out of the top two region spots for the first time since 2015, are a 16th-seed behind region champion Appling County (7-3; seeded fifth) and runner-up Crisp County (4-6, 14th seed). Cook (5-5) is seeded 24th.
PCHS is hosting Region 7’s Ringgold (6-4), a 17thseed who finished fourth behind second-seed Rockmart (9-1; ranked fourth), eighth-seed North Murray (9-1) and 15th-seed Lakeview Ft. Oglethorpe (7-3) in the region standing, Friday, November 14 with the Georgia High School Association having a bye week between the end of the regular season and the playoffs beginning.
Pierce County makes its 15th consecutive appearance in the post-season dating back to 2011 and 19th overall (1982, 1994, 2002, 2007). Two of the 19 ended with perfect 5-0 post-season performances (2020, 2023).
PCHS is hosting a first round game for the 10th consecutive year and 14th time in 15 years with 12 consecutive home wins. The Bears are 12-2 during that stretch with a 43-22 home loss to Cook (2011) and a 47-0 beating on the road at Cedar Grove (2015).
“We’re very happy to find out that news,” said head coach Ryan Herring of Sunday afternoon’s release by the Georgia High School Association.
The Tigers, who are making a fifth consecutive playoff appearance and 11th since 2003 (5-11 postseason record; 3-11 first round), are not a program Herring is unfamiliar with. Ringgold played eventual state champion Carver-Columbus (lost 3514) one week prior to PCHS’s matchup (44-7 loss) in Columbus.
“While scouting Carver-Columbus last year I was able to see the Ringgold matchup,” said Herring. “They (Tigers) remind me in some ways of Brantley County having scrappytype players with a little more speed.”
Herring and his staff began breaking down film Sunday night with players seeing film Monday.
“We’ve moved everything forward this week with Monday being like our Sunday sessions,” he said. “We’ll (coaches) just show film and go over the (Appling County) game. We’ll practice Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with conditioning Friday.
“Pieces of our game plan will be put in during the practices. We won’t get it all in this week.”
Herring is not a big fan of the open week before the playoffs, though.
“I really don’t like open weeks,” he said. “I don’t think our kids really like them, but our hands are tied on this. Everybody’s got one. The good thing for us, though, it’s going to allow our players to get healthy.”
