BEARVILLE — “This was a great way to end the first week.”
Pierce County head coach Ryan Herring was looking for great effort from his players, as well as playing hard and fast during the Bears scrimmage against Groves of Savannah Friday night. He saw all three.
The Class AA defending champions dominated the three quarters of varsity play (45-0) and one period of jayvee action (6-0) scoring seven touchdowns and a field goal.
Herring, entering his sixth season in Bearville, said the scrimmage was more about his squad than it was about who the opponent was.
“We’re (coaches) more worried about us getting better,” he said in an interview earlier last week. “The focus against Groves will be on us. We want to be able to execute offensively and see how we react in our base defense to whatever Groves does.”
With only one starting offensive lineman returning from a year ago, the Bears’ offensive coaching staff used the scrimmage to get as many linemen on the field and on film as possible. The defensive coaches also rotated linemen with just one starter returning.
“Without looking at the film yet, I would say it was decent,” Herring said of his new offensive line. “We’ll (coaches and players) look at the film Sunday. I thought both of our running backs ran the ball hard ... they’re a year older.
“Defensively, I wanted to see how we fit up the run. We did a good job for the most part and got to the ball. There will be corrections heading into next week. We’ve got to play a little smarter in the backend of the defense. The thing I’m seeing is our football IQ is increasing every day.”
PCHS ran 26 plays in the first half with half (13) going for 10 yards or better, including nine straight plays over four straight possessions. The Bears piled up 300 yards (133 rush, 167 pass) of total offense in the opening 24 minutes in building a 42-0 advantage by the break.
Pierce County scored on all six first half possessions needing just 10:08. Three touchdowns were from runs and three touchdowns were via the pass.
The Bears’ varsity rushing attack was led by sophomore Jae’Veon Williams (seven carries, 130 yards). Junior Marquez Leggett had 46 yards on six carries scoring on a 34yard run. Senior quarterback Caden McGatha (three carries, 16 yards) scored twice on a pair of two-yard runs.
McGatha completed 9of-13 passes for 167 yards with touchdown passes to senior Joe Drew (two catches, 22 yards) covering 10 yards, senior Jones Herrin (one reception, 18 yards) and junior Nigel Brown (three catches, 63 yards) of 45 yards.
Junior Jah Evans caught two passes for 61 yards while sophomore Braden McKendree finished with one reception for three yards on a clutch fourth down play.
Garrett Stevenson (four PATs) and Kade Meeks (two PATs) were perfect on extra points. Stevenson also drilled a 27-yard field goal with Meeks just missing left of the upright from 32 yards away in the third period.
Freshman Dylan Johnson, who played the second half, finished with 83 yards on seven totes scoring on a 39-yard run in the jayvee fourth quarter. Freshman Jack McClellan picked up 41 yards on four tries.
PCHS’s defense allowed the Rebels just three plays of 10 yards or better among their 42 offensive snaps. The longest was a 49-yard pass late in the first period. Overall, the Bears allowed just 24 yards rushing (27 attempts) and 93 yards through the air.
Pierce County went 60 yards in six plays on its first possession with McGatha doing the honors from two yards out. A 10-yard scoring toss from McGatha to Drew capped a four-play drive of 36 yards on the next for a 14-0 lead.
Leggett’s 34-yard scamper on the first snap of the second period capped a four-play, 82yard drive igniting a 28point uprising in the quarter. McGatha found Herrin open for an 18yard scoring strike on the second play of a 30-yard possession for a 28-0 lead.
McGatha’s two-yard run capped the Bears’ longest possession (4:39) ending a nine-play, 54-yard drive. The last score of the half was a 45-yard pass from McGatha to Brown with PCHS needing just the one play extending the margin to 42-0.
The Bears missed a field goal on its opening possession of the third period with Stevenson connecting on a 27-yard attempt on the final play of the quarter pushing the margin to 45-0.
Johnson’s 39-yard bolt came during Pierce County’s six minutes of offense in the jayvee period.
The Bears wrap up its pre-season schedule Friday night traveling to Brunswick to face Class 5A Glynn Academy.
