BEARVILLE — Pierce County’s proud defense was physically battered and beaten up in a 48-45 triple overtime win against Rockmart in the Class AA state championship.
Head coach Ryan Herring has seven of those starters back this year. Two of the four who’ve departed, however, were the heartbeat of the defensive unit in Carson Sloan, the Region 3 Player of the Year selection by coaches and Class AA Defensive Player of the Year named by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and lineman Elijah Howard.
Sloan scored three defensive touchdowns — returning two interceptions and a fumble. He was credited with 12 quarterback sacks. Howard turned an interception into a touchdown.
“Those guys were playmakers,” Herring said of Sloan and Howard. “Their production on defense was amazing considering they didn’t come off the field. Carson was as fast as anyone on the field.
“Elijah came up with the big plays like a strip sack and a touchdown. He was making plays fighting through double teams or chasing the ball down from the backside. Those are things you can’t coach.
“The plays they made were unbelievable. We probably won’t be the same team defensively this year. So we (coaches) have to make sure everyone else is solid with the 11 players we put on the field.
“We have to make sure we find ways to get stops because you can’t replace their production. We have to be sound.”
All-Region First Team linebacker Wade DiBiase and Second Team lineman Jackson Williams are the other two graduates. Sloan, Howard and DiBiase were three-year starters.
The leadership of the four helped push the Bears’ defensive unit to a solid season in which it surrendered exactly 2,400 yards (160 per outing). PCHS allowed 820 rushing yards (2.2 per carry; 54.7 yards a game), 51 percent on 118of-232 passes for 1,580 yards (105.3 per game) and eight touchdowns while picking off 10 errant throws.
The 10 aerial thefts were part of 29 forced turnovers giving Pierce County a plus-12 advantage in that department. The Bears forced 66 punts limiting opponents to just 22% (28-of-126) on third down and 32% (8-of-25) on fourth down.
PCHS allowed just 10.5 points per game holding nine opponents to eight or fewer points. Rockmart was the only team to score more than 17 points.
