BEARVILLE — Waycross Middle School quarterback Chase Cone scored three touchdowns and a two-point conversion helping the Bulldogs end Pierce County Middle School’s 12-game winning streak Wednesday with a 22-16 decision.
Cone (10 carries, 75 yards) scored on runs of 47, four and one for WMS. The slender signalcaller completed 6-of-9 passes for 40 accounting for a shade more than half (115) of the Bulldogs’ 229 yards of offense.
Cone’s first score came on the third third play of the game on a quarterback keep straight up the gut of the Bears’ defense. He added the two-point conversion for the early 8-0 lead.
PCMS finally pulled even early in the second period. Ja’Shun Faison (four carries, 32 yards) plowed six yards. Jayme Perez (14 carries, 48 yards) bulldozed his way across the goal line to even the score at 8-apiece.
Neither team scored the remainder of the first half.
Waycross Middle took the lead for good with 36 seconds left in the third quarter on Cone’s fouryard run. Jimmy Taylor (10 carries 44 yards) punched in the two-point conversion for a 16-8 advantage.
The Bulldogs converted a PCMS turnover, its third of the game, into a six-play, 65-yard touchdown extending the margin to 22-8 with 4:08 remaining. The big play was a 52-yard jaunt by Mekhi Porter (eight carries, 62 yards) to the Bears’ one. Cone punched it in on the next snap.
Pierce Middle responded via the air. Colton McCook (4-of-7, 54 yards) had completions to Damon Moody (three catches, 39 yards) and Will Higginson, who’s only reception was 15 yards for a touchdown with 2:53 left. Moody (six carries, 20 yards) tacked on the two-point conversion pulling Bears to within 22-16.
PCMS got a defensive stop, but turned the ball over to the Bulldogs on downs on a fourth down quarterback sack.
YARDSTIICK
Wayx. Middle 8 0 8 6 - 22 Pierce Middle 0 8 0 8 - 16 SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter WMS - Chase Cone 47 run (Cone run)
Second Quarter PCMS - Ja’Shun Faison 6 run (Jayme Perez run) Third Quarter WMS - Cone 4 run (Jimmy Taylor run) Fourth Quarter WMS - Cone 1 run (run failed) PCMS - Will Higginson 15 pass from Colton McCook (Damon Moody run) WMS PCMS First downs 11 5 Rushes-yards 32-189 27-94 Passing yards 40 54 Total yards 229 148 Comp-Att-Int 6-9-0 4-7-0 Punts-Avg 1-42.0 2-34.5 Fumbles-lost 1-1 3-2 Penalties 8-65 6-35 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING – WMS: Cone 10-75, Porter 8-62, Taylor 10-44, Butler 1-7, Solomon 1-6, team 2-(-5).
PCMS: Perez 14-48, Faison 4-32, Moody 6-20, McCook 3-(-6).
PASSING – WMS: Cone 6-9-0 40.
PCMS: McCook 4-7-0 54. RECEIVING — WMS: Smith 4-36, Butler 1-10, Hereford 1-4. PCMS: Moody 3-39, Higginson 1-15.
