BEARVILLE – Defending Class 2A champion Pierce County methodically pulled away from visiting Brantley County here Friday night in winning a 42-7 non-region tilt.
“They are probably the best team in South Georgia,” said Brantley County first-year head coach David Shores, who’s team fell to 0-3. “They have a top tier quarterback who can throw and run, and they have top quality skill players.
“We definitely played better than we did last week (20-7 home loss to Windsor Forest). We need to get sharper in our execution and we need to elevate our secondary play. We gave up too many chunk plays in the passing game (seven completions of 20-plus yards).”
The win was the 14th consecutive for PCHS (20) in the series against the Herons (0-3). The victory was also the 11th straight for the Bears dating back to last season while Brantley County lost its fourth straight and ninth game in 11 outings.
Pierce County capitalized on an interception on the Herons’ opening possession following BCHS’s three-and-out stoppage of the vaunted Bears’ offense.
Chance Williams stepped in front of an errant Kaden Hendrix (4-of-16, two interceptions, 62 yards) throw setting PCHS just 34 yards from the goal line.
The Bears needed just one play to cover the distance with Marquez Leggett (seven carries, 96 yards) doing the honors through a hole at left tackle. Garrett Stevenson’s PAT with 9:37 on the first quarter clock gave Pierce County a 7-0 lead.
Brantley County nearly had a response after the kickoff. Mason Kicklighter turned a thirdand- nine swing pass out of the backfield in front of the BCHS sideline from Hendrix into a 53-yard gain to the Bears’ 18. Three plays gained but two yards setting up a 33yard field goal attempt by Rylen Smith. The kick drifted just missed to the right.
Four consecutive punts, two by each side, followed before Pierce County scored on its final three possessions over the final 7:33 of the first half.
The Bears drove 65 yards in six plays needing 2:42 of second quarter clock time to extend the lead to 14-0. Quarterback Caden McGatha (13 carries, 54 yards; two touchdowns) sprinted eight yards around right end untouched upping the advantage to 14-0 after the Stevenson PAT with 7:33 to play in the half.
After a third straight three-and-out by the Herons, PCHS quickly covered 80 yards in three plays for a 21-0 bulge. Mc-Gatha (13-of-21, 298 yards; three touchdowns) connected with a wide open Williams for a score on a wheel route at the 4:24 mark.
Anthony Walker’s ensuing 63-yard kick return to the Bears’ 33 set up Brantley County’s lone touchdown of the night.
Hendrix (seven carries, 44 yards) followed an incompletion on first down with runs of 10, 16 and the final seven for the score with 3:34 remaining in the half. Smith kicked the PAT to pull the Herons to within 21-7.
Pierce County followed with a third consecutive touchdown drive capping the first half scoring with a five-play, 52-yard scoring possession.
Facing second-and-20 following Carson Jacob’s sack of McGatha and a delay of game penalty, McGatha hooked up with Braden McKendree (two catches, 50 yards) for a 44-yard gain to the Brantley County 18. Three plays later facing third-and-10, McGatha hooked up with Joe Drew (five catches, 105 yards) for the score with 1:53 left in the half. Stevenson’s PAT failed leaving the Bears with a 27-7 advantage.
YARDSTIICK
Brantley Co. 0 7 0 0 - 7 Pierce County 7 20 15 0 - 42 SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter PCHS - Marquez Leggett 34 run (Garrett Stevenson kick), 9:37
Second Quarter PCHS - Caden McGatha 8 run (Stevenson kick), 7:33 PCHS - Chance Williams 38 pass from McGatha (Stevenson kick), 4:24 BCHS - Kaden Hendrix 7 run (Rylen Smith kick), 3:34 PCHS - Joe Drew 18 pass from Mc-Gatha (kick failed), 1:53 Fourth Quarter PCHS - McGatha 1 run (McGatha run), 7:22 PCHS - Nigel Brown 16 pass from McGatha (Stevenson kick), 3:09 BCHS PCHS First downs 8 21 Rushes-yards 26-117 20-150 Passing yards 62 298 Total yards 172 448 Comp-Att-Int 4-16-2 13-21-0 Punts-Avg 5-39.4 3-32.7 Fumbles-lost 1-0 0-0 Penalties 10-55 6-70 3rd Down Con. 2-of-9 2-of-7 4th Down Con. 1-of-3 0-of-0 Time of Poss. 26:08 21.52 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING – BCHS: Thomas 3-47, Hendrix 7-44, Saunders 1-16, M. Kicklighter 7-12, Batten 1-3, Jacobs 4-2, Payne 1-0, Hickox 1-(1), Hutcherson 1-(-6). PCHS: Leggett 7-96, McGatha 13-54.
PASSING – BCHS: Hendrix 4-16-2 62. PCHS: McGatha 13-21-0 298. RECEIVING — BCHS: M. Kicklighter 2-56, Yawn 1-5, H. Kickligher 1-1. PCHS: Drew 5-105, Brown 3-69, McKendree 2-50, Williams 1-38, Herrin 1-24, Smith 1-12.
Photo By RICK HEAD Brantley County quarterback Kaden Hendrix splits a pair of Pierce County defensive backs at the Bears’ three en route to scoring on a sevenyard keeper during second quarter action.
PCHS’s scoring streak continued in the third quarter with its defense forcing a pair of threeand- outs and the offense responding with touchdowns.
The first possession went 74 yards in five plays with a 20-yard pass to Drew and a 39-yard completion to Nigel Brown (three catches, 69 yards) setting up Mc-Gatha’s one-yard run with 7:22 left in the third period.
BCHS blocked the PAT only to be called for offsides setting up Mc-Gatha’s two-point conversion for a 35-7 lead.
The final score of the night followed with the Bears covering 47 yards in four plays, The final 16 was a pass from McGatha to Brown. Stevenson’s PAT boosted the margin to 42-7 with 3:09 remaining in the third period.
An interception of a Hendrix pass on Brantley County’s third possession of the second half tipped by the Bears’ Campbell Strickland to Drew, his third in three games, set up one final scoring opportunity for PCHS.
The drive from midfield to the Herons’ 17 stalled with Stevenson’s 34-yard field goal sailing wide right during a “mercy rule” final period.
Brantley County generated a 60-yard drive reaching the Bears’ 20 when the game ended.
Brantley County’s Daesean Hutcherson rips through the outstretched arms of Pierce County’s Joe Drew to break up a touchdown pass in Friday’s matchup with the Bears. Photo By RICK HEAD
