BEARVILLE — Unbeaten Pierce County scored touchdowns on six of its first seven possessions here Friday night in beating up visiting Cook High 42-7 in the Region 3AA opener for both teams.
In the midst of an October 4 light shower falling during pre-game and throughout the first half, the Pierce County school system paid its respects with a pre-game ceremony in remembrance of Blackshear’s Assistant Fire Chief Leon Davis, who was killed a week earlier during Hurricane Helene’s overnight arrival.
Davis was setting up a barricade after midnight September 27 in an area where a live power line had fallen and, after he had returened to his truck, a tree fell on top of the pickup killing him. His funeral was Friday morning at Emmanuel Baptist Church with interment in the Blackshear Cemetery.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Davis family,” said PCHS head coach Ryan Herring. “He’s been a big supporter of us since my arrival in 2019. He was out doing what he loved to do and that was helping people.”
The Bears (6-0 overall, 10 region) returned to the field after having last week’s game at Vidalia canceled looking like a welloiled machine against Cook (2-5, 0-1), losers of five straight, extending their school-record winning streak to 15 games.
PCHS piled up 476 yards of total offense with quarterback Caden McGatha accounting for 428 of those yards and all six touchdowns. The senior signalcaller rushed for 157 yards (21 carries) and a touchdown while completing 17of-25 passes to seven different receivers for 271 yards and a career-hightying five touchdowns.
Nigel Brown (3) makes a diving catch getting a toe down in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, his second of the night, against Cook’s Ryan Thompson. Photo By RICK HEAD
PCHS had 20 of its 56 snaps (36 percent) gain 10 yards or more with five touchdowns covering 15 yards or more.
“Winning our first region game is huge,” said Herring. “I’m very proud of the players. There was a lot going on outside of our program in the community with the damage everyone is dealing with.
“I wanted us to be efficient on both sides of the ball and we were. I wanted us to take control early and we did that and kept control the whole game. I did not want to give Cook any momentum and we didn’t.”
Pierce County’s defense swarmed under the Hornets’ offensive attack. After allowing 92 yards all on the ground - in the first half, Cook’s three second half possessions all ended in three-andouts with minus-two yards of output.
PCHS only allowed three plays of 10+ yards on 33 snaps to the Cook offense. The visitors did not complete a pass in seven attempts.
The Hornets’ lone scoring drive consisted of 13 plays and covered 74 yards in the second period. Their other seven possessions of 20 plays generated just 16 yards.
“They showed a new wrinkle running the splitoption,” Herring said of the Hornets’ offensive attack. “We had a couple of misfits. I thought we did a good job overall against the counters and sweeps.”
The Bears’ opening possession set the tone for the first half, which was played in various intensity of rain. The Bears went 64 yards in seven plays on the legs of Mc-Gatha. He ripped off five runs (nine total) of 10 yards or better capping the possession with a 15yard scamper off left tackle with 6:13 showing on the clock. Garrett Stevenson connected on the first of his six PATs for a 7-0 lead.
A fumble, one of five without turning the ball over, on Cook’s ensuing drive on third-and-five at the PCHS 38 stalled the Hornets’ second possession. A 45-yard punt into the end zone gave the Bears possession at their own 20.
Pierce County needed just four plays to cover the distance. McGatha’s first pass of the night went through the hands of wide receiver Jones Herrin (two catches, 37 yards) with tight end Brandon Williams pulling in the ricochetted ball in stride completing a 53yard scoring play upping the lead to 14-0 with 1:54 remaining in the period.
McGatha had six completions of 20-plus yards to five different receivers.
Cook responded with a 13-play drive — all on the ground — spanning into the second period to close the deficit to 14-7. Quarterback M.J. Tippins (10 carries, 42 yards) scored from nine yards on a counter off left tackle. Fernando Fernandez split the uprights with the conversion kick with 9:02 left in the first half.
PCHS’s next offensive series was stalled by four penalties. One (holding) wiped out a 76-yard touchdown run by Mc-Gatha on the second snap. The Bears eventually had to punt the ball away.
Following an ensuing three-and-out by the Hornets, Pierce County covered 91 yards in nine plays using up 3:20 of the clock to push the advantage back to 14 points at 21-7.
McGatha completed 5of-7 passes for 73 yards with the final 27 going to Nigel Brown (six catches, 79 yards), the first of his two scores, just :31.8 before intermission.
Brown’s interception and 31-yard return to the Hornets’ 12 on Cook’s ensuing snap after the kickoff set up PCHS’s last score before the half ended.
“That was the backbreaker we needed,” said Herring of the interception. “We were able to steal another score before halftime and get another touchdown coming out the half. That was a big momentum boost.”
McGatha found Joe Drew (four catches, 53 yards) on a third down pass covering six yards with :03.4 on the clock for a 28-7 halftime bulge.
Pierce County opened the second half with a nine-play, 78-yard drive in four minutes to open up a 35-7 advantage.
McGatha’s 29-yard completion to Chance Williams two plays in got the drive moving forward. The possession ended with McGatha and Brown hooking up for a 13-yard score with 8:00 showing on the third quarter clock.
Jah Evans, who missed extensive playing time because of an injury, partially blocked a Cook punt after the Hornets went three-and-out on their first possession.
With the ball resting at the Cook 44 after the four-yard boot, the Bears needed just two plays for their final touchdown. A 24-yard pass to Herrin was followed by a 20-yard scoring strike to Drew for a comfortable 42-7 lead with 5:10 remaining in the period.
PCHS came up empty on its final two possessions of the game. A lost fumble on the third play of the “mercy rule” fourth quarter ended the first after eating up 6:27 off the clock.
The second ended with the clock running out with the Bears’ in possession covering the final 6:40.
Caden McGatha (7) rushes for part of his game-high 157 yards in the win over Cook. He accounted for 428 yards of total offense and six touchdowns. Photo By RICK HEAD
