BEARVILLE — Neither Pierce County head coach Ryan Herring nor Appling County head coach Jordan Mullis will need to speak this week to their players.
The first day of November has been circled since the 2024 football schedule was released earlier this year.
Friday night in Baxley at Jimmy Swain Stadium, the top-ranked and unbeaten Bears, riding a school-record 17-game winning streak, and the ninth-ranked Pirates (6-2, 3-0) will play in a Top 10 battle for the Region 3-AA title in what was to have been the season finale.
“This is what high school football is all about,” said PCHS head coach Ryan Herring. “We’re going to be playing in an electric environment with a packed house. This is going to be something special.
“They (Pirates) have fast skill athletes, long skill athletes — there is no shortage of skill players in Appling County. They have girth on both sides of the line — they are bigger than we are. It’s going to be a great, tough game.”
Each will have one more game to end the regular season after Hurricane Helene wreacked havoc the last weekend of September. PCHS (8-0 overall, 3-0 region) is scheduled to close at Class A DI Vidalia Thursday, November 7 at 6:30 p.m., while Appling County will host Class A DI fifthranked Fitzgerald Friday, November 8.
While there is no formal naming of the rivalry, it could be called “Good, Old-Fashioned Hate” since 2011 between the two neighboring counties. One or both teams have been ranked in the Top 10 in 12 of the last 14 meetings.
Last year in Bearville, second-ranked Appling County won at the buzzer on a 39 yard Alan Ramierez field goal to escape over the third-ranked Bears 17-14. The September 29 loss was the last Pierce County experienced. The Bears won their last nine games for a second state title in four years.
“We’ve lost the last two years to Appling County,” said Herring. “The one last year really changed our season. Sometimes teams don’t bounce back after losing a big game like that. It was a terrible feeling and a lot of tears were shed. But, it brought us together and the guys went to work not wanting to feel that pain again.”
Overall, the two programs are meeting for the 29th time with the Pirates holding a 17-11 series advantage. This is the fifth meeting in the last six years in which both are in the rankings. PCHS has won three of the previous four meetings under that scenario.
It’s the first time either carries a No. 1 ranking. The Bears have been the consensus top-team nearly all season in all the polls while Appling County has shuffled with its two losses. The Pirates dropped one spot in the latest Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll after last week’s 35-14 victory over Cook.
Despite being the top team, PCHS is third in the power rankings being used to seed schools for the 32-team playoff bracket. Morgan County (9-0) and Carver-Columbus (8-1) are the top two public schools. Appling County is 20th.
The Pirates, who lost senior quarterback Dayson Griffis to a season-ending knee injury early, have turned control of the offense over to freshman Harrison Hickox (6foot-2, 200). He’s on the field when Appling County utilizes the spread offense and on the sideline when the Pirates go to their version of the “Big Bear” offense, an inverted wishbone look.
“He’s (Hickox) a big, ninth-grade kid who can really throw the ball,” Herring said. “They will run their version of our offense. Every game they will break off a long run.
“The keys for us are not allowing any explosive plays in the run game and not get beat deep in the passing game.”
Senior Tavion Wallace (6-3, 215), a pre-season all-state linebacker selection with many Power 4 offers who moved in from Wayne County, and sophomore Dareon Hood (5-9, 180) are the two main runners in the rushing attack. Both take direct snaps in the inverted ’bone. Sophomore Jiden Knight (6-foot, 185) will also get some touches.
Senior tight end Kellen Echols (6-2, 190) and senior wide receiver Kemoni Ryals (6-3, 185) are Hickox’s favorite targets.
“The tight end is a tall, good-looking athlete,” said Herring. “The wide receiver is tall and can fly.”
Protecting Hickox and opening up running lanes is an offensive line averaging 260 pounds. Sophomore left tackle Deondre Mims (6-2, 290) and junior right tackle Brian Wheat (6-4, 275) are the biggest of the bunch. Senior center Jared Leggett (5-11, 260) makes the blocking calls.
After giving up nearly 23 points per game in non-region action, Appling County’s defense is allowing 9.3 points in region play. The Pirates use an attacking 4-3 alignment.
The defensive front consists of junior end Cameron George (6-foot, 225), sophomore end Jaiden Solomon (5-10, 225), junior tackle Edwin Burt (6-1, 275) and junior tackle Elijah Carter (5-10, 190).
Wallace headlines the linebacking corps playing outside. He is joined by senior Michael Moye on the outside and senior middle linebacker Coleman Parmer (6-3, 200).
The secondary is made up of junior Jacaree Johnson (5-11, 180), junior Mikel Crayton (5-9, 165), senior Shane Gillis (6foot, 160) senior Kari Kinsey (5-11, 190).
“They are geared to stop the run putting seven in the box and sneaking an eighth in there,” said Herring. “We’ve just got to be efficient and get first downs. We’ve got to win on third down to stay on the field, which is what we have to do defensively to get off the field.”
