BEARVILLE — Topranked and unbeaten Pierce County made quick work of visiting Tattnall County here on Senior Night resting its starters over the final two quarters in a 37-7 victory.
PCHS recognized a plethora of Fall senior participants during a pregame ceremony.
The Bears (8-0 overall, 3-0 Region 3-AA) put together five consecutive two-play scoring drives with the defense recording a safety in the first-half demolition ahead of Friday’s region championship finale in Baxley against ninth-ranked Appling County (6-2, 3-0). The Pirates posted a 35-14 victory over Cook High to keep pace with PCHS.
“We played a great first half,” said head coach Ryan Herring. “We (coaches) told the players before we took the field they needed great focus at 7:30 (p.m.) because of all the distractions. This group did not let that effect them and went out and did a great job.
“We (coaches) preached all week to focus, to play hard and to play fast. For the most part, we played sharp. From the neck up we have to be better than everybody we play. Defensively, we challenged the starters to get a shutout and they did for the two quarters they played.”
The game was mostly a tuneup of sorts for the Bears, who ran a total of 21 plays with just three coming in the “mercy rule” second half. PCHS scored all 37 points in a 15-minute stretch of the first half.
The five touchdown drives covered 29 yards (35 seconds), 46 yards (55 sec.), 64 yards (37 sec.), 14 yards (47 sec.) and 40 yards (41 sec.) totaling 193 yards (just over 38 yards per possession) on 10 snaps (19.3 yards per snap). The total time of possession was 3:35.
“I have never been a part of anything like that,” said Herring.
PCHS had the ball for just 14:23 (33:35 for Tattnall County) total losing the time of possession battle for the first time all season. The Bears managed a season-low 239 yards (11.4 yards per snap) of offense with 236 coming in the first 24 minutes. Pierce County finished the night with 18 rushing attempts and threw the ball just three times.
When told of his offense having only 21 plays, Herring was amazed.
“Wow,” Herring said. “That’s hard to believe.”
He recalled a game earlier in his career when his team finished with 85 rushing attempts.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bears limited Tattnall County (1-7, 0-3) to 29 yards in the first half — all on the ground — on 20 plays. Lined up against mostly freshmen over the final 24 minutes, the Warriors put together a 16play, 72-yard drive eating up the entire third quarter’s running clock scoring on the first snap of the final period.
They totaled 99 yards and nine first downs in the second half (17 minutes in time of possession) finishing the game with 128 yards and 11 first downs.
Pierce County took the opening kick and moved the ball inside the Warriors’ five in nine plays with Jae’Veon Williams (five carries, 79 yards), Marquez Leggett (six carries, 66 yards) and Caden McGatha (five carries, 28 yards) all getting carries. The drive stalled at the Tattnall County three when Williams and Mc-Gatha were tackled for one-yard gains on 3rdand- three and 4th-andtwo.
Following a three-andout by the Warriors, who slowed the game to a crawl taking the play clock in-side five seconds before each of their 42 snaps, PCHS took charge.
The Bears followed an 18-yard punt with a 29yard drive for a touchdown. Williams went 23 yards for his first score on the second snap of the possession. Garrett Stevenson’s first of five PATs split the uprights for a 7-0 lead with 4:41 left in the period.
Tattnall County’s kick return team misplayed the ensuing kick making the recovery at its own two. Defensive lineman Logan Clark and K’Don Lashley, along with several other teammates, converged for a team meeting behind the goal line dropping the ball carrier in the end zone for a safety on the second snap pushing the margin to 9-0 at the 3:16 mark.
Two plays after Jah Evans’ return of the free kick to the Warriors’ 46, Williams broke lose for a 39-yard touchdown jaunt extending the margin to 16-0 with 2:21 showing on the first quarter clock.
Tattnall County’s best offensive possession (six plays, 15 yards) of the opening half ended with a punt being downed at the Bears’ 36 with just over 10 minutes remaining before intermission.
McGatha (2-for-3, 64 yards) connected with Joe Drew for 46 yards on the first play and Jones Herrin for 18 yards and a touchdown on the next snap moving the lead to 23-0 with 9:25 left on the clock.
The Warriors’ next possession, beginning at their own 17, went backwards. Three negative running plays (minus-10 yards) and a penalty forced a punt from their own two.
The 33-yard punt was returned 16 yards by Herrin to the Tattnall County 19. A five-yard facemask penalty tacked on to spot the ball at the 14.
Consecutive seven-yard runs by McGatha gave PCHS a 30-0 advantage with 5:13 left in the half.
Another three-and-out for the Warriors followed with Pierce County setting up its final possession of the half 40 yards from paydirt. Leggett went for 15 yards on the first snap and 25 yards for the touchdown on the second as the Bears opened up a 37-0 advantage with 1:39 remaining in the half.
Tattnall County opened the third quarter with possession. The Warriors converted three times on third down and twice on fourth down during the 16-play possession eating up 12:07 off the clock. Jeremiah Beasley’s one-yard run on 4th-and-goal on the first play of the final period helped Tattnall County avert the shutout. Eli Debevec kicked the PAT.
PCHS’s only possession was a three-and-out with the Warriors able to control the ball for the final five minutes.
