PCHS gets first-ever playoff road win, 31-24
DECATUR — Caden McGatha’s fourth touchdown of the game, an eight-yard run, with 1:05 remaining lifted 10th-seed Pierce County to a 31-24 victory over seventh-seed Columbia here at Napoleon B.
Cobb Stadium Friday night.
The win was the first on the road in the playoffs in program history for the Bears (11-1), who were 0-13 in true road games dating back to 1981.
“This was an extremely physical game — one of the most we have played since I’ve been here,” said PCHS head coach Ryan Herring. “Columbia was the best team we have played this season. It was a fight for four quarters.
“We had some guys go down and guys behind them really stepped up. It was just an unbelievable win. As for our first playoff win on the road, that was neat, but just winning the game was bigger.”
The loss ended a five-game winning streak for the Eagles (5-7), who opened the season 0-6.
McGatha, who rushed for 259 yards on 35 carries, carried the ball on all eight plays in the final drive of 58 yards eating up 5:05 after Columbia tied the score at 24-all with 6:10 to play.
It was the fourth playoff game of 248plus yards and four scores for McGatha since the 2023 quarterfinals covering five games.
“Caden came through for us with a great game,” Herring said. “The offensive line did a great job of blocking as well as our sniffers (up backs).”
Dylan Johnson’s 27-yard return of the kick after the game-tying touchdown set PCHS up at its own 42 for the game-winning drive. McGatha’s biggest run in the drive was 15 yards. He converted a thirdand-1 to move the chains with an 11-yard burst from the Eagles’ 28 to the 17.
His touchdown also came on a thirdand- one following at Pierce County timeout with 1:10 to play. McGatha was able to field a bad snap on the PAT and get the ball on the tee for Garrett Stevenson to kick through the uprights for the sevenpoint margin.
Columbia’s Cameron Graves (10-of-21, 143 yards) completed one pass on the Eagles’ final possession with PCHS applying pressure on all four snaps.
The game was marred by questionable calls with one not existing in the National Federation High School rule book. The rule does exist in at the collegiate level and in the NFL.
“It was a tough night,” said Herring.
The game, though, was as tough and physical as Pierce County has played all year. They lost two defensive starters who also have roles on the offensive side. A third starter was playing on one leg.
PCHS’s first touchdown on its second possession of the night came at the end of a 13-play, 72-yard march consuming 7:49 and spilled over into the second quarter. McGatha (9-of-11, 69 yards, interception) went 5-for-5 for 36 yards loosening up the six-man front the Eagles employed against the “Big Bear” run game.
“We (coaches) kind of expected a six-man front,” Herring said. “The first series was really feeling them out to see what they were going to do. We were able to mix things up with the run and the pass after that.”
Facing third-and-8 from the Columbia 10, Mc-Gatha was ruled a yard short of the first down on a run off right guard. He scored one play later going in untouched with 8:22 left in the half. Stevenson hit the first of his four point after attempts for a 7-0 lead.
Two plays after the kick, the Bears’ defense forced a fumble by Graves inside the Columbia 15. Each team would lose control of the ball three times before linebacker Johnny Stone was able to gain control returning the slippery pigskin 13 yards for an apparent touchdown.
The score was nullified when a side official noticed a Pierce County coach on the field of play during live ball action.
Backed up to the Eagles’ 23, McGatha found a seam at right guard on the first snap running the ball in for touchdown for a 14-0 advantage with 7:20 on the first half clock.
Columbia intercepted McGatha on Pierce County’s next possession returning the ball to the Eagles’ 43. Graves found Nick Hill running all alone in front of the Eagles’ bench on a wheel route for a 57-yard touchdown on the ensuing snap. Zack Davis connected on the PAT cutting the margin to 14-7 with 1:40 left in the half.
After Johnson returned the kickoff 28 yards to the PCHS 46, the Bears moved 32 yards in four plays setting up Stevenson’s 39--yard field goal as the horn sounded for a 17-7 halftime margin. McGatha kick-started the drive with a 19-yard run on the first play.
Out of timeouts and with time running off the clock, the Bears’ special teams were able to snap the ball as the horn sounded.
“We had good execution in that possession to be able to kick the field goal,” said Herring.
Columbia pulled to within 17-10 on the first possession of the third quarter. A 49-yard pass to Rashaad Silver two plays into the third quarter moved the ball to the PCHS 16. The drive stalled at the Pierce County 11 with Davis connecting on a 28-yard field goal with 10:08 left in the period.
The Bears moved the ball to the Columbia 26 on their first possession of the second half with a 22-yard scamper by Johnson. A strip fumble on the next play was returned 77 yards by linebacker Charles Harris. The Davis PAT evened the score at 17-apiece with 6:54 remaining in the quarter.
PCHS responded with a go-ahead touchdown marching 66 yards in eight plays. McGatha carried the ball seven times scoring on a seven-yard run with 2:13 on the third quarter clock for a 24-17 lead.
The big play was a 19yard McGatha completion to Campbell Strickland moving the ball to the Columbia 33. McGatha covered the remaining distance on four carries.
The Eagles answered with a time-consuming 16play, 80-yard drive chewing up 7:55 to knot the score with 6:10 remaining. Columbia converted twice on fourth down, the last a fourth-and-7 from the Pierce County 10.
Flushed out of the pocket, Graves dove head first from the four landing two yards deep in the end zone for the score. The Davis PAT evened the score at 24-all with 6:10 left in regulation.
