Pierce County Bears
Killer Bears
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Sports fans across the landscape will say that “nobody cares if you didn’t win the last game.”
Well, that’s exactly what Pierce County did in 2023 by winning the 2023 AA State Championship against Rockmart.
The shootout 48-45 victory for the Bears capped off the stretch of winning the final nine games of the 2023 season behind quarterback Caden McGatha who ran for 258 yards against Rockmart to bring the title back to Blackshear.
Now the Bears turn the page but will reading from a very similar book with the majority of the production back from the State Title team.
This includes standout quarterback Caden McGatha who will be entering his senior year in 2024. McGatha accounted for eleven yards shy of 2,000 on the ground while also throwing for 1,950 yards.
McGatha was accountable for 51 of the 71 touchdowns scored by the Bears on the season with 23 coming through the air and 28 on the ground.
Running backs Marquez Leggett and Jah Evans are also back in the fold and look to be a key factor in the Pierce success again in 2024.
Leggett was the Bear’s second leading rusher with 482 yards and 5 rushing scores teaming up with Evans that recorded 304 yards and second best on the team with 6 rushing touchdowns.
The Bears also return the top two receivers in Joe Drew and Nigel Brown. Drew goes into his senior season after 663 yards receiving with 10 TDs.
Brown followed up with 372 yards last season with 5 scores.
Virtually the only impact player not returning on the offensive side from the 2023 championship team is Carson Sloan who hauled in seven receiving touchdowns in conjunction with 365 yards before graduating after the 2023 magical season.
The 2024 slate kicks off on August 24th with the lid lifter against Coosa Christian who make the trip to Blackshear from Gadsden, Alabama.
Brantley County, who was a region counterpart last year, will return the trip to Pierce after the Bears pummeled the Herons last year 56-6.
Wayne County, New Hampstead and Brooks County will follow before a renewal of a rivalry against Vidalia to round out the non-region slate.
Vidalia, who has dropped down to single A in the GHSA reclassification, fell to the Bears to the tune of 35-7 when the two were region foes last year.
Because of the reshuffling of the GHSA classifications and regions the new Region 3 in AA Class is now only comprised of 5 teams with Cook, Crisp County, Tattnall County and Appling County in addition to Pierce with Tattnall, Appling and Pierce the only holdovers that have stayed since 2023.
Last season Pierce County defeated Tattnall County 31-0 to cap off the regular season in 2023.
2024 regular season will finish up with a highly anticipated rematch of Pierce and Appling County. Appling was the lone blemish on the 14-1 record of the Bears with the Pirates getting the best of Pierce 17-14 last September.
2024 looks incredibly bright for 6th year head coach Ryan Herring as the Bears look to continue the streak of already 13 straight years of playoff football in Blackshear.
Already two state titles on the resume of Ryan Herring at Pierce County, and the Bears look poised to continue the legacy that has been exhumed the last more than a decade.
The Bears have had a double figure wins in each of the last six years and look to replicate that on their way back to Atlanta for another trip to the GHSA mountain top.
Savage Bears
By: Garrison Ryfun
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Pierce County has been a powerhouse in 3A and 2A for years, winning their last state title in Fall 2020 while in 3A.
This year will be a rebuilding year for the Bears as they lose their top three rushers, starting quarterback, and three of their four top receivers from the 2022 season. I expect the Bears to bounce back fast as they seem to have in years past.
August 25th – Pierce vs Jeff Davis: I expect Pierce to win this game, though probably not to the margin they did last year. Expect some growing pains for the Bears but for them to win handily here.
September 1st – Pierce vs Metter: Pierce handily won over a decent Metter team in 2022. Look for a closer contest but still ultimately a win for the Bears, helping them get on track with a lot of new skill players.
September 8th – Pierce @ Liberty County: Pierce beat down Liberty County 47-6 last year, the worst loss Liberty had all season. Though I do expect some bumps in the road early in the season for Pierce, I have them winning this game against a team that will be hungry for revenge.
September 15th – Pierce vs Charlton County: The last non-region game of the season comes at home vs Charlton, another team they beat down last year 48-13. Charlton can be a solid 1A team, but I see Pierce really hitting their stride at this point in the season and picking up another win before region play starts.
September 22nd – Pierce @ Brantley County: The start of region play in 2023 for the Bears, the games that actually matter toward playoff seeding. There will be no drama in this contest between the Herons, the Bears will pick up their first region win in their first region game.
September 29th – Pierce vs Appling County: Appling County was one of two teams to beat Pierce last season, made it to the state semi-finals, and was also the winner of their region. With Appling returning more of their top talent, this game should favor the Pirates. Though I do expect Pierce to be back in gear by now, I think they drop this game to a tough Appling County team.
October 6th – Bye Week: This bye week comes at an opportune time after their first loss, and what will likely be a very physical contest.
October 13th – Pierce @ Toombs County: Toombs played Pierce very close last season in a 31-28 contest. In another rebuilding year I might call for an upset, but Toombs is losing their top two running backs from last season. Pierce will be in high gear at this point and will pull out a win at Toombs County.
October 20th – Pierce @ Windsor Forest: Windsor Forest has long been a punching bag in this area of high school football, with many teams making them a homecoming opponent over the years. Do not expect that to change this season, Pierce wins big in Savannah.
October 27th – Pierce vs Vidalia: Vidalia just missed the playoffs last season after losing to Tattnall County in October. This will be a team that will be hungry for that rematch. Between Pierce and Vidalia on the other hand, I have Pierce winning once again.
November 3rd – Pierce vs Tattnall County: Pierce vs Tattnall was not much of a contest last year as the Bears won 37-7. I think the game will be closer this year but I see Pierce winning this game to once again secure a home seed in the 2A playoffs.
I have a rebuilding Pierce County Bears team going 9-1, heading into the playoffs with a chance to make some noise.
