Bears Coach, AD Reflect on Class 2A Title Run
The road to the football state championship for Pierce County High School began with a little luck – as in the luck of the draw. After that, it was all hard work and talent that paved the way for the Bears to capture the 2023 GHSA Class 2A title.
The 48-45 triple-overtime thriller over Rockmart gave coach Ryan Herring and his Pierce County Bears their second state championship since 2020, when they won the Class 3A crown over Oconee County 13-7. That game also was an OT victory.
The 2023 regular season saw Pierce County finish in a three-way tie with Appling and Toombs County for the Region 3-2A top seed. That meant a literal luck-of-the-draw would determine playoff seeding for each team.
“At the end of the season, all three teams were tied for the region lead, so we had to draw names from a hat for seeding purposes,” explained Pierce County athletic director Brandon Jernigan.
Lady luck would be with the Bears.
“Drawing the No. 1 seed, we were able to host the first four rounds at home, which was huge,” Jernigan said.
Home-field advantage indeed was an important factor for the Bears, but it would take much more than luck the rest of the way; it was now up to the Bears’ talent to take over, and it did. Their postseason march to Atlanta began with a win over ACE Charter, followed by victories over Laney and Fellowship Christian, with the latter coming into Blackshear sporting a 10-2 record.
Pierce County took care of the Paladins, setting up a home semifinal battle with Fitzgerald. The 35-7 win over the Purple Hurricanes meant a trip to the GHSA Class 2A state championship, where Pierce County would face Rockmart at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The game proved to be one of the most exciting state championship games in Georgia high school history. Herring reflected on what it takes to reach the top for Pierce County – or any school, for that matter.
“I chased after one [state title] for basically 20 years,” he said. “Patience was a big part of it, but perseverance was the secret – perseverance by the players, in the weight room, and on the practice field. You win with people, and there are a lot of moving parts that have to work together. You have to have people pulling in the same direction, and most of all you have to have good kids.”
Herring added: “If you win a state title, you must’ve had great players.”
Looking back on the 2023 Pierce County Bears, no one is going to doubt that was the case.
