Jae’Veon Williams joins Pierce County rushing royalty, earns Player of the Week
Pierce County has a recent tradition for great ball carriers, so breaking a school rushing record is no small feat at the South Georgia school.
Jae’Veon Williams got the single-game rushing recored last week with his 382 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 32 carries in a 35-7 victory over Swainsboro.
The previous record of 328 belonged to Caden McGatha, the quarterback on Pierce’s 2023 Class 2A championship team. McGatha was a 2,000-yard rusher that season.
Before McGatha came DJ Bell, the leading rusher on Pierce’s 3A championship team of 2020. Bell rushed for more than 5,000 yards in his Pierce County career.
Williams has 879 rushing yards on just 80 attempts in three games this season. He also has returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
“Jae’Veon is as good as they come tackle to tackle running through the smoke,” Pierce County coach Ryan Herring said. “He has a knack for fiding creases that most running backs can’t see. At the same time, he also can bounce it outside and stretch the field. Friday night, he ran through the smoke as good as I’ve ever seen.”
Williams is the AJC Varsity/GHSF Daily Player of the Week - joining the list of past winners that include McGatha and Bell. Pierce County is sixth school with three winners since the award’s inception. The others are Collins Hill, Gainesville, Lee County, Milton and Rabun County.