Pierce County Bears vs. Rockmart Yellow Jackets

When: Tuesday, 1 p.m.

Records, ranking: Pierce County (13-1, No. 4) is the No. 1 seed from Region 3. Rockmart (12-2, No. 9) is the No. 1 seed from Region 7.

Coaches: Pierce County – Ryan Herring (59-8, fifth season). Rockmart – Biff Parson (83-17, eighth season).

How they got here: Pierce County d. ACE Charter 42-7, d. Laney 35-14, d. Fellowship Christian 49-17, d. Fitzgerald 35-7. Rockmart – d. Washington 28-0, d. Union County 56-14, d. Toombs County 45-21, d. Cook 34-24.

Pierce County: Quarterback Caden McGatha is a two-way threat. The junior has rushed for 1,331 yards and 16 touchdowns and thrown for 1,623 yards and 20 touchdowns. In the semifinal win over Fitzgerald, McGatha either ran or passed on 53 of the team’s 55 plays. Joe Drew leads the team with 34 receptions. Linebacker Carson Sloan has offers from Jacksonville State and Southern Miss. The Bears play in one of the most competitive leagues in the state; they tied with Toombs County and Appling County and the No. 1 seed was determined through a tiebreaker.

Rockmart: The Yellow Jackets effectively mix the running game and the passing game. Quarterback Calliyon Thompson has thrown for 2,010 yards and 24 touchdowns, with just three interceptions. He’s also rushed for 359 yards and six touchdowns. The rushing leaders are Region 7 Player of the Year Brent Washington (885 yards, 18 touchdowns) and Nahzir Turner (630 yards, eight touchdowns. Washington, also starts at linebacker and has eight offers, including Georgia State, is the team’s top college prospect. Tristan Anderson – the region’s athlete of the year -- leads the team with 60 catches for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns and has three interceptions. Nate Davis leads the team with 84 tackles, three of them sacks. Bobby High has 12 tackles for loss and three sacks and J J.J. Stocks has a team-leading 6.5 sacks.

Series history: First meeting.

State championships appearances: Pierce County won its only state championship in 2020 in its only appearance in a title game. Rockmart won its only state championship in 1946, 1954 and 2018.