Football Recap: Luke Ward's Menacing Defense Leads Berry over Pickens County + How To Watch

If Pickens County wanted to avenge their loss from the last time they played Berry, they should've done a better job of containing Ayden Lake Norris. The Wildcats walked away with a 28-18 victory over the Tornadoes on Friday thanks in part to Lake Norris, who rushed for 143 yards and one touchdown, and also picked up 39 receiving yards and one TD. He didn't just play on offense: he also picked up three sacks, forced one fumble, and made ten total tackles.

Luke Ward

Total Tackles

10/17/25 @ Pickens County	12
10/03/25 @ Lynn	9
09/26/25 @ Lamar County	18
09/19/25 vs South Lamar	19
09/12/25 vs Hubbertville	11
+ 11 more games

On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Berry's defense and their 14 sacks. Luke Ward led the group effort, picking up seven of those sacks all by himself. He has been hot for a while, having also posted six or more total tackles the last 16 times he's played. Berry received some extra help from Jordan Jackson, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.

Despite the loss, Pickens County still got an impressive performance from Mj Billups, who threw for 213 yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed for 76 yards and one score. A healthy portion of Billups' aerial production (85 yards to be exact) went to Kristofer Witherspoon, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.

Berry has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season. As for Pickens County, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-6 record this season.

Berry didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next game, a 47-8 win against Brilliant on the 24th. As for Pickens County, they also wasted no time getting back out on the field and have already played their next matchup, a 54-12 defeat against Marion County on the 24th.