Pearl River hosts Northeast for homecoming game
POPLARVILLE — After a short week of preparation leading into a disheartening defeat, Pearl River Community College hopes a well-timed break will be beneficial as it approaches the end of the 2015 junior college football season.
The Wildcats will entertain Northeast Mississippi on Saturday for their annual homecoming festivities, following a 41-10 loss to Mississippi Gulf Coast this past Thursday at Perkinston. Kickoff at Dobie Holden Stadium is scheduled for 2 p.m.
“We gave the guys the long weekend off,” said PRCC coach William Jones. “We came back Monday night and had a good walk-through. The players seemed energized; they needed a break mentally and physically.”
PRCC (2-5 overall and 1-4 in the South Division) was officially eliminated from a possible playoff berth with the loss to Gulf Coast, which clinched the division title with the victory.
Nevertheless, Jones hopes the prospect of finishing out the season with a pair of home games will drive the Wildcats to end on a strong note.
“It’s been a tough schedule, with five of the first seven games on the road,” Jones said. “So it will be good to get home and paint the field.”
Against the Bulldogs, Pearl River wasn’t able to muster the same kind of defensive intensity it showed the previous week in a 17-9 upset of then-No. 1 Copiah-Lincoln.
“I was disappointed in some alignment assignments and not finishing some plays on defense,” Jones said. “I thought we were on the brink of some interceptions and sacks, and we just didn’t finish the plays.”
Gulf Coast scored touchdowns on its first five possessions of the game, taking a 34-3 halftime lead, and coasted in for the easy win.
Like the Wildcats, Northeast is also struggling, posting a 1-6 record through seven games. However, Jones said the Tigers, like Pearl River, have shown some claws at time this season.
“I think, at times, they’ve shown some real explosive playmakers,” Jones said. “They were within seven of Gulf Coast late in the third quarter, and moved the ball effectively against Northwest, who’s a Top 5 team in the country.
“So, obviously, this is a team that’s very dangerous.”
This is the 34th meeting in a series that has been dominated by the Wildcats to the tune of 29-4. Last season at Booneville, PRCC came away with a 45-28 victory.
The Pearl River-Northeast game can be seen on prccmedia.com and prcc.edu, and can be heard on the radio on the PRCC Network, which includes WFMM-FM (Super Talk 97.3 in Hattiesburg), WFFF-FM (96.7 in Columbia) and WRJW-AM (1320 in Picayune).
Kelly Sanner will call the play-by-play, with David Sutton providing color analysis.