Mack Cochran quarterbacked the 1961 state and national champion Wildcats, a team that outscored its opponents 446-47. He quarterbacked the East team to a 20-8 victory over the West in the Junior College All-Star football game in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He passed for two touchdowns and kicked a extra point and was named the game’s most valuable player.                                                                                                                                                    "We had some tremendous players at Pearl River back at that time," said Cochran. Indeed, two of his teammates, center Alvin Doyle and halfback J.E. Loicano, also played in the All-Star game."Three of them went on to play pro ball," added Cochran.
As a freshman, Cochran threw 12 touchdown passes as a backup. The Wildcats were 9-1, state co-champions with Northwest, even though they beat the Rangers in the regular season, and beat San Angelo, Texas 50-20 in the Hospitality Bowl.
As a sophomore, the 5-foot-9 Cochran tallied 24 touchdowns, completing 89 of 151 passes. He could have thrown for more, but in most games that year, the Wildcats got so far ahead by halftime, Coach Dobie Holden played his reserves.