POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The Pearl River football team looks to accomplish two things that it hasn't done in over 10 years Thursday night as it takes on East Central. The Wildcats are in search of their first six-win season since 2010 and the first playoff appearance since 2008. Kickoff inside Dobie Holden Stadium is set for 7 p.m.
In order to clinch a playoff berth, PRCC needs a win and a Gulf Coast loss.
"That stat right there is exactly why we moved to Poplarville," Pearl River coach Seth Smith said. "We wanted to do our best to elevate this program back to competing for playoffs, the conference and National Championships. If we can go in Thursday, take care of business and get a little help then it'll be another step in the right direction."
Before the contest gets underway, Pearl River plans to honor its incredible class of sophomores.
"Several of these guys have been here since my first day, so it's just fitting that this group has a chance to do something special," Smith said. "As a coach, you sit here daily and talk about what we can do and how to do it. When you have kids like these who have believed and endured the process, it's extremely gratifying. I'm just happy for them that they can go out on Sophomore Night knowing that they're leaving a program better than they found it.'
The contest also serves as the annual Pink-Out game. Paint the Town Pink will have a booth, taking donations for the organization.
ABOUT THE WILDCATS
Pearl River (5-3 overall; 3-2 MACCC South) enters the contest fresh off a 31-21 victory at Southwest.
"That game was a reflection of how this year has been," Smith said. "There were some adverse situations early. We had three first-half turnovers which is not good football. We were able to overcome those turnovers. These kids are special and they're different. Their fight, grit and determination are why we have a winning record right now."
In the game, Caleb Williams (Biloxi; D'Iberville) finished with nine tackles, two interceptions and one touchdown.
"Caleb is another great kid who plays extremely hard," Smith said. "He embodies everything that we want in a football player. He's got a ton of God-given ability. There's not a coach in America that works his group harder than coach (Ta'Ron) Sims works his defensive backs. That shows every week."
The passing attack is led by Samford transfer Lawson Pratt (Tuscaloosa, Ala.; American Christian Academy). The quarterback has passed for 1101 yards and six touchdowns on 123 completions.
Nick Milsap (Raleigh; Oak Grove) continues to lead the ground game and has now carried the ball 135 times for 576 yards and six touchdowns.
Christopher Holifield Jr. (Mobile, Ala. LeFlore) is one of the premiers pass catchers in the country this season. The sophomore's 46 catches are fourth in the NJCAA. Antonio Gayden (Harvey, La.; West Jefferson) has caught 20 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns.
Justin Jefferson's (Memphis, Tenn.; Bartlett) 74 tackles lead the team and rank eighth in the NJCAA. He's also made 9 tackles-for-loss. Heading into the regular-season finale, Bryan Whitehead II (Bartlett, Tenn.) ranks fourth in the NJCAA in sacks with 9.5. He's also tallied three fumble recoveries, three defensive touchdowns, two forced fumbles and one interception.
ABOUT EAST CENTRAL
East Central (0-8; 0-4) enters the contest off a hard-fought 26-14 loss to Copiah-Lincoln. Although the Warriors haven't picked up their first win yet, they lost four games by single digits.
Head coach Ken Karcher recently announced his retirement, giving more reason for the Warriors to play hard.
"Coach (Ken) Karcher is a fine man and a fine coach," Smith said. "They've been in every single game. They are in a situation where they haven't won a game, so you have to be prepared for anything and everything. They've got nothing to lose. It boils down to being disciplined in all phases of the game. If we do that and play hard, we will have a shot."
Gabriel Larry leads the Warriors in passing yards with 560. He's also thrown four touchdowns. Larry is also second on the team in rushing with 348 yards.
Freshman Devontae Causey leads the team in rushing with 361 yards and three touchdowns. Causey also leads the team in catches and receiving yards with 21 and 214, respectively.
On defense, the Warriors are led by TJ Thompson who has tallied a team-high 71 tackles. The freshman also has 4.5 TFLs and two forced fumbles.
WILDCATS-WARRIORS SERIES
Pearl River holds a 54-24-4 all-time record against East Central, according to PRCC records.
TUNE IN
All Pearl River football games are livestreamed for free at PRCCMedia.com/gold. Fans who have Roku, Amazon Fire or Apple TV devices can also watch the Wildcat broadcasts by downloading the "Pearl River CC" channel from their app. stores.
Games will also be available over the air in Pearl River County by tuning into 1320 AM and 106.9 FM. The radio broadcast is also available at WRJWRadio.com and by downloading the WRJW app.
TICKETS
Advance single-game tickets for football are $8, or $11 at the box office. Single-game chairback seats are $20.
All-sport passes are available for $123. The passes include general admission to all PRCC regular season competitions.
CASHLESS BOX OFFICE
To help improve traffic flow and fan experience, PRCC athletics box offices will be cashless in 2022-23. Only credit and debit cards will be accepted at the box office. Fans are encouraged to beat the lines and purchase their tickets in advance at PRCCAthletics.com/Tickets.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on Twitter (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).