SENATOBIA, Miss. — Pearl River's defensive unit went toe-to-toe with No. 13 Northwest Thursday night at Bobby Franklin Field but the offense couldn't cash in on its opportunities, falling 27-3.
"Our defense played unreal. We had some untimely penalties, but it's frustrating," head coach Seth Smith said. "These guys are constantly forcing punts. They're different. Most kids quit but they don't quit. We've got every piece of this puzzle figured out but offense. We need to watch film and see what we can hang our hat on."
GAME RECAP
The Pearl River (0-3 overall) defense brought a bend-but-don't break mentality to the game to begin the night. Northwest (2-1) started its first drive at the PRCC 48-yard line and a few plays later, the Rangers had a first down at the 22-yard line. That's when Zavier Fairley (Wiggins; Stone County) came up huge for The River. The redshirt sophomore defensive back sniffed out the NWCC screen pass attempt and dashed in from the boundary to lay a cracking hit for a 5-yard loss, bringing up a 2nd and 10 situation. Two stellar coverage plays later, and Northwest was forced into kicking a 26-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 9:17 remaining in the first quarter.
Pearl River had a good chance to get on the scoreboard on the following drive. PRCC converted on fourth down to keep the drive alive. One play later, Ty Hullette (Senatobia) showed off his wheels. The quarterback took the snap, weaved through the offensive line and cruised up the field for 30 yards before running out of bounds. A few rushes later, PRCC attempted a field goal that was just short, ending the drive.
Northwest added a touchdown with 11:30 remaining in the second quarter when the Ranger quarterback found a wide-open receiver in the back right corner of the endzone to take a 10-0 lead.
Pearl River put together an impressive drive to counter the touchdown. Hullette found Jordan Coleman (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) across the middle for a 15-yard gain. A penalty backed Pearl River into a 1st and 15, but Keyshawn Graham (Tuscaloosa, Ala.; American Christian Academy) made sure to make up for the Wildcat penalty as he bruised his way up the middle for an impressive 11-yard gain. PRCC converted a fourth down on the drive on a Hullette sneak. The drive eventually stalled out and Corblin McGinn (D'Iberville) nailed a season-long 47-yard field goal to get the Wildcats on the board, 10-3.
The Rangers extended their advantage to 17-3 with 3:51 remaining in the half on a 22-yard scramble for a touchdown. Pearl River had another deep drive before the second half ended but couldn't cash in.
Pearl River defense forced back-to-back punts to start the second half. The first was a quick three-and-out. The second drive was capped off when Cedric McGill (Hattiesburg) slowed up the rush attempt behind the line of scrimmage before Eli Hackbarth (Birmingham, Ala.; Oak Mountain) finished off the tackle-for-loss. PRCC drove deep into Ranger territory on the ensuing drive aided by a 35-yard connection between Hullette and Coleman but couldn't get on the board.
With 13:18 remaining in the contest, Northwest added to its lead with a 2-yard rushing touchdown, 24-3. The Rangers scored for the final time with 1:23 remaining on the clock as they booted a 20-yard field goal, 27-3.
BY THE NUMBERS
Hullette finished 10-for-17 for 96 yards. He also rushed for 30 yards on 10 attempts.
Barnes finished with 39 yards on 16 attempts.
Coleman caught two passes for 50 yards and Marquis McCoy (Crestview, Fla.) snatched five passes for 29 yards.
Hackbarth finished with eight tackles and 1.5 TFLs. Fairley and Dalton Lee (Carriere; Pearl River Central) tied for second on the team with six tackles apiece.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats return to Dobie Holden Stadium on Thursday for the first South Division matchup of the year against Hinds. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The night will serve as military, first responders and lineman appreciation night.
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.
CASHLESS BOX OFFICE
To help improve traffic flow and fan experience, PRCC athletics box offices will be cashless in 2023-24. 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.
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