POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Thursday marks a brand-new season for the Pearl River football team as they officially open South Division play against Hinds.
Kickoff inside Dobie Holden Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m. The evening will serve as Military, First Responders and Utility Lineman appreciation night. All with a valid ID or in uniform will be admitted for free. The game is also Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Day. Fans are encouraged to wear red to support the cause.
"As a competitor, you want to win every game. The reality is, we're 0-3 through our first three," head coach Seth Smith said. "We've tried to look at it like preseason in the NFL. These were our three preseason games — we broke in 10 new people on offense. Now we have some experience and stability. Now we have a six-game season.
"It's a brand-new season. We're 0-0. We think we know who our quarterback is. We know who the linemen are. Hopefully, this will be our best offensive performance."
Last week, the PRCC defensive unit continued a string of good performances on Thursday, accounting for eight tackles-for-loss.
"They're just relentless. They're trying their guts out every snap to make a play," Smith said. "That's what we've worked so hard on — establishing a culture of effort and being relentless. They've done that. Eight TFLs against one of the best offensive lines they'll go against all year. That was special."
ABOUT THE WILDCATS
Ty Hullette (Senatobia) earned the start against Northwest for the Wildcats and finished 10-for-17 for 96 yards. He also rushed 10 times for 30 yards. On the season, Hullette is 17-for-28 for 159 yards. He's ran 17 times for 43 yards.
"Physically, Ty did a lot of good things. His errors were mental," Smith said. "These are things you wouldn't know from watching the game. His communication with the offensive line is imperative. He gave them the wrong call a few times, and if you do that, bad things will happen. That stuff happens when you get your first start, especially against a team like Northwest."
Kayvon Barnes (Pascagoula) leads PRCC rushers with 99 yards on 33 attempts. Darnell Smith Jr. (Picayune) has carried the ball 14 times for 38 yards.
"We thought there was a carryover from the second half of Northeast. That's why Kayvon got the bulk of the carries," Smith said. "He did good, but we still need a kid to make a play. He's running the football, but we need someone to go make that big play."
Jordan Coleman (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) leads PRCC in receiving yards with 149 yards on just eight catches. He's averaging 18.6 yards per reception. Marquis McCoy (Crestview, Fla.) has 13 catches for 75 yards.
Defensively, Dalton Lee (Carriere; Pearl River Central) leads PRCC in tackles with 23. He's picked up 3.5 tackles-for-loss and half of a sack. Eli Hackbarth (Birmingham, Ala.; Oak Moutain) is second with 18 tackles. He has 2.5 TFLs and one sack.
"You have to give coach (Ty) Trahan so much credit," Smith said. "You lose a kid like Justin Jefferson, and you'd think production would fall off the table, but it hasn't. These two guys have come in and have played excellent. Each week, they've gotten better."
ABOUT THE EAGLES
Hinds comes off its first victory of the season as the Eagles defeated East Central 17-13.
"They run the ball a little more than they did in the past," Smith said. "They used to be in 10 personnel, and they'd throw it all over the park. What I am learning in this league is it is year-to-year depending on the type of players that you have."
HCC has a two-headed monster at the quarterback position with Houston transfer Roman Mula and Oak Grove's Kabe Barnett. Mula has completed 15 of 26 passes for 154 yards. Barnett is 12-for-29 for 80 yards and a touchdown.
The Eagles feature seven players who have carried the ball at least 10 times this season. Jerrell Boyd leads the pack with 131 yards and a touchdown on 29 attempts. Ja'Marian Johnson is second with 103 yards on 25 carries.
Jamar Grace leads the Hinds receiving corp with 98 yards on seven catches. Ja'Montae Wallace has caught three passes for 34 yards.
Brenden Jennings is tops on the team in tackles with 18. He also has one tackle-for-loss. Kelbee Holmes is second with 16 tackles and a TFL. He's picked off one pass. Edge rusher Karl Odrick leads the team in sacks with 2.5.
"They're just good. This will be the fourth week in a row where we've played a really good defense. It's just going to boil down to us taking care of ourselves. If we execute, we will have a chance on offense against them."
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
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. Tickets are $8 if purchased ahead of time or $11 on gameday.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on Twitter (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).