PERKINSTON, Miss. — The Pearl River football team totaled the second-most points that No. 4 Gulf Coast has allowed this season but was unable to overcome five turnovers, falling 52-21 Thursday night at A.L. May Memorial Stadium.
"They are really good, and they have a great coach," head coach Seth Smith said. "Last year, we played this team and were fortunate. We felt like we turned a corner, but tonight, we got whipped. There are deficiencies that we've got to fix. We will keep fighting and keep pressing."
GAME RECAP
Gulf Coast (5-0 overall; 2-0 MACCC South) was first to get on the board, capping off a 9-play, 91-yard drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown, 7-0. The Wildcats (0-5; 0-2) weren't down after the touchdown drive and matched it just two plays later. After a rush for no gain, Ty Hullette (Senatobia) faked a pitch to Emmanuel Bentley (Gulfport), who ran a wheel route. Hullette sat back in the pocket, and through heavy pressure, he delivered a perfect lobbed pass down the field to the sprinting Bentley for an incredible 75-yard touchdown, 7-7.
The Wildcat defense showed out on the following Gulf Coast drive. The Bulldog quarterback threw a pass out into the flat to his receiver, and Kam Norwood (Hattiesburg) came flying out of nowhere and picked up a 3-yard tackle for loss. An incomplete pass and an Olajahwon Harris (Pascagoula) sack later, MGCCC was back to punt. The snap back to the punter couldn't be corralled, and the Wildcats quickly jumped on the ball, taking over at the MGCCC 5-yard line.
Pearl River used a couple of short rush attempts to make its way to the Bulldog 1-yard line. The Wildcats called a quarterback sneak, and Hullette got into the endzone with the help of a big push from fullback Tucker Smith (Poplarville), 14-7.
Gulf Coast capitalized on good field position with 5:44 left in the first quarter, using four plays to get in the endzone on a 7-yard rushing touchdown, 14-14.
The Wildcats began their next drive on the right foot as Hullette found Marquis McCoy (Crestview, Fla.) sprinting across the field on a slant. The slot receiver hauled in the pass and took the ball 47 yards before being tackled. A couple of plays later, Hullete connected with Jordan Coleman (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) for a 19-yard gain. The Wildcats pushed the ball up into the Bulldog red zone, but a pass was picked off and returned for 100 yards and a score, 21-14.
MGCCC pulled ahead 28-14 with 12:13 remaining in the second quarter after going 55 yards in eight plays. The drive was capped off by a 2-yard plunge into the end zone.
PRCC was the recipient of a special teams score for the second week in a row on the next Gulf Coast drive. MGCCC had driven into PRCC territory before the drive stalled out and brought up a field goal attempt. The snap back to the holder was a good one, but Kam Norwood (Hattiesburg) came flying off the edge, swatted the ball out of the air, picked it up and scampered an impressive 75 yards between the hashes for the score, 28-21.
The Bulldogs moved the game back to a two-score lead on a 7-yard rush with 3:30 left in the half, 35-21. As time expired in the half, MGCCC added on a 25-yard field goal, 38-21.
In the second half, Pearl River got interceptions from Eli Hackbarth (Birmingham, Ala.; Oak Mountain) and Dwight Williams (Biloxi; D'Iberville) but couldn't capitalize on offense, falling 52-21.
BY THE NUMBERS
Hullette finished the game 6-for-13 with 166 yards and a touchdown. Christian Turner (Orange Grove; Harrison Central) was 3-for-7 for 22 yards.
Kayvon Barnes (Pascagoula) carried the ball 19 times for 102 yards. Hullette finished with 22 on 11 carries.
Coleman hauled in three passes for 41 yards. Bentley caught two passes for 81 and a score.
Caleb Williams (D'Iberville) led the Wildcats in tackles with 10 and one TFL. Hackbarth and Dwight Williams finished with seven tackles and an interception apiece.
UP NEXT
Pearl River takes on another rival next week as Jones College comes to Dobie Holden Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
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 X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).