POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The Pearl River football team returns home to Dobie Holden Stadium for the final time Thursday night as the Wildcats host Southwest for homecoming. PRCC will hold its Homecoming festivities at 6:30 p.m., with kickoff following at 7 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to show up early Thursday for the 5:15 p.m. parade. The route begins at the Nursing Building and warps around Marvin R. White Coliseum before concluding between the new dorms and Dobie Holden Stadium. The parade ends just in time for the 5:30 p.m. Wildcat Walk.
Pearl River will once again have post-game fireworks immediately following the end of the game, sponsored by Forrest Health.
Following a hard-fought loss at No. 10 Copiah-Lincoln, the Pearl River football team looks to turn the page and end the season in a positive way.
"The message to our guys has been pretty simple," head coach Seth Smith said. "We have to try not to get weary and try to find a way to win. We have to find a way to fight and end this season on a high note."
ABOUT PEARL RIVER
Pearl River went into the midway point with a 9-7 lead at Copiah-Lincoln, but the Wolves rallied to win the contest 33-9.
"It was a tale of two halves," Smith said. "We controlled the clock, possessed the football, got first downs and played great defense. In a matter of four minutes in the third quarter, the game completely swung."
Freshman quarterback Ty Hullette (Senatobia) leads PRCC through the air. He's 43-for-76 for 510 yards and a touchdown this season.
Kayvon Barnes (Pascagoula) continues to lead the ground game with 426 yards and two touchdowns on 96 carries. Hullette is the second-leading rusher with 197 yards and a touchdown on 54 rushes.
Marquis McCoy (Crestview, Fla.) leads PRCC in receptions with 27. He's racked up 241 yards and two touchdowns. Jordan Coleman (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) leads the team in yardage with 280 yards and is second in receptions with 20.
Linebacker Eli Hackbarth (Birmingham, Ala.; Oak Mountain) leads PRCC in tackles with 53. He's also tallied four TFLs, one sack and one interception.
"Eli exemplifies everything we want in a player. He's had a really good season," Smith said. "He's out there playing with a broken hand and hasn't missed a game. He's got a cast on one hand and keeps making one-handed tackles. He's a fighter, and he's going to have success when he leaves here."
Caleb Williams (Biloxi; D'Iberville) is second with 51 tackles. He's broken up three passes. Kam Norwood (Hattiesburg) leads the Wildcats in TFLs with six. He's also broken up a pass, forced a fumble and blocked two field goals.
ABOUT THE BEARS
Southwest dropped a hard-fought 27-21 game against Jones College on Saturday.
Amarien Jefferson began the 2023 season as a defensive back but has since taken over at the quarterback position. The freshman has completed 75 of 145 passes for 850 yards and five touchdowns. He has thrown seven interceptions.
Jefferson also does damage on the ground, leading the Bears in yards with 273 on 50 carries. He has added in a trio of touchdowns.
Tyler Reed is second on the team in yardage with 232 yards on 68 attempts.
SMCC has three receivers that have broken the 200-yard mark on the season. Tavaris Henshaw has caught 25 passes for 273 yards. Jeremiah Ratliff has added 21 catches for 286 yards. La'Jarion Martin rounds out the receiving game with 228 yards on 19 catches.
On the opposite side of the ball, Javier Simmons and Ethan Williams are tied for the team lead in tackles with 40. Defensive lineman Jameer Lewis has racked up 5.5 sacks this season and forced a fumble.
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).
