POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The Pearl River football team will play its final game against a North Division opponent Thursday afternoon as East Mississippi travels to Poplarville for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

It will be a big night at Dobie Holden Stadium as the Wildcats will honor three of its championship teams from the 2023-24 academic year. The teams that will be honored are baseball (MACCC Champions) and men's soccer (Gulf South District Champions).

The Wildcats will also celebrate Poplarville High School for achieving a No. 1 ranking in Mississippi. Students and staff with a PHS ID will get in for free. Additionally, the night will be PRCC's breast cancer awareness night. Fans are encouraged to wear pink for the pink-out game.

ABOUT THE WILDCATS
Pearl River (3-3 overall) enters the contest off a heartbreaking 24-17 loss against Copiah-Lincoln, where the game-tying touchdown was erased on a penalty. 

Ian González (Mexico City, Mexico; St. Stanislaus) drew the start for PRCC last week and turned in a performance for the ages. He completed 8 of 17 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown while running for 238 yards and a score on 32 attempts. His 238 yards were the second-most in a game in PRCC history. His efforts earned him the MACCC Player of the Week award.

González has thrown for 177 yards and a touchdown on 25 of 41 passing. He's second on the team in rushing with 390 yards and two touchdowns on 55 carries.

Keenan Franks (State Line; Greene County) is at the top of the team in rushing yards. The freshman has tallied 445 yards and three touchdowns on the year. He's averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Jacobi Jefferson (Slidell, La.; Salmen) has also been a factor in the running game, carrying the ball 59 times for 243 yards and three scores.

Howard Kinchen (Lafayette, La.; Patterson) is the leading pass catcher with 17 catches and 166 yards. Javonta Caldwell (Laurel) is second on the team in receptions with 12 and has 78 yards. Henry Lee Jr. (Kenner, La.; East Jefferson) has 10 catches and 115 yards.

Travis Bendolph Jr. (Mobile, Ala.; Theodore) continues to pace PRCC in tackles. The defensive tackle has 42 tackles. He's tied for the team lead in tackles for loss with eight, and has 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Trace Carter (Ocean Springs) and Jadarrius Gordon (Canton) are tied for second in tackles with 36 apiece. Amarion Tyson (Picayune) is tied with Bendolph Jr. in tackles for loss with eight. He's added in 32 tackles.

SCOUTING THE LIONS
East Mississippi (3-3) enters the game off a convincing win on the road at Northeast, where the Lions took down the Tigers 49-21.

The reigning NJCAA DI Offensive Player of the Year, Ty Keyes, quarterbacks EMCC. This season, Keyes has completed 118 of 192 passes for 1,372 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has been intercepted five times.

He's also done some damage on the ground, rushing for 158 yards and four scores on 31 attempts.

East Mississippi's leading rusher is Gavin Griffin. The freshman has carried the ball 55 times for 358 yards and six scores. Behind him is Jaylin Jennings, who has registered 272 yards and five touchdowns on 69 carries.

The leading receiver for EMCC is Jaylon York. The sophomore has 450 yards and two scores on 36 catches. The number two option is Raymon Blackmon, with 286 yards and three touchdowns on 23 catches.

Defensive back Dylan King leads the Lions in tackles, with 28 — 25 of which are solo tackles. Three players are tied for the team lead in sacks with two apiece. They are Mikel Hines, Martavius Blackmon and Mason Clinton. Hines is first on the team in tackles for loss with 5.5. 

The Lions have picked off eight passes through the season's first five games.

PRCC-EMCC SERIES
The Wildcats lead the all-time series 28-18-2, with EMCC winning the last meeting in 2019.