POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The Pearl River football team looks to end the 2024 campaign with some positivity Thursday night as the Wildcats host Jones College in the annual 'Cat Fight.' Kickoff against the Bobcats is set for 7 p.m. inside Historic Dobie Holden Stadium.

If Pearl River can secure the victory, it will be the first time in over a decade that the Wildcats have had a pair of winning seasons in a three-year span.

Pearl River will honor its 2023-24 MACCC Champion Pearl River women's basketball team as well as the 2023-24 Ozark Region Reserve Champion Women's rodeo team during the game.

ABOUT THE WILDCATS
Pearl River (4-4 overall; 2-3 MACCC South) enters the contest off a heartbreaking 34-27 overtime loss at Hinds. The Wildcats battled back from a 20-7 deficit to force the overtime period.

Pearl River has used two quarterbacks on the season. Kabe Barnett (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) leads the passing attack with 644 yards on 67-for-119 passing. He has thrown four touchdowns. Ian González (Mexico City, Mexico; St. Stanislaus) has thrown for 264 yards on 33-for-55 passing. He has earned two passing touchdowns.

Both get it done on the ground. Barnett is third on the team with 319 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while González is second with 440 yards. Keenan Franks (State Line; Greene County) is the leading rusher for PRCC, carrying the ball 96 times for 505 yards and three scores.

Howard Kinchen (Lafayette, La.; Patterson) has caught 22 passes for 246 yards this season and leads both categories. Javonta Caldwell (Laurel) is second with 20 receptions and 175 yards. Caldwell has two receiving touchdowns.

Defensively, Travis Bendolph Jr. (Mobile, Ala; Theodore) leads the back in tackles with 52. He has collected eight tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.  A.J. Prim (Tylertown; Foley) is second with 48 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

Defensive back Amari Butler (Petal) has a team-high seven pass breakups. He's also registered 24 tackles and three tackles for loss on the season.

ABOUT JONES COLLEGE
The Bobcats (4-4; 2-3) snapped a three-game losing skid with a 37-21 victory over Southwest last week.

Blake Murphy is JC's leading passer. He has thrown for 1,201 yards and 10 touchdowns on 94 of 175 passing. He has thrown six interceptions. 

Gerald Modest Jr. is the leading rusher for the Bobcats with 445 yards and four touchdowns on 98 attempts. Cobey Craft is second with 327 yards and two scores on 79 carries.

Two Jones College receivers have eclipsed the 300-yard mark on the season. Harrison Knight has caught 25 passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns. Marlon Lindsey Jr. has caught 29 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns.

Jonathan Wiltz leads the team in tackles with 42. He also registered 4.5 tackles for loss and one sack. Zechariah Parodi is first on the team in tackles for loss (9) and sacks (2). He's also added in 29 tackles.

Chase Pinkston has been great in the secondary, registering three pass breakups and three interceptions. Lorenzo Smith has broken up seven passes.