POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Fresh off a home-opening victory over Southwest, the Pearl River football team is headed right back on the road Thursday afternoon as it travels to take on East Central in a MACCC South Division contest.
Kickoff in Decatur against the Warriors is set for 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the game are available in advance at ECCCAthletics.com/Tickets. Cash will be accepted at the gate.
In last week’s 27-17 victory over the Bears, the Wildcats rushed for an incredible 318 yards and four touchdowns. Keenan Franks (State Line; Greene County) led the effort with 141 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Jacobi Jefferson (Slidell, La.; Salmen) also eclipsed the 100-yard marking, tallying 107 yards and a score on 19 attempts.
PRCC’s 430 yards of total offense were the most since September 1, 2022 against Holmes when the Wildcats compiled 533 yards.
ABOUT THE WILDCATS
Pearl River has a 2-1 record as it enters the contest against East Central. PRCC defeated Northwest 24-23, lost to Itawamba 10-0 and took down Southwest 27-17.
Through three games, Pearl River is averaging 285.7 yards per game, which includes 173.7 rushing yards per game and 112 passing yards per game.
Kabe Barnett (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) has completed 38 of 71 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns this season. The sophomore also has 33 carries for 140 yards and a touchdown.
Jefferson has been electric so far this season for PRCC. He’s made 45 rush attempts for 182 yards and two touchdowns. Following Franks’ big performance against Southwest, he is second on the team in rushing with 151 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries.
Javonta Caldwell (Laurel) leads PRCC in receptions with nine. He’s third on the team in receiving yards with 61. Howard Kinchen (Lafayette, La.; Patterson) and Henry Lee Jr. (Kenner, La.; East Jefferson) are tied for second in catches with seven apiece. Lee Jr. has a team-high 87 receiving yards, and Kinchen has 83.
The Wildcats have been terrific on the defensive side of the ball this year, allowing just 16.7 points per game, 134.7 rushing yards per game and 140.3 passing yards per game.
Travis Bendolph Jr. (Mobile, Ala.; Theodore) paces the team in tackles with 21. Amarion Tyson (Picayune) trails him narrowly with 20. The duo are also tied for the team lead in tackles for loss with 5.5 apiece. Charles Atkins Jr. (Metairie, La.; East Jefferson) has tallied 19 tackles and five tackles for loss. He’s recovered a pair of fumbles.
ABOUT EAST CENTRAL
East Central heads into the contest boasting a 2-1 record, which includes a 23-14 victory over Northeast, a 22-17 loss to Northwest, and a 20-9 win against Itawamba. The offense averages 20 points per game, 226.3 passing yards per game and 115 rushing yards per game.
The Warriors deploy a quarterback tandem during their games. Landon Sims is ECCC’s leading passer, completing 41 of 80 passes for 463 yards and four touchdowns. He’s also thrown three interceptions. Chris Tucker is the other quarterback. He’s 12-for-24 for 216 yards on the season.
Eelijah Singleton is the go-to target for East Central. He leads the team in both receptions and yards with 15 and 244, respectively. He’s also caught one touchdown. Josh Palmer is second in both categories with 10 catches and 162 yards. Lawrence Armstrong has caught just eight passes on the year but has 130 yards and two touchdowns.
ECCC’s leading rusher is Karl Ligon, who has carried the ball 53 times for 275 yards.
East Central’s defensive unit has been solid through the first three games of the year, allowing just 15 points per game.
Linebacker Donnie Smith is ECCC’s leading tackler, registering 34 through three games. He’s also picked up two tackles for loss, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup.
Carson Graham is second on the team in tackles with 21 and leads the Warriors in TFLs with four.
PRCC-ECCC ALL-TIME SERIES
According to Pearl River record books, the Wildcats hold a 55-25-4 all-time record against East Central.
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 can also be heard at WRJW 1320-AM, 106.9 FM and WRJWRadio.com.
TICKETS
Tickets for Pearl River home games are on sale now at PRCCAthletics.com/tickets. Single-game tickets are $10 if purchased in advance while tickets purchased on gameday are $13. General admission football season passes are $38, while chairback reserved seating is $75. All-sport passes are also on sale and are $123. The pass grants entry to all PRCC regular season competitions.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).
