Despite much ongoing change amidst prep football circles in the state of Mississippi over the past few years, Pearl River Central has been pretty consistent on the gridiron over the past decade or so.
But not in a good way.
The Blue Devils have missed the football playoffs for the past seven seasons, and finished either in last place or next to last place in region play in many of those years. The Blue Devils haven’t made the postseason since 2015.
And PRC is now under the direction of its fifth head coach in the past 15 seasons, and only one of the previous four left Carriere with a winning record.
Jacob Webb became the latest Blue Devil mentor several months back, when he accepted the job after Jacob Owen resigned from the helm of the struggling program. Owen went 13-38 during his five campaigns in Carriere. The Blue Devils went 1-9 last season. Pearl River Central was 2-7 in 2021.
Webb comes to PRC from Jackson Academy in Jackson, Ala., where he was head Football, Baseball Coach and Athletic Director for the past few years.
“I wasn’t looking for a coaching job in Mississippi at all. The job just kind of came to me. I toured the school and was offered the position.” Webb told southalabamian.com after he was hired.
Webb had been at Jackson Academy for seven years. He has 14 years of coaching experience with 11 years as a head coach. He led JA to the AISA Class 1A state title games in each of the past two seasons.
He takes over the Blue Devils at a time when the Mississippi High School is expanding to seven classifications for the first time in history. And also, for the first time ever, PRC is competing in Class 6A.
Also, in addition to moving up a class, the Blue Devils will change regions as well and now be a part of a move northward into Region 3-6A. New league foes will include Hattiesburg, West Jones, Terry and Forrest Hill. Region 3-6A will be the only loop in the 6A classification with just five members for football purposes after Jackson Jim Hill decided to play as an independent for football only this season.
The “Jacob Webb Era” at PRC kicks off on Friday, Aug. 25th when the Blue Devils host South Pike at Kenneth Hendrix Stadium in Carriere on the PRC campus.
Also, PRC will not meet arch-rival Picayune on the football field in the regular season for the first time in 19 seasons. The two schools, whose campuses lie about six miles apart, have faced off against one another in 31 out of the past 33 seasons before this year and also met twice in 2011.
Here is the complete list of team schedules for Region 3-6A
REGION 3-6A
FOREST HILL
Coach: Tony Fells
A. 25 at Florence
S. 1 at Vicksburg
S. 7 Murrah (S.J.)
S. 15 at Lanier (S.J.)
S. 22 at Wingfield (S.J.)
S. 29 Callaway (S.J.)
O. 6 at Pearl River Central
O. 13 Hattiesburg (S.J.)
O. 20 West Jones (S.J.)
O. 26 at Jim Hill (Hughes)
N. 2 at Terry
HATTIESBURG
Coach: Tony Vance
A. 26 at Petal
S. 1 at Laurel
S. 8 Oak Grove
S. 15 Biloxi
S. 22 Sumrall
S. 29 at George County
O. 6 open
O. 13 at Forest Hill (S.J.)
O. 20 at Pearl River Central
O. 27 Terry
N. 2 West Jones
PEARL RIVER CENTRAL
Coach: Jacob Webb
A. 25 South Pike
S. 1 at South Jones
S. 8 Pass Christian
S. 15 Poplarville
S. 22 Bay High
S. 29 open
O. 6 Forest Hill
O. 13 at Terry
O. 20 Hattiesburg
O. 27 at West Jones
N. 2 open
TERRY
Coach: Kris Thigpen
A. 25 Raymond
S. 1 Pure Academy (Tenn.)
S. 8 at Callaway (S.J.)
S. 15 Vicksburg
S. 22 at Provine (N.J.)
S. 29 at Clinton
O. 6 at West Jones
O. 13 Pearl River Central
O. 20 open
O. 27 at Hattiesburg
N. 2 Forest Hill
WEST JONES
Coach: Cory Reynolds
A. 25 Laurel
S. 1 Northeast Jones
S. 8 at South Jones
S. 15 at Wayne County
S. 22 at Poplarville
S. 29 Jackson Prep
O. 6 Terry
O. 13 open
O. 20 at Forest Hill (S.J.)
O. 27 Pearl River Central
N. 2 at Hattiesburg
