Friday, October 29, 2004
No. 2-ranked Pearl River wraps regular season 
with 39-14 victory over Mississippi Delta
South champ Wildcats will host rematch with Itawamba in first round of MACJC playoffs Nov. 6 after Indians ends Northwest’s season with 20-19 victory

     MOORHEAD — Second-ranked Pearl River Community College wrapped up its regular season with a 39-14 victory over Mississippi Delta here Thursday to post its first perfect regular-season mark since 1992.
     South Division champ PRCC, the defending state champion, now eyes a rematch with Itawamba Nov. 6 in the first round of the MACJC playoffs after the Indians’ Tommy Pharr booted a 23-yard field goal in the final minute for a 20-19 upset victory over nationally-ranked Northwest in Fulton and end the Rangers’ season.
     Northeast defeated Northwest last week in Senatobia to claim the North Division crown. PRCC defeated ICC 46-23 Sept. 2 in both schools’ season opener in Poplarville.
     “We’ve got a lot of improving to do before now and the playoffs,” said third-year PRCC head coach Tim Hatten. “We stunk it up pretty good, but I’m just glad to get 
out of here with a win to cap a perfect regular season.
     “We’ve got to eliminate our mistakes. A loss and its all over now, plus we’ve got aspirations of post-season bowl bid that could mean a national title,” Hatten said. “But I’m happy for our players and our fans. This is a memorable season, but the best could be forthcoming. We just have to continue to work hard and get ready for Itawamba.”
     The Wildcats, who wrapped up its division schedule last week with a perfect 6-0 mark via their 52-26 victory over Mississippi Gulf Coast, head into the post-season 
with a perfect 9-0 overall record.
     Pearl River went up on its fourth possession of the game when Jimmy Oliver connected with preseason All-American Larry Brackins with a 23-yard touchdown pass. The point-after snap sailed over holder Oliver’s head, but PRCC led 6-0 with 10:31 left in the first period.
     The Wildcats had went three-and-out, but punter Chris St. John’s 37-yard boot was fumbled by a Trojan returner and Glentrelle Ware of Monroe, La., recovered. Oliver hit Brackins for the score a play later.
     St. John capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive on PRCC’s ensuing possession with a 27-yard field goal to make it 9-0 with 5:07 left in the period, then the Wildcats padded their lead on the first snap of the second quarter when Bernard Smith of Lake Wales, Fla., capped a 10-play, 71-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown. Oliver’s two-point conversion pass was incomplete, but PRCC led 15-0 with 14:53 left in the first half.
     Vince Strickland of Hattiesburg High accounted for the first of two Pearl River safeties in the game when he recovered Trojan Adrian Cobbs’ fumble in the end zone with 14:36 left to make it 17-0. Following MDCC’s free kick, Mike McClendon, a freshman from Quitman, capped an eight-play, 45-yard drive with a four-yard run with 10:33 left in the period.
     McClendon, who finished the night with a game-high 87 yards on 13 carries, 
carried four times for 31 yards in the scoring drive.
     After Delta went three-and-out, it took Pearl River only six plays to pad its lead when Oliver zipped a 35-yard TD pass to James Hollingsworth of Hattiesburg High to make it 30-0 with 5:37 left in the half after St. John’s extra point attempt was blocked. Oliver, who finished the night with 286 passing yards, also hit Brackins with a 35-yarder during the drive.
     The Trojans faked a punt from their own six four plays into their ensuing possession, when kicker Graham Houston passed from his own end zone to James Giles who then sped 74 yards to the Wildcat 20. A MDCCC penalty moved things back to the 35, but eight plays later quarterback Adrian Cobbs hit Tiger James with a 10-yard TD pass then zipped another to Ryan Mason for the two-point conversion with 51 seconds left in the half to make it 30-8.
     Houston missed on a 40-yard field goal attempt on Delta’s first possession of the second half, then the Trojans recovered Brackins’ fumble at the MDCC 45 following a 25-yard reception from Oliver three plays into PRCC’s ensuing possession.
     Mississippi Delta cut further into the Wildcats’ lead early in the final period when Jamie McChriston capped a 10-play, 74-yard drive with a nine-yard run for the Trojans’ final points of the night with 12:59 left in the fourth. Cobbs’ pass for the two-point conversion failed.
     Pearl River scored its final touchdown of the night when McClendon sped 21 yards to the end zone with 10:47 left to cap a five-play, 74-yard drive. Oliver connected with Sam Thomas of Oak Grove for a 13-yard completion in the series, while Josh Barnes of Hattiesburg High snagged a 21-yard pass. St. John’s extra point made it 37-14.
     Defensive lineman Marcus Croby of Hattiesburg High sacked Cobbs in the end zone for a safety with 4:38 left for the final points of the game.
     Pearl River finished with 24 first downs to MDCC’s 11, while generating a whopping 458 yards of total offense (172 rush, 286 pass) to the Trojans’ 204 (44 rush, 160 pass).
Oliver completed 16 of 31 passes for all of the Wildcats’ aerial yardage, while Brackins finished with a game-high six catches for 132 yards. Barnes had five snags for 67.
     PRCC was penalized 13 times for 100 yards, while MDCC drew nine flags for 90 yards. St. John punted eight times for a 35.5-yard average, while Houston had seven kicks for a 36.5-yard average.

In Other Thursday Action
     Besides Itawamba’s victory over Northwest, North champ Northeast disposed of East Mississippi 31-6 in Booneville, Jones defeated East Central 29-13 in Decatur, and Holmes trimmed Coahoma 23-20 in Clarksdale. Two Saturday games are set to wrap up the regular season with Copiah-Lincoln hosting Southwest in Wesson and Mississippi Gulf Coast hosting Hinds in Perkinston. Both are Homecoming games.