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Press Release Archives for October 1998

Warriors Rally To Drop Wildcats 16-7

PRCC Led 7-3 At Halftime, But ECCC Scores 13 Unanswered Points In Second Half

DECATUR—East Central's Warriors scored 13 unanswered points in the second half
here Thursday to drop Pearl River's Wildcats 16-7 in Mississippi South Division community
college football action.

Pearl River dropped to 2-7 overall and 1-4 in the division, while East Central improved to
3-6, 2-3. Both teams wrap-up their 1998 seasons next Thursday. PRCC hosts Hinds in a 6:30
p.m. contest in Poplarville, while ECCC plays Mississippi Gulf Coast in Perkinston.
The Warriors opened the game with a nine-play, 51-yard drive to the Wildcat 16, but PK
Josh Hardy's 33-yard field goal attempt was no good.

Three series later, East Central faked a punt in a fourth-and-one situation at the PRCC 47
and LB Tavares Ogley rambled 40 yards to set-up a first-and-goal at the Wildcat 7. RB Kevin
McKenzie, EC's workhorse who led all rushers in the contest with 139 yards on 31 carries,
squirted into the end zone on first down, but a holding call nullified his effort and moved things
back to the 17. Hardy redeemed himself seven plays later with a 37-yard field goal to give the
Warriors a 3-0 lead with 4:36 left in the opening quarter.

After and exchange of punts, Pearl River engineered a 15-play, 60-yard drive to take the
lead. QB Derrell Burkett of Purvis completed 10 and 31-yard passes to TE Nate Williams of
Hattiesburg to set things up at the Warrior 13. RB Cornelious (Cornbread) Thornton scored on a
three yards with 11:26 left in the half to give the Wildcats a 7-3 lead. PK Nando Lopes of Carriere
booted the PAT.

DB Patrick Walker of Columbia picked off his fifth interception of the season and returned
it 21 yards to the EC 29 in the final minute of the first half.

On Pearl River's second possession of the second half, the Wildcats benefitted from a
roughing the punter penalty near midfield and wound-up with a first down at the Warrior 34.
Controversy ensued when Thornton burst for eight yards and fumbled. Warrior DB Jermain Boyd
picked-up the ball and eventually lateraled to DB Chris Ray who took it the distance. The duo
combined for 76 yards on the fumble return, even though Wildcat coaches argued that Thornton
was already down when the miscue occurred. Hardy's PAT made things 10-7 with 6:09 left in the
third.

Punter Greg Mitchell's 40-yard boot early in the fourth was downed by TE Jeffery
Thomas at the hosts' one-foot line, but the Warriors followed with an impressive 99-plus-yard
drive in 13 plays to deflate the Wildcats. McKenzie did the honors from three yards out with 6:19
left. Hardy's PAT was blocked.

Pearl River had two more possessions, but its final one ended with three straight
incompletions at the Warrior 31.

Pearl River had the edge in passing yardage 111 to 62, but East Central led in most other
areas. The Warriors had 21 first downs (17 rush, three pass) to the Wildcats' 14 (eight rush, four
pass), while they amassed 334 total yards (272 rush) to PRCC's 195. RB Jimmie Rax of
Alexandria, La., led Wildcat rushers with 69 yards on 17 carries.

Pearl River was penalized three times for 30 yards, while the hosts were victimized nine
times for 95. Burkett completed 10 of 24 passes (no interceptions), including six to WR Chris
Marshall for 48 yards, while Warrior QB Mark Fleming completed six of 12 (one interception).
Mitchell averaged 39 yards on seven punts.

Wildcats Invade Warrior Territory

Identical Overall, Division Records Set Stage For Thursday's Battle In Decatur
 

POPLARVILLE—Take two young and struggling teams with identical overall and
division records and you should have the makings of a pretty good football game.
Thursday night in Decatur, you'll get just that when Pearl River's Wildcats (2-6, 1-3) take
on East Central's Warriors (2-6, 1-3) for 49th time in a South Division rivalry that dates back to
1935.

This year's match-up takes on a unique twist, as a former PRCC assistant Terry
Underwood is now the Warriors head coach. Underwood was a Wildcat before heading to
Decatur with Willie Coats, the former PRCC head coach who left The River for East Central in
the spring of 1995. Underwood took over the Warriors' head job last spring. Another former
PRCC assistant, long-time defensive coach Steve Kelly, left Poplarville at the end of last school
year to join Underwood's staff.

Wildcat head coach Keith Daniels says the Warriors are struggling.
"They're a struggling team just like us, but Coach Underwood has a relatively young
squad," Daniels said. "Their offensive front is a very big plus for them. In fact, I feel it's as good
as any front we've seen this season."

The OL protects QB Reggie Flugence, who is "a very athletic player," Daniels said.
"He (Flugence) is one of those kind of kids that you have to contain," he added. "He can
turn a busted play into a big play...he that kind of athlete. We've got to keep him under wraps and
he is complimented by several solid running backs in the backfield."

The Warriors' top gun with the run RB Kevin McKenzie, who was the state's seventh-
leading rusher heading into last week's 25-0 disaster against Mississippi Delta. McKenzie had
rushed for 601 yards on 119 carries, while scoring three TDs.

Flugence was the state's No. 8 passer, completing 35 of 84 passes for 420 yards and two
touchdowns. His primary target this season has been WR Jeff Brown, who was the state's No. 16
receiver with 19 catches for 165 yards. Flugence was tied with Mississippi Delta's Anthony Scott
for the No. 13 spot statewide in scoring with 26 points (four TDs, two extra points).

"Even though their defensive front may not be as solid as some we've played, they're
well-coached, aggressive, and play hard," Daniels said. "From looking at them on film, they've
played hard every week. With our stuggling offense, we'll have to play equally hard to move the
ball on them."

Warrior DB Duane Brisbon was tied for third in the state in pass interceptions with four,
while DB Wesley Boyd was tied for fourth with three. Boyd is also a big plus on EC's specialty
teams, as he averaged 25.9 yards per punt return on 15 attempts prior to the Delta game.
East Central's leading tackler is Michael Beal with 36 solos and 24 assists, while Travares
Osley has 35 and 17.

Last week, PRCC celebrated its 1998 Homecoming with a hard-fought 15-12 victory over
Copiah-Lincoln. That game went scoreless for the first half, but both squads scored on their
opening drives of the second half. Two missed PATs resulted in a 6-6 deadlock until late in the
fourth when a critical Wildcat turnover set-up a go-ahead TD for the Wolves.
Wildcat DB Derick Rankin of Oak Grove picked-off Co-Lin QB Hunter Ogden's two-
point conversion pass in the endzone and returned it for two Wildcat points, but the visiting
Wolves were still spoiling PRCC's Homecoming 12-8.

PRCC took the ensuing kickoff and marched 77 yards in seven plays to take the win when
QB Derrell Burkett of Purvis plowed in on a sneak with 1:32 left in the game.
East Central has claimed victory over The River the past two seasons 26-6 last year,
22-15 in 1996 but the Wildcats had won eight straight prior to that. The Warriors' 21-0 win in
1987 ended a three-game winning streak by PRCC.

"Players of the Week" for the Copiah-Lincoln game as selected by the PRCC coaching
staff include:

DEFENSIVE AWARD Freshman LB Shondell Hill of Ridgely, Tenn. (4 solo tackles, 6 assists,
1 tackle for loss, 1 caused fumble).

OFFENSIVE AWARD Sophomore RB Cornelious Thornton of Blakely, Ga. (5 rushes for 20
yards, 2 pass receptions for 64 yards).

SPECIAL TEAMS AWARD Sophomore DB Derick Rankin of Oak Grove (5 solo tackles, 1
assist, 1 pass interception on 2-point conversion try returned 103 yards for score).

DOMINATOR AWARD (Offensive Line) Sophomore TE Nate Williams of Hattiesburg (2
rushes for 16 yards).

INTIMIDATOR AWARD (Defensive Line) Freshman DL Johnny Ratliff of Hattiesburg (3
solo tackles, 2 assists, 1 tackle for loss).

A 7 p.m. kickoff is set for the PRCC-ECCC battle in Decatur.

PRCC Homecoming Climaxes With 15-12 Win Over Co-Lin

Wildcats Drive 77 Yards In 7 Plays In Final Minutes To Claim Hard-Fought Victory Over Wolves

POPLARVILLE—Pearl River College's Wildcats drove 77 yards in seven plays to ice a
15-12 Homecoming victory over Copiah-Lincoln here Saturday.
After Co-Lin took a six-point lead with 4:18 left in the game on a 26-yard touchdown
pass, sophomore Wildcat DB Derick Rankin of Oak Grove picked-off QB Hunter Ogden's
ensuing two-point conversion pass in the endzone and returned it 102 yards to pull PRCC within
four 12-8.

Freshman QB Derrell Burkett of Purvis then engineered his best drive of the season and
iced the cake with a two-yard TD sneak to push PRCC into the lead with 1:32 left. Sophomore
PK Nando Lopes of Carriere (Pearl River Central) booted the PAT.
The River improved to 2-6 overall, 1-3 in the South Division, while Co-Lin fell to 2-6, 1-
3.

Fourth-year PRCC head coach Keith Daniels said the win, his Wildcats' second of the
season, was meaningful.

"Wins for us have been so scarce around here, it was obviously a very rewarding thing,
but it was even more meaningful in the sense that we had to play so hard to earn it," Daniels said.
"With all our injuries and dismissals from the team, there were lots of kids out there that played
hard for lots of snaps.

"We just don't have any depth and hopefully that fact makes the win even more rewarding
to our players," he continued. "Our people hung in there and played hard until the end."
Things were 0-0 at the half. Lopes' failed 44-yard field goal attempt with 44 seconds left
in the first quarter was about the only fireworks the Homecoming crowd witnessed during the
opening two periods, but the second half started off with a boom.

Daniels' pep talk during intermission apparently fired-up his offense, as it got on the
scoreboard quickly when Burkett tossed a 69-yard TD bomb to WR Larry Morrow of Oak Grove
on the third play of the third quarter. The Wildcats led 6-0 after Lopes' missed the PAT.
But Co-Lin retaliated immediately with an eight-play, 60-yard scoring drive of its own
when RB Earnest Pitts, who led the Wolves with 92 yards on 23 carries, plunged in from the one
with 11:56 left in the period. The PAT was no good, but things were deadlocked at 6.

Pearl River threatened again early in the fourth, driving to the Co-Lin 18, but was held on
downs. Later in the period, the most costly of the Wildcats' three turnovers set the Wolves up for
the go-ahead TD when DB Corey Alexander recovered a fumble by sophomore RB Cornelious
(Cornbread) Thornton of Blakely, Ga., at the PRCC 25. Two plays later, Ogden passed 26 yards
to WR Gerald Payne for the go-ahead score.

Co-Lin head coach Phil Broome opted to go for two, but Rankin intercepted Ogden's
throw and returned it all the way. With 4:18 left, it was Co-Lin 12, Pearl River 8.
"For a while there, things didn't look too good for us...particularly after they went up on
us with that late touchdown," Daniels said. "Our defense played a great game from start to finish,
but that last turnover really put them in a bad spot. I have to hand it to all our people. Our offense
rallied itself and drove the field to win.

"And it's particularly pleasing that we played well despite our turnovers. Players like Larry
Morrow, Derrell (Burkett), and Cornbread (Thornton) have all made critical mistakes this
season," he continued. "And they made mistakes against Co-Lin, but they maintained their poise
despite those problems. Larry made that big catch and Derrell made some key throws and key
runs. After Cornbread's fumble that set-up their last score, he came back and made a critical
catch and a critical run on our game-winning drive that set-up Derrell's touchdown.

"This exemplifies a team win. Our offense, defense, and special teams all contributed and
laid it on the line. They accepted the challenge and overcame a lot of obstacles to win the game."
Pearl River finished the game with 354 total yards (180 rush, 174 pass), while Co-Lin
managed 240 (132 rush, 108 pass). The Wildcats had 14 first downs (eight rush, five pass), while
the Wolves managed 12 (six rush, six pass).

Wildcat sophomore RB Anthony Davis of Shelby, N.C., paced all runners in the contest
with 111 yards on 19 carries, while Thornton had 84 total yards (20 rush, 64 receiving). Morrow
finished with 102 yards on three catches.

Burkett completed nine of 26 passes (2 interceptions) for 174 yards a season-high for
the Wildcats, while Ogden hit on 10 of 26 (2 interceptions) for 108.
Pearl River travels to Decatur Thursday for a 7 p.m. battle with rival East Central in more
South Division action, while Co-Lin will celebrate its 1998 Homecoming Saturday when it
entertains Mississippi Gulf Coast in Wesson.

Wildcats Host Wolves For 1998 Homecoming

Teams Come In Off Losses: Pearl River 34-13 To Gulf Coast, Co-Lin 28-20 To Itawamba

POPLARVILLE—Pearl River Community College hopes its 1998 Homecoming will be
a joyful one on the gridiron, as the Wildcats will seek their second win of the season when South
Division rival Copiah-Lincoln arrives in Dobie Holden Stadium for a South Division match-up.
     A 2:30 p.m. kickoff is set.
     Both teams enter the game off disheartening losses   PRCC 34-13 to Gulf Coast, Co-Lin
28-20 to Itawamba. Both teams have struggled this season with the Wildcats standing at 1-6
overall and 0-3 in division play, while the Wolves are 2-4 and 1-2.
     PRCC head coach Keith Daniels says Co-Lin is better than its record indicates.
     "Co-Lin is impressive at several positions," said Daniels. "Their running back (Earnest
Pitts) is one of the top rushers in the state and defensively they have two of the state's top three
tacklers."
     Pitts, a 5-9, 170-pound freshman from Monticello, had rushed for 490 yards on 86 carries
heading into last week's game with Itawamba, averaging 81.7 yards per game and 5.6 yards per
tote.
     "They've been struggling, but there's plenty of talent on both sides of the ball," Daniels
said.
     DL Cleveland Pinkney (6-1, 280), a sophomore from Sumter, S.C., was the state's leading
tackler by a landslide after week six with 56 solos and 29 assists (Holmes' Kelvin Rounds was
No. 2 with 48 and 39), while Wolf LB Glenn Jones (6-1, 215) was third in the state with 47 and
42.
     Co-Lin plays solidly against the run, but were dead last in the state against the pass. Prior
to last weekend, Co-Lin was sixth in rushing defense, allowing only 140.8 yards per game (845
total yards on 267 carries, 3.16 yards per tote), but were giving up 162.5 yards per game in the air
(975 total).
     Offensively, Co-Lin was averaging 133 rushing yards per game (798 total), while passing
for 101.3 (608 total). QB Hunter Odgen (6-2, 225) of Natchez was the No. 7 passer in the state
with 468 yards.
     "Pitts is their strength on the offensive side, but Ogden is big and throws well, even
though he doesn't have a lot of maneuverability," Daniels said. "But we've got to worry about
ourselves. We've got to get the job done on the offensive side. We can't turn in a performance
like we did last week and expect to win Saturday."
     Pearl River leads the series 31-29 (three ties) that dates back to 1934 when Co-Lin won
12-0, then followed with a 19-12 win the following year. The 1936 contest was deadlocked 7-7,
then the Wolves won four straight before 1941 saw a 13-13 tie. In 1944, PRCC took its first win
over Co-Lin in 19-13, then ripped-off nine consecutive victories from 1946 until 1954.
     Last season, Pearl River took a 14-0 win in Poplarville, but the Wolves won the previous
two meetings. In the last 10 seasons, Co-Lin has won seven times over the Wildcats.
     Nineteen seventy-eight's 45-7 loss to Co-Lin is the third-worst loss by points ever by a
Wildcat team, while 1985's 38-7 loss is PRCC's sixth-worst ever.
    Last Saturday in War Memorial Stadium in Pascagoula, host Gulf Coast capitalized on
three Wildcat turnovers in Pascagoula and improved to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the division.
     "We've got to execute and not beat ourselves like we did against Perk," Daniels said.
"We've struggled at the quarterback position all season long, but last week was a disaster. We've
got to establish some consistency offensively and take care of the football.
     "Even though we played well enough on both sides of the ball at times to win the game,
we gave them 21 points from turnovers alone. You can't be a successful football team doing
that."
     Starting freshman OL Robbie Miller of Hattiesburg has been lost for the season with an
ACL tear in a knee, while sophomore TE Nate Williams of Hattiesburg and sophomore DL Chris
Gistorb of Alexandria, La.   both starters and absent from the lineup against Perk   could
remain sidelined this week with stretched knee ligaments.
     "We'll make a decision on those two later in the week. It's a day-to-day thing right now,"
Daniels said.
     Co-Lin lost its season opener 32-28 to Holmes, but rebounded with a 14-13 win over
Northeast a week later. The Wolves fell to nationally-ranked Northwest 45-6 the third week, then
earned its most-recent win of the season against East Central 20-14. Since, C-L has lost three
straight   37-0 to defending state champ Hinds, 45-6 to undefeated and nationally-ranked (No.
4) Jones, and last week's loss in Fulton.
     Pearl River, on the other hand, lost four straight before defeating Coahoma 48-0 October
1 for its sole win of 1998. The Wildcats opened with a 28-12 loss to Itawamba, followed by
losses to East Mississippi 48-10, Mississippi Delta 19-10, and Jones 40-7. Southwest trimmed
PRCC 17-7 the sixth week of the season.
 Wildcat "Players of the Week" for the Gulf Coast game as selected by the PRCC coaching staff include:
OFFENSIVE AWARD — Freshman RB Deshonzo Franklin of Columbia: 72 yards on 12 carries, one pass reception for nine yards.
DEFENSIVE AWARD — Sophomore DE Victor Hogan of Purvis: seven solo tackles, one assist, two tackles for losses, one pass hurry.
DOMINATOR AWARD (Offensive Line) — Sophomore OL Alan Thompson of Hancock County.
INTIMIDATOR AWARD (Defensive Line) — Freshman DE-LB Ben Guy of Bay St. Louis (St. Stanislaus), five solo tackles, three assists, one QB sack, one pass hurry.
SPECIAL TEAMS AWARD— Sophomore DB Patrick Walker of Columbia, three kickoff returns for 30 yards.
     In other JuCo games around the state last week, East Mississippi (5-2, 3-0) defeated
Holmes (4-3, 2-2) 18-7 in Goodman, Southwest (5-2, 2-1) defeated Hinds (4-3, 2-2) 24-17 in
Raymond, Northeast (1-6, 1-2) defeated winless Coahoma (0-7, 0-4) 21-20 in Clarksdale,
Northwest (7-0, 4-0) defeated Mississippi Delta (5-2, 2-2) 45-28 in Moorhead, and Jones (7-0, 4-
0) defeated East Central (2-5, 1-3) 31-21 in Ellisville.
     All of this week's games are Thursday games except for The River's Homecoming battle.
Match-ups include Itawamba at Coahoma, East Central at Mississippi Delta, East Mississippi at
Northeast, Jones at Hinds, Holmes at Northwest, and Gulf Coast at Southwest.

Costly Turnovers Spell 34-13 Wildcat Loss To Bulldogs

Pearl River Falls To 1-6 Overall, 0-3 In Division Following Defeat In Pascagoula

PASCAGOULA—Mississippi Gulf Coast cashed-in on three Pearl River turnovers here
Saturday in War Memorial Stadium and handed the arch-rival Wildcats their sixth loss of the 1998
season with a 34-13 South Division victory.
     Pearl River recovered an onside boot on the game's opening kickoff and drove 53 yards to
take an early lead, but failed to capitalize on a fumble recovery on Perk's ensuing possession.
From that point, Gulf Coast scored 34 points before freshman QB Sedrick Samuel of Brewton,
Ala., scored PRCC's final TD of the night with 5:09 left in the game.
     Pearl River fell to 1-6 overall, 0-3 in the division, while Gulf Coast improved to 4-3 and 2-
1.
     "Not to take nothing from Gulf Coast, but we gave them 21 points through turnovers,"
said PRCC head coach Keith Daniels. "And they were easy scores. Those three miscues gave
them great field position.
     "Even though at times we played well enough to win on both sides of the ball, it was their
capitalization on those easy opportunities spelled the difference."
     Sophomore RB Cornelious Thornton of Blakely, Ga., plowed through the Bulldog
defensive front for a 3-yard score to cap the 10-play, opening drive. Sophomore PK Nando Lopes
of Carriere (Pearl River Central) booted the point-after to give the Wildcats a 7-0 lead with 9:47
left in the opening period.
     Three plays following the ensuing kickoff, sophomore DL Robbie Stewart of Hattiesburg
(North Forrest) recovered a Bulldog fumble at the Perk 37, but Lopes' 32-yard field goal try
seven plays later was wide right.
     Gulf Coast followed with a six-play drive to the Wildcat 46, but PRCC stopped
sophomore RB Corey Alexander's fourth-down sweep. PRCC got the second turnover of the
game on Perk's next possession when sophomore DB Derick Rankin of Oak Grove KO'ed  a
five-play, 49-yard drive with his second interception of the season at Wildcat three.
     But Perk returned the favor three plays later when a bad pitch was recovered by LB Andy
Hunter at the Wildcat six. RB Chris Cowels ran it in on first down and Billy Dorgan booted his
first of four extra points to deadlock the score.
     Pearl River's ensuing possession lasted 10 plays, but freshman WR-P Greg Mitchell's punt
from his own 33 was blocked by DB Tyrus Burton and Perk took over at the 22. Four plays later
Dorgan's 37-yard field goal gave the Bulldogs the lead for good at 10-7 with 1:25 left in the half.
     A Wildcat turnover at its own 12 on the opening kickoff of the second half was the killer
for The River.
     "That was the turning point of the game right there," Daniels said. "We'd played pretty
well up until that point, but after mishandling that kickoff, things went downhill."
     Perk made it 13-7 four plays later when Dorgan booted his second field goal of the night
with 12:56 left in the third. Five minutes later, it was 20-7 when QB Shannon Harris hit WR
Jermaine Curtis with a 37-yard scoring toss.
     With 36 seconds left in the period, another bad pitch by Pearl River put Perk in business at
the Wildcat four, then Alexander ran it in on first down. Dorgan's PAT made it 27-7.
     With 9:10 left in the fourth, QB James Thomas hit Curtis with a 58-yard TD strike.
Dorgan's PAT ended the Bulldogs' scoring for the night.
     Pearl River put together an impressive nine-play, 83-yard drive for the final score of the
game. Samuel capped the drive with a seven-yard keeper. The PAT was no good.
     The Wildcats held the 'Dogs on downs at their own 35 on the ensuing possession, then
drove to the Perk 12 as time elapsed.
     The Wildcats finished the night with a 10-yard edge in total offense 266-256, managing
197 yards on the ground with 69 via the air. Perk rushed for 109 and passed for 147. Pearl River
also had the edge in first downs with 20 (15 rush, three pass), while Gulf Coast had 16 (10 rush,
five pass).
     Wildcat freshman RB Deshonzo Franklin of Columbia led all rushers in the contest with a
career-high 72 yards on 12 carries, while sophomore RB Anthony Davis of Shelby, N.C., had 56
yards on 12 carries, and Thornton 50 yards on 10 totes. River QBs connected on five of 15 passes
(no interceptions) for 69 yards   five to freshman WR Chris Marshall of Petal for 37 yards.
Freshman TE Jeffery Thomas of Petal snagged two passes for 23 yards.
     Cowels was Perk's leading rusher with 52 yards on six carries, while Gulf Coast QBs
connected on nine of 14 passes (one interception) for 147 yards. Curtis led all receivers in the
contest with three catches for 91 yards, while TE Jerry Dunning had three snags for 40.
     It's Homecoming this Saturday for Pearl River with Copiah-Lincoln (2-5, 1-3) arriving in
Dobie Holden Stadium for a 2:30 division battle. Gulf Coast travels to Summit Thursday to take
on Southwest (5-2, 2-1) in division play.

The Rivalry Of Rivalries Resumes Saturday

Wildcats' 1997's 61-55 Victory Over Perk Highest Scoring JuCo Game In State History

The Pearl River-Gulf Coast arch-rivalry hits the gridiron for the 66th time this Saturday and if last year's 116-point affair is any indication, you'd better buckle-up the seatbelts.

The River's 61-55 South Division victory over Perk last season is the 11th highest scoring football contest in junior college history, according to the September 28 edition of the J.C. Gridwire newsletter, and is the highest in state history.

The Wildcats and Bulldogs continuously swapped scores October 11 of last year and the end result was only 19 points shy of being the the all-time highest scoring game in the nation (San Joaquin Delta's (Cal.) 69-66 win over Los Medanos (Cal.) in 1996 is tops at 135 total points).

Fourth-year PRCC head coach Keith Daniels doesn't expect things this Saturday to reach the magnitude of last year's phenomenon, but notes the Bulldogs' offensive capabilities.

"They're 3-3 right now and are coming off a win over Northeast (48-14). Gulf Coast is playing hard and they've played very well against some fine football teams," said Daniels, noting Perk's 30-21 upset over defending state champion Hinds September 26. "Their Hinds win was a big one for them and their three losses (35-7 to Mississippi Delta, 43-20 to Holmes, and 33-10 to Jones) were to excellent football teams."

Daniels said Bulldog QB James Thomas and TB Cory Alexander are "impressive football players.

"And they have a couple of outstanding receivers, particularly Jermaine Curtis."

Heading into last week's Northeast game, Curtis was the state's 11th-ranked receiver with 12 catches for 198 yards and a touchdown, while Thomas ranked seventh in passing, connecting on 23 of 58 aerials (five interceptions) for 419 yards.

Alexander was averaging 61 rushing yards a game and has scored one TD this season.

"Against Jones, Gulf Coast was leading 10-7 at halftime, but they fell victim to several mistakes in the second half," Daniels said.

Prior to last weekend, LB Matt Spitler was the Bulldogs' leading tacker with 30 solos and 13 assists -- the fifth-best total in the state -- while DL Tanaka Scott was second in the state in QB sacks with six-and-a-half. DL Marcus Reese also has three sacks.

PRCC enters the game off a 17-7 division loss to Southwest in Summit.

"I was pleased with our overall effort against Southwest and we'll have to have an excellent effort to beat Gulf Coast," Daniels said. "Defensively, they're a much-improved team over last season."

Last year, Pearl River turned-in a record setting performance offensively. QB Shane Tapper of Petal, now a Mississippi College Choctaw, set all-time Wildcat records for most passing yards in a game with 455 and six TD passes, while his name was also etched in the PRCC archives in other throwing areas.

Tapper, who started for PRCC in 1996 and 1997, completed 19 of 30 passes against the Bulldogs both seasons. His 30 attempts is in a five-way tie for the all-time eighth spot at The River, while his 19 completions is in a three-way tie for the third spot. He also connected with WRs Willie Ducksworth of Hattiesburg (now at Delta State) and then-freshman Desmond Bolar of Purvis with 70-yard TD strikes, which are in an eight-way tie for the No. 13 spot for the longest pass play in Wildcat history.

Ducksworth and Bolar saw other record-setting performances in that game or the 1996 PRCC-Perk battle:

DUCKSWORTH (1996, 1997) -- 11 receptions in 1996 (No. 1), 7 receptions in 1997 (four-way tie for No. 4, Ducksworth holds three of those spots), 198 receiving yards (No. 4 all-time), 127 yards in 1996 (No. 9), 3 touchdown receptions in 1997 (six-way tie for No. 2), 70-yard TD catch from Tapper in 1997 (eight-way tie for No. 13 for longest pass play),

BOLAR (1997) -- 175 receiving yards (No. 5 all-time), 6 receptions in 1997 (six-way tie for No. 4), 70-yard TD catch from Tapper in 1997 (eight-way tie for No. 13 for longest pass play), 6 receptions last season (five-way tie for No. 4).

Pearl River leads the series 41-24 (one tie). From 1987 until 1993, the Wildcats won seven straight, including 1993's stunning 64-20 victory, which is the sixth-largest margin of victory in history by a PRCC team at 44 points. Perk won the previous five match-ups.

Other interesting Wildcat-Bulldog tid-bits from the Pearl River sports archives:

Pearl River holds the record for most state championships at 14, while Gulf Coast has won eight.

Pearl River's 582 total yards against Perk in 1997 is the third-highest total in history, while 1993's 576 total is fourth-highest.

Pearl River's 34 points in one half against Perk in 1993 is in a three-way tie for No. 8 in the Wildcat record book, while 1997's 33 points is No. 9.

Pearl River's 30 first downs against Perk in 1993 is in a three-way tie for the most in a game. PRCC had 25 first downs in 1995 (four-way tie for No. 6) and 21 last season (No. 10).

n Pearl River's 410 rushing yards against Perk in 1993 is the eighth-highest total in history, while the Wildcats rushed for 339 in 1987, 336 in 1989, and 313 in 1995.

Former Wildcat RB Memphis McAbee rushed an all-time high 36 times against Perk in 1976 for 197 yards (No. 7 all-time high), while RB Kenshun Smith rushed 27 times in 1995 (seven-way tie for No. 6) for 165 yards (No. 20 all-time).

Former Wildcat RB Chris Ryan, PRCC's all-time leading ground gainer with 2,668 yards in 1992 and 1993) ran for 4 TDs against Perk in 1993 for the No. 2 all-time high. Ryan finished the game with 147 yards (No. 27 all-time).

Former Wildcat QB Gene Estapa attempted 34 passes in 1971 against Perk, which is the fourth-highest total in history, while Mel Hackbarth's 30 attempts in 1989 sits in a six-way tie for No. 7. Estapa's 18 completions in that 1971 game is the fifth-highest total, while completing 17 in 1970 (sixth-highest).

Former Wildcat QB Tony Walker completed 11 straight passes against Perk in 1975 and duplicated that effort the same season against Holmes to set a PRCC record.

Former Wildcat QB Charlie Hutchins threw 5 interceptions against Perk for an all-time high in 1972.

Nine different Wildcat receivers caught five passes in one game and two of those -- Mike Harrison in 1971 and Artez Edmond in 1996 -- were against Gulf Coast.

Former Wildcat Arab Morris holds the record for the longest punt return in Pearl River history with his 91-yard run in 1951. Vern Carr's 80-yard return against the Bulldogs in 1941 and Bill Mitchell's 80-yarder ranks are in a three-way tie for the fourth-longest.

Former Wildcat PK Brandon Murray hold the No. 3 spot in most point-after attempts in a game with eight against Perk in 1993. Murray was true on six of those boots, which is in a five-way tie for the fourth-highest total in history. In 1992, Murray booted three field goals against the Bulldogs, which is tied for he second-highest total.

The fifth-longest field goal in PRCC history was a 42-yarder kicked by Bobby Stockstill against Gulf Coast in 1980.

In other junior college games last week, East Mississippi (4-2, 2-0) defeated Coahoma (0-6, 0-3) 20-3, Jones (6-0, 3-0) defeated Copiah-Lincoln (2-4, 1-2) 45-6, Hinds (4-2, 2-1) defeated East Central (2-4, 1-2) 35-7, Mississippi Delta (5-1, 2-1) defeated Holmes (4-2, 2-1) 31-3, and Northwest (6-0, 3-0) defeated Itawamba (1-5, 0-3) 35-7.

Kickoff for the PRCC-Perk game is 7 p.m. at Pascagoula High School.

Bears Take 17-7 Win Over Wildcats

Daniels Pleased With Wildcat Effort Despite Picking-Up Fifth Loss Of Season
 

SUMMIT—The Pearl River College Wildcats dropped their fifth game of the 1998 season here Saturday, falling to the Southwest Bears 17-7.

The Wildcats fell to 1-5 overall, 0-2 in the South Division, while the Bears improved to 4-2 and 1-1.

Pearl River entered the game off its first victory of the season -- a 48-0 wipeout of Coahoma -- while Southwest rebounded from a 12-7 loss in its division opener to East Central with the win.

PRCC head coach Keith Daniels was pleased with his team's effort despite the loss.

"Our effort was good throughout the game," Daniels said. "We played hard from the opening kickoff until the final play. I felt our defense played particularly well considered the excellent skilled people Southwest has."

An offensive front breakdown on freshman punter Greg Mitchell's second boot of the game resulted in the first score of the game when Bear DB Carmus Haynes burst through the line to block the kick and recovered in the endzone for the TD with 1:48 left in the opening quarter. Mac Hart's PAT made things 7-0.

That score remained intact until the final seconds of the first half when Bear QB Alvin Lee engineered a 13-play, 89-yard drive that ate 6:25 of the period. Lee ran it in for the score with 18 seconds left. Hart's PAT pushed Southwest's lead to 14-0.

Pearl River retaliated in the third when freshman QB Sedrick Samuel of Brewton, Ala., hit sophomore WR Desmond Bolar of Purvis with a 49-yard bomb. The Wildcats took advantage of a roughing the punter penalty and a fake punt to keep the scoring drive alive. Sophomore PK Nando Lopes of Carriere (Pearl River Central) booted the PAT to make things 14-7 with 7:57 left in the period.

"At times, our passing game worked really well," Daniels added. "Of course we had a couple of breakdowns in our pass protection and a couple of bad exchanges with center, but overall, we were pretty productive offensively. And that pleases me because we were playing a defense that was comparable to anybody we've played so far."

Southwest took the ensuing kickoff and marched 55 yards in five plays inside the Wildcat five, but a bone-jarring tackle on RB Jeremi Rudolph resulted in a fumble and sophomore DL Chris Gistorb of Alexandria, La., recovered for PRCC at the four.

The Wildcat offense began to click and converted three straight third-down situations, but a 10-yard QB sack on third down ended the drive at the Bear 48.

Southwest went three and out on the ensuing series and a 15-yard punt by Hart put PRCC in business at its own 40, but Bear DB Allen Henyard picked-off a long Samuel pass on first down and returned it to the SWCC 31. Southwest, using Rudolph as its workhorse, drove to the Wildcat nine, setting-up a 26-yard field goal by Hart with 3:56 left in the game to push its lead to 10.

Pearl River ended the game by driving 53 yards in 11 plays to the Southwest 23 as time expired.

The Wildcats finished the night with 233 total yards (139 rush, 94 pass), while the Bears managed 232 (234 rush, -2 pass). Freshman RB Jimmie Rax of Alexandria, La., paced PRCC with 47 yards on 10 carries, while sophomore RB Anthony Davis of Waterloo, N.C., was close behind with 42 yards on eight totes. Samuel connected on nine of 16 passes (two interceptions), while Lee hit on one of two passes.

Rudolph led Bear rushers with 84 yards on 13 carries, RB Carroll Landry had 78 yards on 16 totes.

PRCC had the edge in first downs -- 13-12 -- and converted on six of 13 third-down situations, while SWCC converted on five of 10. The Wildcats were penalized five times for 45 yards, while the Bears had nine penalties for 66 yards. Pearl River had two turnovers -- both interceptions -- while Southwest also had two -- both fumbles.

Pearl River takes on arch-rival Mississippi Gulf Coast this Saturday with Pascagoula High School hosting the annual battle beginning at 7 p.m., while Southwest plays defending state champ Hinds in Raymond.

Wildcats Hope To Continue Winning Ways Against Bears Thursday In Summit

Pearl River Enters Game Off First Win Of Season; Bears Fell To East Central 12-7 Last Week

POPLARVILLE—Pearl River Community College's Wildcats hope to continue their winning ways this Saturday, when they face the South Division rival Southwest Bears in Summit.

Pearl River (1-4, 0-1) enters the game off its first victory of the season -- a 48-0 shutout over Coahoma last Saturday -- while Southwest (3-2, 0-1) dropped its division opener 12-7 to East Central in Decatur.

Fourth-year Wildcat head coach Keith Daniels is optimistic heading into the division battle and touted his group for enduring four straight weeks of defeats.

"It's been a long four weeks for us and I kids really hung in there. Hopefully this (Coahoma win) will give us the momentum to play well the rest of the season," Daniels said following the shutout of winless Coahoma.

Daniels admits, however, that Southwest is not Coahoma.

"Southwest is a good football team with a very strong defense and excellent front people," he said. "We have our work cut out for us and I feel that Coach (Steve) Campbell and his staff will rally their guys after playing so poorly against East Central last week."

Heading into the East Central game, the Bears led the state in rushing, but, says Campbell, Southwest's defense paves the road to success. Thus far, the Bears have allowed just 38 points and have recorded two shutouts (23-0 against Northeast, 13-0 against East Mississippi). Prior to East Central, SWCC was second in the state in rushing defense (68.5 yards per game) and fifth in total defense (201.3).

Offensively, Southwest's ground game has been fine, averaging 266.8 yards per game prior to the ECCC match-up. QB Alvin Lee (5-11, 180), TB Jeremi Rudolph (5-8, 180), and FB Carroll Landry (6-0, 205) have averaged nearly 6 yards a carry this season, while Rudolph has ran for 5 touchdowns.

Last week against Coahoma, the Wildcats boasted their best game of 1998, producing a season-high 408 total yards, while limiting the Tigers to 131 -- also a season best.

Sophomore RB Anthony Davis of Waterloo, S.C., led all rushers in the contest with a career-high 144 yards on 16 carries, including two TD runs -- one for 72 yards. Freshman QB Sedrick Samuel of Brewton, Ala., also had a big day, connecting on two touchdown passes -- a 47-yarder to sophomore WR Desmond Bolar of Purvis and a 29-yarder to freshman WR Larry Morrow of Oak Grove -- while running for another. Freshman RB Jimmie Rax of Alexandria, La., also scored for PRCC and finished the game with 60 yards on nine carries.

"All the bad things that had been going against us the first four weeks of the season went with us against Coahoma," Daniels said. "We accomplished what we set out to do. We played hard and gave a great effort. We put ourselves into the position to make plays and played sound defense.

"Even though our defensive people didn't make any real big plays, they did create turnovers and gave us excellent field position. Offensively, we had some big plays and put together drives that consumed a lot of the clock."

Pearl River finished the game with no turnovers, while Wildcat defenders garnered five from the Tigers, including two interceptions by freshman DB Patrick Walker of Columbia.

"Players of the Week" for the Coahoma game as selected by the Wildcat coaching staff include:

DEFENSIVE AWARD -- Freshman DB Patrick Walker of Columbia (2 interceptions, 3 solo tackles, 2 assists, 1 tackle for loss).

OFFENSIVE AWARD -- Sophomore RB Anthony Davis of Waterloo, N.C. (144 yards on 16 carries, 2 touchdowns).

DOMINATOR AWARD (Offensive Line) -- Sophomore TE Nate Williams of Hattiesburg.

INTIMIDATOR AWARD (Defensive Line) -- Sophomore DL Chris Gistorb of Alexandria, La. (3 solo tackles, 1 assist, 1 pass hurry).

SPECIAL TEAMS AWARD -- Freshman DB Cedric Brown of Hattiesburg (7 solo tackles, 5 assists, 3 tackles for losses).

The Wildcats lead the PRCC-SWCC series 44-10 (3 ties) in a rivalry that dates back to 1937 when Pearl River won 27-20. Southwest won last year's match-up 42-14, but PRCC won the previous nine. Southwest was victorious 31-30 in 1987 and 32-7 in 1985.

The Wildcats have won an unprecedented 14 state championships, while Southwest won its only state title in 1958.

Kickoff for the South Division battle is 7:30 p.m. on the SWCC campus in Summit.

Pearl River Earns First Victory Via Lopsided Shutout Over Coahoma

Daniels Hopes Win Will "Give Us The Momentum To Play Well The Rest Of The Season"
 

POPLARVILLE—It was five weeks in coming, but the Pearl River Wildcats won their first game of the 1998 season here Saturday with a convincing 48-0 shutout over the winless Coahoma Tigers.

The Wildcats improved to 1-4 overall and eye their second South Division contest of the season this Saturday with a road trip to Southwest in Summit, while the Tigers remain winless at 0-5. PRCC, 0-1 in the division, fell 40-7 to undefeated and nationally-ranked Jones on September 26.

Pearl River head coach Keith Daniels was obviously relieved to finally get a win.

"It's been a long four weeks for us and I kids really hung in there," Daniels said. "Hopefully this will give us the momentum to play well the rest of the season. Of course, Coahoma doesn't have a very good football team, but we're not embarrassed about that. Prior to this game, we'd played three of the best teams in the state."

Coahoma committed three of its five turnovers on its first three possessions of the game with two resulting in Wildcat scores. Sophomore DB Patrick Walker of Columbia picked-off one of his two interceptions of the afternoon on the opening series and returned it to the Wildcat 16. Three plays later, sophomore RB Anthony Davis of Waterloo, S.C., plowed over from the four. Sophomore PK Nando Lopes of Carriere (Pearl River Central) added the PAT and PRCC led 7-0 with 10:51 left in the opening quarter.

Two plays later, the Wildcats recovered a Tiger fumble at the PRCC 34, then freshman QB Sedrick Samuel of Brewton, Ala., targeted sophomore WR Desmond Bolar of Purvis with a 35-yard TD strike with 9:55 left. Lopes added the PAT.

After an exchange of punts, Walker got his second pick of the afternoon an returned it to the 29. Six plays later, Samuel hit freshman WR Larry Morrow of Oak Grove with a 29-yard scoring pass. Lopes' PAT seemingly pushed things out of reach -- 21-0 -- for the visitors at the 2:27 point.

The Wildcats scored two more times in the first half. Samuel scored on a 47-yard run with 5:38 left in the half (Lopes PAT), then freshman OL Robbie Stewart of Hattiesburg pounced on a PRCC fumble in the endzone with 12 seconds left. Lopes missed the extra point, but The River led 34-0 at the half.

Freshman RB Jimmie Rax of Alexandria, La., padded the lopside with a four-yard run with 7:12 left in the third (Lopes PAT), then Davis sprinted for 72 of his career-high 144 yards with a TD run with 3:35 left in the period. Lopes PAT ended the afternoon's scoring -- Pearl River 48, Coahoma 0.

Daniels opted to basically run out of the clock in the fourth period, killing the final three minutes of the game by instructing his QBs to sneak or take a knee.

"All the bad things that had been going against us in the past went with us this afternoon," Daniels said. "And I didn't see any point in pouring salt on the wound. Coahoma is still winless. They were beat 80-7 by Northwest last week and I couldn't see us accomplishing anything by running up the score further. Coach (Melvin) Eubanks and his team have to play next week just like we do.

"We accomplished what we set out to do," he continued. "We played hard and gave a great effort. We put ourselves into the position to make plays and played sound defense. Even tough our defensive people didn't make any real big plays, they did create turnovers and gave us excellent field position. Offensively, we had some big plays and put together drives that consumed a lot of the clock and we took care of the football."

Daniels singled the likes of Walker for his defensive efforts. Freshman DB Cedrick Brown of Hattiesburg also drew praise for his team-high seven solo tackles, five assists, and three tackles for losses. On the offensive side, he said Davis "played the best game thus far into the season, while our two fullbacks (sophomore Cornelious Thornton of Blakely, Ga., and freshman Deshonzo Franklin of Columbia) both played excellent games."

Daniels also cited his Wildcats' kicking game. Freshman WR Chris Marshall of Petal, who handles PRCC's punt return duties, returned five Coahoma kicks for 91 yards (18.2-yard average), including a 30-yard return in the first quarter. He also had one kickoff return for 18 yards. Freshman WR-P Greg Mitchell of Picayune averaged 39 yards on four kicks, including a 53-yard boomer in the second quarter.

The Wildcats finished the afternoon with 22 first downs to the Tigers' seven, while generating a season-high 408 yards of total offense (342 rush, 66 pass). Coahoma had 131 total yards (131 rush, 11 pass). Samuel and Rax also had 70 and 60 yards rushing, respectively.

A 7 p.m. kickoff is set for the PRCC-SWCC match-up Thursday on the Southwest Mississippi campus in Summit.