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     POPLARVILLE   Pearl River Community College's Wildcats picked up their first win
of the 1999 season here Thursday, handing the winless Mississippi Delta Trojans a 24-8 loss in
non division football action in Dobie Holden Stadium.
     PRCC's inconsistent play in its first two outings of the season resulted in losses to
Itawamba (27-16 in Fulton) and East Mississippi (35-3 in Poplarville), but the Wildcats
rebounded with an impressive offensive and defensive show to improve to 1-2 overall. The
Trojans dropped to 0-3 and, like the Wildcats, open division play next week when they face North
rival Itawamba in Fulton on Thursday. Undefeated and defending state champion Jones (3-0)
hosts Pearl River next Saturday in Ellisville in both team's South Division openers.
     Pearl River's dominating play started early. On the game's opening possession, Mississippi
Delta went three-and-out, then WR Chris Marshall return Jimmy John Bolm's punt 38 yards to
the Trojan 35. On first down, RB Deshonzo Franklin ran right for 27 to the four, then QB Andre
Granger scored from one yard out on third down. Jack Byrd's PAT was good and PRCC led 7-0
with just two and a half minutes gone.
     Mississippi Delta answered with a drive to the Wildcat 29, but was held on downs.
     On Pearl River's first drive of the second quarter, the Wildcats converted a fourth and-
four situation to keep an eight play, 66 yard scoring drive alive. A reverse to WR Keshun Fudge
was good for 15 yards, complimented by a face mask penalty on the tackle, moved things to the
MDCC 16. Two plays later, FB Avery Hatten scored from the 13 and Byrd converted to make
things 14-0 with 11:35 left in the half.
     The Trojans drove to the Wildcat 30 on their ensuing drive, but Brian Andrus' 47 yard
field goal was no good. Two series later, the Wildcats committed their only turnover of the game
when Trojan LB Frank Brown recovered a fumble at the Delta 37. Seven plays later, PRCC held
and took over on downs at its own 39.
     On Pearl River's second series of the second half, a roughing-the-punter keyed another
Wildcat score. Two plays after the miscue, another Trojan penalty moved things to the Delta 18.
RB Ramah Smith scored five plays later from the three. Byrd's PAT made things 21-0 with 2:42
left in the quarter.
     DB Travis Covington thwarted Delta's ensuing drive with a fumble recovery at the PRCC
30 as the quarter ended. Nine plays later, Byrd booted a 33 yard field goal to pad the Wildcats'
lead to 24 zip with 11:39 left.
     Delta answered with a 13 play, 76 yard scoring drive, capped by QB Lakendrick Powell's
14 yard touchdown strike to WR Mario Young. RB Danny Smith ran for the two point
conversion to make things 24-8 with 8:10 remaining.
     The Trojans drove 66 yards in 13 plays to the Wildcat 10, but DB Derrell Burkett picked-
off Powell's fourth down pass with 1:30 left. Granger took a knee to end the game three plays
later.
     Pearl River, which converted 10 of 16 third down situations for the night, amassed a
season high 367 yards of total offense (277 rush, 90 pass). The Wildcats' balanced rushing attack
was paced by Franklin's 49 yards on eight carries, while Granger had 48 on 12 totes. Hatten ran
seven times for 45 yards, FB Michael Shelby eight for 39, RB Donovan Walker twice for 25,
Smith four for 30, and RB Trey McLemore three for 23.
     Granger also completed five of 11 passes for 41 yards, while QB Nate Breland was one of
two for 49. Marshall led PRCC receivers with four snags for 74 yards.
     Pearl River had 21 first downs to Delta's 18 and were penalized seven times for 40 yards
to MDCC's 13 for 82.
     Wildcat punter Greg Mitchell had four boots for a 43 yard average, while Bolm averaged
38 yards on four kicks.
     Powell was the Trojan's offensive star, amassing 192 total yards (133 passing, 59
rushing), while Smith had 79 yards on 15 carries. RB Alfred Coleman had 56 yards on nine totes,
while Young caught seven passes for 84 yards. Mississippi Delta converted only four of 14 third-
down situations.
     In other junior college action around the state, Jones defeated Northeast 28-0 in Ellisville,
Northwest defeated Copiah-Lincoln 44-8 in Senatobia, East Central defeated East Mississippi 33-
13 in Scooba, Mississippi Gulf Coast defeated Holmes 24-3 in Gulfport, and Itawamba defeated
Southwest 24-21 in Summit.
     Winless Coahoma hosts undefeated Hinds in Clarksdale in the only Saturday game
scheduled this week, then hosts Northwest (2-1) next Thursday to open division action. Other
division openers set next week include, Copiah-Lincoln (1-2) at East Central (2-1) in Decatur,
Mississippi Gulf Coast (3-0) at Hinds (3-0) in Raymond, Holmes (1-2) at Northeast (0-3) in
Booneville, Mississippi Delta (0-3) at Itawamba (2-1) in Fulton, and Pearl River (1-2) at Jones (3-
0) in Ellisville. Southwest (2-1) plays East Mississippi (1-2) in Scooba Saturday, September 25..