Pearl River hits the road for South Division contest at Southwest
POPLARVILLE — The Pearl River Wildcats will be looking for a South Division victory Saturday evening when they travel to Summit to take on the Southwest Bears.
The game, which kicks off at 5 p.m., will be streamed at PRCCAthletics.com. It can also be heard on WRJW 1320-AM in Pearl River County and WCJU 104.9-FM in Columbia/Prentiss area.
The Wildcats (0-6; 0-4 MACJC South) have started to find their offensive identity but have yet to put together a complete game in 2018.
With this week’s game moved from the usual Thursday night action to Saturday, the Wildcats are taking advantage of the extra opportunity for preparation.
“So far they have done a good job in practice this week,” PRCC coach Ted Egger said. “We just need to clean up what needs to be cleaned up and focus in on what needs to be done.”
Head coach Ted Egger leads the Pearl River football team onto the field Oct. 4, 2018 against Jones County Junior College. PRCC travels to Southwest on Saturday for a 5 p.m. start. (JUCOWeekly.org)
BY THE NUMBERS
Running back Ron Thompson (Bassfield) is still one of the top rushers in both the state and country. Through six games, Thompson’s 618 yards are eighth in the country, while his 103 yards per game are 10th. His 6.7 yards per carry also ranks 15th.
Pearl River running back Ron Thompson breaks free against Jones College on Oct. 4, 2018 at Dobie Holden Stadium in Poplarville. PRCC visits Southwest on Saturday for a 5 p.m. start. (JUCOWeekly.org)
Quarterback Tavis Williams (Gulfport; Harrison Central) has started to hit his stride in the Wildcat offense, scoring three rushing touchdowns in as many games as starter. On the year, Williams has passed for 323 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 242 yards and three scores.
Tyler Polk (St. Martin) leads PRCC with 20 receptions for 208 yards and is one of four Wildcats with a receiving touchdown.
Defensively for the Wildcats, linebacker Reggie Williams (Hattiesburg) is still leading the way with 44 tackles on the season. Defensive back Kyron Norwood (Brooklyn; Forrest County AHS), linebacker Josh Booker-Brown (Houston, Texas; Westfield) and lineman GiNarious Johnson (Gulfport) aren’t far behind with 31, 29 and 28 total tackles, respectively.
SCOUTING SOUTHWEST
Southwest (1-5; 0-4) is on a five-game losing skid after winning its season opener against Northeast, 33-28. The Bears were most recently defeated at home by Gulf Coast 56-7.
“They run the option and it is a pretty dangerous offense so they can hit you at anytime with a big play,” Egger said. “We need to do a good job of playing disciplined football and take advantage of any mistakes they make.
“We need to be on top of our game.”
Quarterback Da’Bryan Magee has been a dynamic weapon for the Bears passing with 643 yards and eight touchdowns. He also leads the team in rushing with 289 yards and two touchdowns.
Receivers Anthony Jones and Johnny Wilson are the two main targets for Magee as they have accounted for almost half of the receiving yards for Southwest with 358.
According to school records, PRCC holds a 59-15-3 advantage over Southwest, splitting the series 2-2 in the last four years.
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