POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Coming off a breakout performance by quarterback Kobe Pierce (Laurel) in a high scoring battle with East Mississippi, Pearl River looks to carry the offensive momentum into Thursday night's homecoming showdown as they return to South Division play against Hinds.
The Homecoming parade will begin at 5 p.m. The route will run from the Nursing building at the back of campus to the road between the dorms and Dobie Holden Stadium. The Wildcat Walk will begin at 5:30 p.m. The Homecoming court will be presented at 6:30 p.m., and kickoff between the Wildcats and Eagles will be at 7 p.m.
ABOUT PEARL RIVER
The Wildcats (1-6 overall; 0-4 MACCC) found a bright spot on offense in last week's loss to East Mississippi with the performance of converted wide receiver turned quarterback, Pierce. In his first start at quarterback since high school, Pierce stepped up and completed 21 of 34 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 27 rushing yards on the ground.
Pierce is targeting a strong trio of receivers this season, led by Kedrick Triplett (Florence, Ala.), who has recorded 402 yards and five touchdowns on 23 receptions. Howard Kinchen (Lafayette, La.; Patterson) follows closely with 321 yards on 27 receptions and is tied with Triplett for the team lead in touchdowns with five. Rounding out the group, Donovan McGowan (Mandeville, La.) has contributed 242 yards on 18 receptions.
The rushing attack for Pearl River is spearheaded by Kennan Franks (State Line; Greene County), who has amassed 636 yards and six touchdowns this season. His average of 90.9 yards per game ranks third in the MACCC, while his six touchdowns place him sixth in the conference.
Daniel Pickens (Gautier; Resurrection) leads the Wildcats' defense with 58 total tackles, a mark that ranks fifth in the MACCC. He has also contributed an interception and two pass breakups. Right behind him is Garrett Orgas (Vicksburg; Warren Central), who has tallied 41 tackles, including three tackles for loss, along with another forced fumble and five pass breakups.
Defensive standout Jalen Anderson (Slidell, La.) has been a force for the Wildcats, recording six sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss on the season. His six sacks place him just half a sack behind the MACCC leader, while his 9.5 tackles for loss ranks fifth in the conference. Anderson has also made an impact in coverage, snagging an interception and returning it for 66 yards.
ABOUT HINDS
Hinds (5-2; 3-1) comes into the matchup being led by freshman quarterback Jaylon Ruffin. Ruffin has 1,627 yards on 126 completions on 198 attempts. He comes into the game with six touchdowns and only three interceptions. Ruffin has also tallied 412 yards on the ground and four more touchdowns.
Ruffin has a deep group of receivers at his disposal, led by Braishun Forbes, who has totaled 404 yards and four touchdowns on 24 receptions. His 57.7 receiving yards per game ranks ninth in the MACCC.
Three more Eagles' receivers have surpassed the 200-yard mark: Kiandre Terry has 259 yards on 20 receptions, averaging 12.9 yards per catch; DJ Miller has matched Terry's reception total with 20, adding 256 yards; and Detraun Brown rounds out the group with 243 yards on 22 receptions.
The Hinds rushing attack features a two-headed backfield led by Geron Johnson and Julius Bradley. Johnson leads the team with 450 yards on 74 carries, while Bradley is close behind with 299 yards on 66 attempts. The duo has combined for seven touchdowns — Bradley with four and Johnson with three — providing a balanced and effective ground game for the Eagles.
The Eagle defense is anchored by Jermar McCarter, who leads the team with 49 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for loss. He also tops the squad with two forced fumbles, consistently disrupting opposing offenses. Amerian Bailey follows with 32 tackles, along with a sack and three tackles for loss.
Another key contributor is Kevin Beckham, who has recorded 28 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, and two interceptions, proving to be a versatile playmaker in the secondary.
TUNE IN
All Pearl River football games are livestreamed free at PRCCMedia.com/Gold. Fans with Roku, Amazon Fire, or Apple TV can also watch by downloading the "Pearl River CC" channel.
Games will also air locally on WRJW 1320-AM, 106.9 FM, and WRJWRadio.com.
TICKETS
Tickets for Pearl River home games are on sale now at PRCCAthletics.com/tickets. General admission tickets are $10 in advance and $13 on game day.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).