Jones wins 'Cat Fight 35-7 POPLARVILLE — A season of great expectations ended in disheartening dismay for Pearl River Community College here Thursday in Dobie Holden Stadium, as arch-rival Jones County took a convincing 35-7 victory in the 81st-annual 'Cat Fight and handed the host Wildcats their first losing season since 2000. PRCC, which entered its 2011 campaign with a No. 8 preseason national ranking by the NJCAA, wrapped its season at 4-5 overall and 3-3 in MACJC South Division play; while JCJC finished 6-3 and 3-3.....more

'Cat Fight hits gridiron for 81st time Thursday POPLARVILLE — One of the most storied rivalries in all of community college football hits the gridiron for the 81st time Thursday when Pearl River hosts Jones County in a "playing for pride" MACJC South Division battle. The host Wildcats, 5-4 overall, 3-2 in division play, were eliminated from post-season playoff contention last Saturday via a 59-32 beatdown at Hinds, which saw the host Eagles clinch at least the South's No. 2 seed with the lopsided victory. JCJC (5-3 and 2-3), on the other hand, have been out of the playoff hunt since dropping its first three division games.....more

Hinds squashes River playoff hopes with 59-32 beat down RAYMOND — About eight weeks ago, then-No. 8-ranked Pearl River entered its 2001 football season with high expectations, but those elite aspirations were quickly squashed here Saturday with a lopsided 59-32 MACJC South Division beat down by the now-playoff-bound Hinds Eagles. The Wildcats, now 4-4 overall and 3-2 in division play, saw any hopes of post-season play vanish with the five-turnover setback; while the host Eagles, 7-1 and 5-0 and ranked No. 12 nationally, clinched at least the division's No. 2 spot heading into this Saturday's road match up with eighth-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast which will decided the South championship.....more

River tackles No. 12 Eagles Saturday PRCC Sports Information POPLARVILLE — The situation is a simple one for the Pearl River Wildcats: win out and make the MACJC post-season football playoffs. Lose just one and it's all over but the crying. And it all cranks up Saturday when PRCC treks to Raymond to tackle the No. 12-ranked Hinds Eagles, undefeated in South Division play at 4-0, in a critical match up at 1 p.m. "It's not rocket science," said 10th-year Wildcat head coach Tim Hatten. "Win out and we're in. Another loss and we're out (of the playoff race)." ....more

No. 3-ranked East Miss spoils River's Homecoming 41-17 PRCC Sports Information POPLARVILLE — Third-ranked East Mississippi Community College proved more than worthy of its prestigious NJCAA national ranking, as the Lions bombarded Pearl River 41-17 to spoil the host Wildcats' 2011 Homecoming outing. EMCC, which improved to 7-0 with the victory, scored three unanswered touchdowns in the first half to build a commanding 27-7 lead at the intermission and PRCC's "catch up" antics fell short. Tenth-year River head coach Tim Hatten lauded the Lions' effort.....more

Wildcats down Wolfpack 26-5 PRCC Sports Information POPLARVILLE — Pearl River's Wildcats bounced back into the win column Thursday with a 26-5 bombing of Copiah-Lincoln in MACJC South Division football action here in Dobie Holden Stadium. PRCC improved to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in division play with the victory, while the visiting Wolfpack dropped to 3-3 and 1-3. The Wildcats entered the game off a disheartening 17-10 setback to 10th-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast in Perkinston a week earlier for their only division loss of the season.....more

River out for South Division redemption versus Co-Lin PRCC Sports Information POPLARVILLE — After a huge 17-10 MACJC South Division road loss to Mississippi Gulf Coast a week ago, Pearl River's Wildcats are out to bounce back into the win column against reigning division champion Copiah-Lincoln when the Wolfpack visits Thursday. A 7 p.m. kickoff is set here in Dobie Holden Stadium.....more

Bulldogs squeak by Wildcats PRCC Sports Information PERKINSTON — Twelfth-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast squeaked past 13th-ranked Pearl River with a hard-fought 17-10 MACJC South Division victory here Thursday before a capacity crowd in A.L. May Stadium. The host Bulldogs, the defending state champions, utilized its touted "jumbo package" to push Reggie Matthews one yard into the end zone to give Gulf Coast the lead for good at 17-10 lead early in the fourth quarter, but the visiting Wildcats fought back valiantly only to see wide receiver Jonathan Duncan ruled down at the one-foot-line on a 48-yard reception — the last play of the game.....more

Pearl River-Perk rivalry hits gridiron for 86th time PRCC Sports Information POPLARVILLE — One of the most-heralded rivalries in the history of junior college football hits the gridiron for the 86th time Thursday when 13th-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast hosts 15th-ranked Pearl River for a 7 p.m. MACJC South Division showdown in A.L. May Stadium in Perkinston. The Wildcats, 3-1 overall and 2-0 in South Division play, enter the game off their third-straight win via a lopsided 31-13 road win over division foe East Central last week in Decatur, while the Bulldogs smacked Southwest Mississippi 34-23 in Summit to improve to 3-1 and 2-0.....more

Wildcats drop Warriors 31-13 PRCC Sports Information DECATUR — The 15th-ranked Pearl River Wildcats picked up a 31-13 victory over MACJC South Division rival East Central here Thursday. PRCC improved to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in division play, while ECCC dropped to 1-3 and 0-1. Wildcat All-American quarterback Melvin German of Ft. Myers, Fla., shined, passing for four touchdowns and connecting on 27 of 46 throws (two interceptions) for 368 yards, including a 14-of-19 passing effort in the second half.....more

River eye big road test against East Central PRCC Sports Information POPLARVILLE — Fifteenth-ranked Pearl River takes a two-game winning streak into Thursday's MACJC South Division road battle with East Central, but 10th-year Wildcat head coach Tim Hatten says the host Warriors aren't to be taken lightly. PRCC, 2-1 overall and 1-0 in division play, comes into the contest off a hard-fought 27-21 division win over scrappy Southwest Mississippi last week at home, pulling out the victory in the final two minutes of play.....more

Wildcats 27-20 winners over Bears in South Division opener PRCC Sports Information POPLARVILLE — The 15th-ranked Pearl River Wildcats got all they could handle from scrappy Southwest Mississippi here Thursday, pulling out a hard-fought 27-20 MACJC South Division victory in the final two minutes of in the contest. All-American quarterback Melvin German of Ft. Myers, Fla., hit Seth Roberts of Tallahassee, Fla., with a 21-yard scoring pass in the end zone with 1:41 left for the hard-fought win in the division openers for both squads. PRCC improved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in division play, while SMCC dropped to 1-2 and 0-1. ....more

River opens South Division schedule Thursday at home against Southwest PRCC Sports Information POPLARVILLE — Pearl River Community College opens its 2010 MACJC South Division football schedule Thursday when the Wildcats play host to the Southwest Mississippi Bears in their home opener here in Dobie Holden Stadium. A 7 p.m. kickoff is set.....more

River eyes rebound against Itawamba PRCC Sports Information POPLARVILLE — After falling in overtime to Northwest Mississippi in its 2011 season opener last week in Senatobia, Pearl River's Wildcats are out to make a bold statement Thursday when the Itawamba Indians play host in a 7 p.m. MACJC non-division battle....more

Wildcats come up a point shy to Rangers in OT in opener PRCC Sports Information SENATOBIA — Eighth-ranked Pearl River fell to ninth-ranked Northwest Mississippi 56-55 in overtime in season-opening football action here Thursday in a record-setting offensive confrontation that saw the two rivals amass a combined 1,114 yards of total offense....more

River opens at Northwest PRCC Sports Information POPLARVILLE — The eighth-ranked Pearl River Wildcats open their football season on the road this Thursday against the ninth-ranked Northwest Mississippi Rangers in a contest that will be a litmus test for both squads. Both perennial MACJC powers will get a solid idea of their gridiron prowess in 2011 after locking horns at 6:30 p.m. in Ranger Stadium....more

Great expectations set stage for River's Centennial season PRCC Sports Information POPLARVILLE — Tenth-year head coach Tim Hatten's expectations are sky high as his eighth-ranked Pearl River Wildcats enter their Centennial season of football in 2011. Since Hatten arrived on campus in the summer of 2002, he has guided The River to four (2003 through 2006) of its unprecedented 19 state championships and an NJCAA national title in 2004....more