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After back-to-back road contests, the Pearl River football team returns home Thursday to take on Copiah-Lincoln. The game at Dobie Holden Stadium is set to kick off at 7 p.m.

Pearl River (1-2 overall; 0-1 MACCC South) is coming off a 33-10 defeat at No. 5 Gulf Coast.

Pearl River had 408 yards of total offense, the most that Gulf Coast had given up all season.

“You’re never happy to lose a game, but I was extremely happy about the fight,” head coach Seth Smith said. “We went into the fourth quarter tied 10-10. I felt that two weeks in a row we’ve played with an energy, enthusiasm and effort that is contagious throughout the game. That is reflective of who we will be.

“We knew coming in that it was going to take some time to get this thing flipped, but I’m proud of the kids because of the way they fought.”

The Wildcats are focused on finishing heading into this week.

“We can do a better job of taking more shots once they tighten up in the box,” Smith said. “A takeaway from offense is how well we moved the ball; we just didn’t finish. Three different times we were inside of the red zone and came away with no points. We have to finish.”

Bryce Wallace (Pulaski, Tenn; Giles County) leads Pearl River in passing this season, completing 28 passes for 327 yards.

The ground game is led by Chris Holifield Jr. (Mobile, Ala.; Leflore) who has 151 yards and a touchdown. Wallace narrowly trails with 145 yards on a touchdown.

The leading pass catcher for the Wildcats is Tavion Smith (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) who has hauled in eight receptions for 114 yards.

Justin Jefferson (Memphis, Tenn.; Bartlett) leads the team in tackles with 19 on the season.

SCOUTING COPIAH-LINCOLN
Copiah-Lincoln (1-2; 1-0) is riding high after winning their first game of the season, beating Southwest 39-21 in the first game of division play.

“We’ve got to continue to worry about us,” Smith said. ” I know we came up short last week, but we just need to focus on doing what we do and being great at it. Co-Lin is a great football team.”

The Wolves are balanced on offense rushing and passing for similar numbers each game.

“I think our defensive line has to play really good for us to be successful,” Smith said. “They have good balance on offense, so the thing to offset that is good defensive line play. We need to put pressure on them. If our defensive line plays hard, we can keep them off balance.”

The Wolves are led on the ground by Drexlan Allen who has carried the ball 31 times for 215 yards and one touchdown.

The Co-Lin air attack is led by Paul Hargrave who has thrown for 251 yards and three touchdowns in the early going.

Abdural Lee is the leading tackler for CLCC, averaging 10.3 tackles per game.

PEARL RIVER-COPIAH-LINCOLN SERIES
Pearl River holds a 42-41-3 all-time record against Co-Lin, according to PRCC records. The Wolves won last year’s game 27-24.

COVID-19 
Fans are asked to be prepared to wear a mask and social distance when possible. For up to date policies, visit PRCC.edu/coronavirus.

TICKETS 
Fans are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to avoid lines. Tickets are available now and can be purchased at PRCCAthletics.com/tickets. General admission tickets can be purchased in advance for $8 or at the box office for $10.

TUNE IN  
The Wildcats will once again livestream all games for free at PRCCMedia.com/gold. Fans who have Roku, Amazon Fire or Apple TV devices can also watch the Wildcat broadcasts by downloading the “Pearl River CC” channel from their app. stores.

Games will also be available over the air in Pearl River County by tuning into 1320 AM and 106.9 FM., in Columbia on WCJU 102.7 FM and 1450 AM, and in Hattiesburg on WHSY 105.9 FM and 950 AM. The radio broadcast is also available at WRJWRadio.com and by downloading the WRJW app.

For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow them on Twitter (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).