POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The 2025 campaign came to a close Thursday night for the Pearl River football team, as the Wildcats battled hard but fell to Jones College 21-16 at Sim Cooley Field.
"This is the most resilient group of kids that I've ever coached," head coach Seth Smith said. "Anything bad that could happen did right from the jump, but these kids never gave up on us. They kept coming to work, and that says so much about their character."
The Wildcats outgained the Bobcats 411 yards to 265 and dominated time of possession 43:16 to 16:44.
GAME RECAP
Both defenses controlled the pace early, with Pearl River (1-8 overall; 0-6 MACCC) and Jones College (5-4; 2-4) trading stops throughout the first quarter. The Wildcats finally broke through with 21 seconds remaining in the period. Under heavy pressure, quarterback Kobe Pierce (Laurel) escaped the pocket and rolled left, signaling to his receivers downfield. He found Da'Koreyon Payton (Gulfport) wide open over the middle, and Payton did the rest, racing to the end zone for a 46-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Late in the second quarter, Zach Townsend (Grenada) made one of PRCC's more impressive defensive plays of the season. After falling while defending a pass, he managed to track the ball and haul in an interception while lying on his back. The Wildcats couldn't capitalize, but they carried their 7-0 advantage into halftime.
Jones evened things up midway through the third quarter when its quarterback weaved through the Wildcat defense for a 63-yard touchdown, making it 7-7. Pearl River answered immediately with a steady, 13-play, 59-yard drive. The series was capped by the first career field goal from Colton Stringer (State Line; Wayne Academy), who split the uprights from 23 yards out to regain the lead, 10-7.
The momentum didn't last long, as Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a go-ahead touchdown, 14-10. The Bobcats added insurance with 5:22 remaining, punching in a 3-yard rushing score to extend the lead to 21-10.
Pearl River refused to go quietly. Pierce connected with Donovan McGowan (Mandeville, La.) on a 34-yard strike between two defenders to spark a late drive. A few plays later, Keenan Franks (State Line; Greene County) powered in from 3 yards out for the touchdown — the ninth of his career, tying him for the fourth-most in a single season in program history. The two-point attempt fell short, leaving the final score at 21-16.
LEADING THE WAY
Pierce finished 13-for-19 for 145 yards. He also ran for 125 yards on 16 attempts.
Franks finished with 111 yards and a score on 26 attempts. Franks' 111 yards pushed him to 1,328 for his career, placing him in seventh place all-time in career rushing yards. Jacobi Jefferson (Slidell, La.; Salmen) tacked on 56 yards.
Payton had 64 yards and a score on four catches. Howard Kinchen (Lafayette, La.; Patterson) made six catches for 42 yards.
Eric Moore Jr. (Ocean Springs) finished with a team-high seven tackles followed by Garrett Orgas (Vicksburg; Warren Central), who had six. Both had half a tackle for loss.
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