Wildcats splatter Indians 34-8 for first victory of 2011 season

FULTON Fourteenth-ranked Pearl River Community College picked up its first football victory of 2011 season here Thursday, easily disposing of MACJC non-division host Itawamba 34-8. The win came on the coattail of last week 56-55 overtime loss to sixth-ranked Northwest Mississippi in Senatobia. PRCC was ranked eighth nationally by the NJCAA entering that contest, while NWCC was ninth. Tenth-year Wildcat head coach Tim Hatten was pleased with his team rebound into the win column. It was a great win for us, he said. Not the prettiest win weve ever had, but it was definitely a good one. Pearl River finished the game with 476 yards of total offense, including an uncharacteristic 210 yards on the ground with All-American quarterback Melvin German leading the way with 81 yards (13 carries) and three rushing touchdowns. The single-game rushing total was the most by the Wildcats since last year 144-yard mark in their 34-14 win over ICC in Poplarville. After DB Leonard Johnson of East Marion High snatched his second interception of the year on ICC first possession of the game at his own 47, German engineered a 12-play, 53-yard scoring drive for the Wildcats. The sophomore who prepped at Dunbar High in Ft. Myers, Fla., was five of six in the series before running it in from 13 yards out with 3:15 left in the opening period. Caleb Kergosien of St. Stanislaus College kicked the PAT to make it 7-0. Itawamba went three and out on its ensuing possession and PRCC wasted little time padding its lead. Starting at their own 25, it took the Wildcats only eight plays for German to score on an 11-yard run with 13:39 left in the first half. He kicked off the drive with a 12-yard keeper before hitting four straight passes for 35 yards to the 28 before Jonathan Duncan gained 17 on a reverse to the 11, setting the stage for German scamper. Kergosien extra point made it 14-0. Two series later, ICC scored its only TD of the game. Starting at midfield, quarterback Darren Daniel zipped a 19-yard completion to Demarius Howard on first down, then a 12-yarder to Maurice Berry a snap later down to the Wildcat 20. From there, Keon McGaughy ran it in. Will Goodwin extra point kick was wide, but things were 14-6 with 8:06 left before the half. The ensuing kickoff sailed out of bound and Pearl River cranked up at its own 40. German hit Rickey Bradley of Oak Grove High for 24 yards on first down, then, three plays later, an ICC pass interference penalty converted a third and 10 to push things to the Indian 22. Seth Roberts of Tallahassee, Fla., then snagged a pass for 15 yards to the seven with Cheeto Johnson of Forrest County AHS running it in from there. Kergosien PAT was blocked and Itawamba Ryan Thompson picked up the loose pigskin and sped 92 yards for two points to make it 20-8 with 6:47 left in the half. Terrell Pinson returned Pearl River ensuing sky kick 20 yards to the Wildcat 40 and the Indians proceeded to drive to the four before McGaughy fumbled and PRCC recovered. After the Wildcats went three and out, the half ended three plays into ICC possession. The Indians opened the second half with a three and out before PRCC padded its lead. Starting at their own 18, it took the Wildcats only eight plays for German to get his third TD of the night on a three-yard keeper. Cheeto Johnson converted a second and five with a 24-yard run five plays into the series and saw his effort complimented by a 15-yard personal foul penalty by the hosts. Three plays later, ICC was called for pass interference at the nine, setting up the TD run before German hit Steve Simon of Columbia High for a two-point conversion to make it 28-8 with 9:58 left in the third quarter. After three punt exchanges, Pearl River scored the final points of the night. Starting at his own 20, German, who completed 10 straight passes to open the second half, kept for eight on first down then back-to-back five-yard penalties on the Wildcats pushed things back to the 17. German went to the air with five consecutive completions for a combined 64 yards the last a 25-yard TD strike to Roberts. Simon also had a nine-yard run in the series, while German has an 11-yard keeper. Again Kergosien PAT was blocked but things were 34-8 with 40 seconds left in the third. ICC drove to the Wildcat five on the next possession, but Rashod Merritt of Lumberton High KOd any comeback hopes when he picked off back up quarterback Canden Dallas in the end zone. After an exchange of punts, Pearl River drove to the Itawamba 27 only to see that possession end via a lost fumble. Two series later, the game ended. The Wildcats finished the game with 27 first downs to the Indians 13. ICC managed 186 yards of total offense (92 rush, 94 pass) to PRCC 476 (210 rush, 266 pass). German was 28 of 36 (no interceptions) for all of the River aerial yardage, while Daniel was three of 11 (one interception) for 27 yards and Dallas was four of 11 (one interception) for 67. Roberts led the Wildcats in receiving with 57 yards on five catches, while Duncan had 54 on five, and Bradley 47 on five. Demarius Howard led Itawamba with three receptions for 58 yards, McGaughy finished with 69 rushing yards on 13 carries. Pearl River was penalized 10 times for 101 yards, while Itawamba drew four flags for 42.Elsewhere Around The MACJC In other Thursday night action (all non-division games), Copiah-Lincoln pounded Holmes 47-14 in Goodman, sixth-ranked Northwest Mississippi bombed East Central 42-19 in Decatur, ninth-ranked East Mississippi trimmed Hinds 20-17 in Raymond, 12th-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast dropped Mississippi Delta 31-14 in Moorhead, Jones County smashed Coahoma 46-20 in Ellisville, and Northeast Mississippi creamed Southwest Mississippi 32-9 in Booneville.Next Week In The MACJC All but two schools in the MACJC open their respective division schedules next Thursday. Winless Itawamba (0-2) plays host to winless East Central (0-2) in Fulton for the only non-division game of the week. In the North Division, Holmes (0-2) hosts Coahoma (0-2) in Goodman, Northwest Mississippi (2-0) hosts East Mississippi (2-0) in Senatobia, and Mississippi Delta (0-2) hosts Northeast Mississippi (2-0) in Moorhead. In the South, Pearl River (1-1) hosts Southwest Mississippi (1-1) in Poplarville, Copiah-Lincoln (2-0) hosts Hinds (1-1) in Wesson, and Mississippi Gulf Coast (1-1) hosts Jones County (2-0) in Perkinston.