By By Shawn Wansley / EMG sports writer
Oct. 20, 2002
ELLISVILLE  The Pearl River Community College Wildcats entered Saturday's game with the Jones Junior College Bobcats as the first place team in the South Division.
The Wildcats are still in first place after a turnover-plagued, penalty-filled 44-17 whipping of the Bobcats at Bush-Young Stadium.
interceptions, too."
The receiver Dykes was referring to was Donovan Morgan, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound sophomore from New Orleans. Morgan caught eight passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns.
First-year Pearl River head coach Tim Hatten was pleased with his team's play.
In the game, JCJC turned the ball over seven times n four interceptions and three lost fumbles. The Wildcats, meanwhile, threw four interceptions, but did not fumble the ball.
The Bobcats were penalized 13 times for 123 yards and the Wildcats were penalized 14 times for 11 yards. JCJC threw the ball 28 times, while Pearl River threw it 38 times.
Pearl River is now 5-2 overall, 4-0 in the division. JCJC, ranked No. 8 in last week's National Junior College Athletic Association poll, drops to 5-2 overall, 2-2 in the division.
The Wildcats got on the board first taking the opening kickoff and driving from their 20-yard line to the Bobcat 28. The drive stalled and Greg Bryant kicked a 45-yard field goal with 11:13 left in the first quarter.
JCJC's Derrick Ducksworth, a Mize freshman, intercepted a Garrett Tapper pass at the PRCC 15 and returned it to the 9 late in the first quarter. The Bobcats could not dent the end zone, so Nicholas Terracina came on to kick a 24-yard field goal, tying the score at 3-3 with 4:43 showing.
PRCC then drove 65 yards in four plays for the game's first touchdown. Kris Cannon capped the drive with a 7-yard run at the 12:47 mark of the second quarter. A 60-yard pass from Tapper to Jonathan Eiland set up the score. Bryant's conversion made it 10-3.
But the Bobcats came back to tie it up.
Collins' Johnny Keyes picked off a Tapper pass at the PRCC 35 and returned it to the 24. A personal foul penalty put it on the 12 yard. A pass interference penalty, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on a PRCC player and an unsportsmanlike penalty on the Wildcat bench placed the ball on the 1-yard line.JCJC quarterback then sneaked over for the touchdown. Terracina's kick made it 10-10 with 7:41 left in the first half.
But the Wildcats took the ensuing kickoff and drove 66 yards in five plays for a score. Tapper connected with Morgan on a 17-yard scoring pass. A 54-yard pass from Tapper to Morgan set up the score. Bryant's PAT gave Pearl River a 17-10 lead with 6:00 left in the second quarter.
The game's big momentum-shifter came on JCJC's next drive. The Bobcats took the kickoff and drove from their 12 all the way to the Wildcat 15. On third-and-7, Leak was blindsided by PRCC's Dwayne Moss and fumbled the ball. Darryl Blappert, a 6-foot-7, 265-pound lineman, picked up the ball and rambled 75 yards for the touchdown.
Bryant's kick gave PRCC a 24-10 lead with 22 seconds left in the half.