PRC nips South Jones

By Jeremy Pittari
Picayune Item Staff Writer

CARRIERE — For the second straight season, Pearl River Central

opened the football year with a win.

The Blue Devils beat visiting South Jones 23-19 Friday, chalking up

the first of what they hope to be many wins this season.

A near fifty yard kick return touchdown by PRC's Jabar Locure in the

fourth quarter turned the tide in the game, just as it appeared the

Devils could have been in for their first defeat.

“He's exciting, he's one of those guys that when he touches the ball

anything can happen, anything,” Blue Devils head coach Jeremy Weir

said about Locure.

It was a long hard fight, with no scoring or large plays taking place

in the first quarter. Late in the second quarter things began to heat

up with only 4:23 left on the clock. At that time Devils running back

Ben Lee scored the first touchdown of the game. The team followed

it up with the extra point, the Braves were not content to allow the

first half end with a score of 7-0. Braves quarterback Brett Bailey

completed a 15 yard touchdown pass to Travis King with only

38 seconds on the clock. The successful extra point tied the game

up just before half-time.

Bailey would later throw three interceptions to the Devils, and help

them get the leverage they needed late in the game to gain their

first win.

In the third quarter Ben Lee scored his second touchdown of the

game by running the ball seven yards to the end zone, with 4:45

still to play. A successful extra point set the score and the Devils'

lead at 14-7.

A large run by Braves Alex McGruder for 57 yards put the team

within touchdown range, which he achieved in the next play with

2:33 still to play. The extra point fell wide to the left leaving the

score at 14-13 for the remainder of the quarter.

In the fourth quarter the action really heated up, with an

interception at the end, a fifty yard kick return touchdown, and

the use of a safety to keep the Devils at bay.

The beginning of that last quarter the two teams danced with

the ball for the first three minutes and ten seconds. But the

Braves broke out with a touchdown pass from Bailey to Marc

Whatley with 8:50 left to play. To make up for the missing extra

point earlier in the game the Braves attempted a two point

conversion, but failed to execute it effectively, leaving the

score at 19-14.

Two ball changes later the Devils were able to push the Braves

back to their end zone. Fearing the Devils would get another

touchdown the Braves took a safety, giving the Devils an extra

two points. Now the score was 19-16 and the clock had 5:20

remaining.

When the Braves kicked the ball off to the Devils, Jabar Locure

ran the ball from about the 50 yard line all the way to the end

zone, ending the Braves short-lived lead. An extra point would

put the final score at 23-19 and leave only 5:07 left in the game.

A 26 yard pass from Bailey to McGruder had the Braves close to

the end zone late in the fourth quarter, but the Devils defense

was able to hold them at bay and eventually regain control of

the ball. Two Devils' plays later and a kneel put an end to the

last 23 seconds of the game.

“I'm proud of all my guys, it was definitely a team effort,” Weir

said.

The Devils will host their homecoming game next Friday

Sept. 7 where they will face off against Vancleave.