Hornets sting Devils, face the Tide in Picayune

Poplarville Hornets vs Picayune Maroon Tide

The Poplarville Hornets celebrated their homecoming by remaining undefeated and giving the Pearl River Central Blue Devils their first season loss. Ty Keys got the offensive ball rolling, rushing for the first touchdown of the game. Keys was explosive on the ground on a 66-yard run, totaling 18 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, Keys also had 50 receiving yards and another Hornet touchdown. A fourth receiving touchdown was added to the Hornets’ scoreboard by Jaxton Taylor. Quarterback Trace Smith went 2-for-2 for 77 passing yards, additionally gaining 52 rushing yards. The Hornets played an outstanding offensive game, earning their undefeated status for another week.

The Poplarville Hornets will enter their second Pearl River County face-off against the Picayune Maroon Tide.

The Tide enters Week 5 of high school football following a win against the Ocean Springs Greyhounds. In this past week’s matchup, running back Xavier Dennis led the Tidesman in a dominant rushing attack, rounding up 255 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries. The team finished with a total of 363 rushing yards on 43 carries, averaging 8.6 yards per attempt. Javion Mason added 30 rushing yards and a touchdown.

As the Hornets travel to Picayune, a strength vs. strength matchup. Both teams rely on a strong rushing attack, and both have running backs coming off major performances. The biggest contrasts we see in these teams stem from the quarterbacks. Last game, Smith completed two passes on two attempts, both passes successfully securing touchdowns, while Picayune had one attempted pass that was incomplete. Poplarville will be fighting to remain dominant against in-county competition, while Picayune seeks to continue their winning streak.

The Hornets will face off with the Tidesman on Friday, Sept. 25, at Picayune.

Pearl River Central Blue Devils vs Sumrall Bobcats

While the Blue Devils fell short this past week against Poplarville, it was not without a fight. Quarterback Titus Feaster carried the offense, completing 14 passes on 19 attempts, gaining 180 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. Additionally, Feaster rushed 151 yards and was responsible for one rushing touchdown, totaling 331 total yards. Kendal Morrison made five catches, gaining 89 yards and one touchdown, while Caden Hinton made seven catches for 56 yards and two touchdowns.

Friday, the Blue Devils will return home to compete against the Sumrall Bobcats. The Blue Devils, aiming to bounce back from their loss against the Hornets, enter this week’s matchup with a strong 3-1 record while Sumrall walks onto the field with an undefeated 4-0 record. Pearl River Central continues to produce behind Titus Feaster, a talent that will be crucial to Friday’s game.

The Blue Devils will have home-field advantage against the Sumrall Bobcats this Friday.