Poplarville Hornets remain undefeated with a 28-21 win over Pearl River Central
It was a battle for Pearl River County in this week’s WXXV Game Ball of the Week matchup, presented by Ball Heating and Air, as the Poplarville Hornets hosted the Pearl River Central Blue Devils in a Week Four showdown between two undefeated teams.
Pearl River Central struck first after forcing a turnover on downs. Junior quarterback Titus Feaster rolled to his left and pitched the ball to junior Caden Hinton, who made a defender miss before leaping into the end zone for the Blue Devils’ first touchdown. The extra point was good, giving PRC a 7-0 lead.
Poplarville quickly answered. Facing a fourth-down situation, the Hornets turned to senior four-star running back Ty Keys. On a direct snap, Keys bounced off several Blue Devils defenders and broke loose for a touchdown, tying the game at 7-7.
The Hornets then pulled off another fourth-down surprise. Lining up as if they were preparing to punt, Poplarville instead handed the ball to four-star defensive lineman Sam LeJeune on a direct snap. LeJeune powered through the trenches and picked up a huge first down, keeping the drive alive. One play later, Keys took over once again. He cut to the left before switching back to the right and found nothing but open field in front of him, scoring his second touchdown of the night to give Poplarville a 14-7 lead with eight minutes remaining in the second quarter.
The Hornets added to their advantage after a big defensive play from junior Xavier Martin. Feaster rolled out and tried to find a receiver downfield, but Martin stayed with the play and came away with an interception. Poplarville wasted no time turning the turnover into points. Junior quarterback Trac Smith dropped back and found Keys running to his left. With no defender in sight, Keys raced into the end zone for his third touchdown of the night, completing a hat trick and giving the Hornets a 21-7 lead on a drive that lasted less than a minute.
Pearl River Central refused to go away quietly. The Blue Devils marched down the field, and with time winding down in the first half, Feaster connected with Hinton for another touchdown. The score cut Poplarville’s lead to 21-14 heading into halftime.
The second half remained a battle, but Poplarville ultimately held off Pearl River Central to secure a 28-21 victory. The win kept the Hornets undefeated and gave Poplarville bragging rights in a hard-fought Battle for Pearl River County.
