With the beginning of school and the end of two a day practices this week, that just means that the prep football season is drawing even closer to a start.

And, all three Pearl River County high school football teams will allow their fans a chance to meet them up close and personally over the next few days.

Poplarville kicks things off tonight, with Meet the Hornets night set for 6:30 p.m., at Dobie Holden Stadium on the Pearl River Community College campus. The Poplarville Middle School team will also be on hand.

Poplarville kicks off the season hosting East Marion two weeks from tonight, on Friday, Aug. 25th. The Hornets willl compete in a jamboree next Friday at Lumberton.

Then, on Saturday, new Pearl River Central head coach Jeremy Weir will present his first squad to the public with Meet the Blue Devils Night at 6:30 at the PRC Stadium. Following that will be the first PRC Alumni Game around 7:30 p.m.

The Blue Devils open the season by hosting Stone High in two weeks, and will compete in a jamboree at Bassfield next Friday.

On Monday, Picayune gets into the swing of things as Meet the Tide Night will take place at the Picayune High Stadium at 6 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Picayune Varsity Cheerleaders and admission is $2 per person, and concessions will be sold.

Also, season tickets for Picayune Memorial High football are currently on sale at the Career and Technology Center at the school. Tickets can be purchased Monday through Friday from 8 a.m., until 2:30 p.m., and reserved seating will be sold thru Friday, Aug. 25th, the day the Maroon tide opens the season on the road against Moss Point, for current season ticket holders held over from last season.

New Reserved seating for available seats will begin on Monday, Aug. 28th.

Student season tickets are $10, Adult All Sports Tickets are $50, and resrved seating with an All Sports Ticket is $65 per person.

Tickets will remain on sale until Friday, Sept. 1 at 2 p.m., and the Maroon Tide will have their home opener that night against Harrison Central.

For more info on Picayune football tickets, call 601-798-7601 or visit the Career and Technology Center.

Also, reserved season football tickets are now on sale at Pearl River Community College.

Tickets for all four home games, with seats in the chair-backed section on the 50-yard line are $48 each. Individual game selection in the reserved section are $12 per ticket per game.

The Pearl River Wildcats, defending MACJC State champions for the past three years, will open their 2006 season with a road game at Mississippi Delta Community College on Thursday, Aug. 31. The first home game is Thursday, Sept. 7, against Coahoma Community College. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

Other road games this fall include Copiah-Lincoln Community College on Thursday, Sept. 21, Holmes Community College on Thursday, Oct. 7, Jones Junior College on Saturday, Oct. 14, and Hinds Community College on Thursday, Oct. 26.

Other home games this fall include Gulf Coast Community College on Thursday, Sept. 14, East Central Community College on Thursday, Sept. 28, and Southwest Community College on Saturday, Oct. 21 (Homecoming).

To order, mail checks to the Pearl River Community College Department of Athletics, P.O. Box 5440, Poplarville, MS 39470 or call (601) 403-1184.

Season ticket holders will have first choice of seats and complimentary parking near the stadium. General admission tickets this season are $4 for students and $7 for adults.

The Wildcats, under fifth-year head football coach Tim Hatten, will kick off fall drills on Aug. 9. Meet the Wildcats will be held Thursday, Aug. 24.