By CURTIS ROCKWELL

Item Sports Editor

SUMMIT, Miss. – Pearl River Community College freshman quarterback Emil Jones began to make his mark on the Wildcat program two weeks ago when he guided a late game winning drive against arch-rival Jones.

Thursday night against homestanding Southwest, Jones had his coming out party.

Jones threw for almost 400 yards and accounted for six touchdowns as head coach Tim Hatten unleased the rookie in his wide open attack, as the Wildcats smacked the Bears 49-20 in South Division play.

The win moved PRCC to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in league play, and a win at home next week over East Mississippi will assure the Wildcats of a return trip to the state juco playoffs after Hattens’s squad missed the tourney last year for the first time in six seasons.

Southwest drops to 3-4 overall and 1-4 in league play.

Jones completed 29 of 43 passes for 385 yards and five scores and ran for one touchdown as well, as PRCC posted its highest point total of the year and its most points in three seasons.

Southwest actually took an early lead, as Michael Bailey scooped up a Wildcat fumble and raced 52 yards in the first quarter to put the Bears up 7-0.

From there, however, it was all Jones and the Wildcats.

Jones wasted no time in retalliating, as he threw for two scores and kept on a 1-yard sneak to put PRCC ahead 19-7 at halftime.

After intermission, Jones immediately went back to work hitting Jerry Duncan on a 30-yard scoring strike, Sam Robison on a 37-yard touchdown toss and Desond Ratliff on a scoring pass.

Jones was 14-of-15 in the second half in Hatten’s no huddle, five receiver, empty backfield set. He threw for 233 yards in the first half alone. Krk Lance replaced Jones early in the fourth period.

Brandon Peters added a late scoring run for PRCC as well.

The impressive output for the Wildcats came despite PRCC being without a pair of their more explosive offensive weapons, as both wide out Ray Chisolm and running back Rashod Henry missed the game with injuries.

The Wildcats are tied atop the South Division for first place with both Gulf Coast and Jones entering the final week of the regular season. The Bulldogs own the tie-breake over PRCC thanks to a 10-3 win last month.+++

The Bobcats and Bulldogs meet in Perkinston on Thursday, the same night PRCC hosts East Central which sits in last place in the South. The top two teams qualify for the state playoffs. East Central took Co-Lin to overtime Thursday night and won 35-28

The Wildcats control their own destiny, as a PRCC win and a Jones win puts PRCC in as the South champ. A Gulf Coast win and a PRCC win leaves the Bulldogs as the top seed and PRCC as the number two. A Jones win and a PRCC loss gives Jones the top spot and Gulf Coast the number two seed and leaves PRCC out of the playoff picture. A Gulf Coast win and a PRCC loss gives Gulf Coast the top spot and PRCC the number two spot.

Pearl River finished the regular season a perfect 4-0 on the road.