Friday night was a big night for high school football fans in Pearl River County.
The most anticipated showdown of the season took place in Picayune when the Blue Devils took on the Maroon Tide.
For the first time in 20 years, PRC was victorious, a moment marked by tears, cheers and excitement.
This year, the Devils have been playing in honor of, Shane Smith, who died in a car accident over the summer. The hashtag, Fly High 15, can be seen on many social media posts before and after each of the Blue Devils’ games this year.
Not only was the win a long time coming, but these boys have shown a lot of respect and love for their teammate.
Death is often difficult for people to understand and the tragedy of losing a fellow teammate and friend has the potential to be devastating.
However, this group of young men have shown that Smith’s memory will live on through their abilities to perform on the field, which is something Smith loved.
We are proud of the Blue Devils’ performance this year and congratulate them on a job well done thus far.
All three varsity football teams in Pearl River County have played well this season.
This Friday, Poplarville will take on St. Stanislaus in Bay St. Louis in the second round of 4A playoffs and Picayune will compete against Wayne County in the 5A tournament and the Blue Devils will host Natchez in the 5A tournament.
Good luck to all the young men taking the field this week. Win or lose, we know you are sure to make us proud and positively represent Pearl River County.