The Blue Devils were coming off a massive, comeback win against Pascagoula when they visited Wayne County last Friday night, losing 21-6.

The match up was delayed multiple times due to weather, but that didn’t stop PRC’s defense from playing lights out football.

Head Coach Jacob Owen said it was the unit’s best game since he took over as coach two years ago.

“Our defensive staff had a great game plan. The kids went out and executed, and played with incredible toughness and effort,” Owen said.

However, the defense’s performance wasn’t enough to earn the Blue Devils a victory as the offense struggled to find the end zone.

Owen said the team got inside the War Eagles’ 5-yard line on two separate occasions, but was only able to come away with three points.

“Offensively, in spurts, we moved the ball but we didn’t play with the effort to beat a good opponent. You have to finish, you have to have that extra effort inside you,” Owen said.

A bright spot for the Blue Devils offensively was the ground game.

Running back Ty Herring had nearly 100 yards rushing, and running back Detrich Spikes broke multiple big runs to end the game with 153 yards on the ground.

The two backs’ performances weren’t enough to carry the Blue Devils when they got into goal line situations.

“Our offensive line played good in spurts, but we weren’t consistent. We could’ve won the game, and we didn’t because we didn’t finish drives,” Owen said.

Linebacker Clay Spiers, defensive end Nick Dudziak, and linebacker Branson Logan combined to account for 29 tackles.

The unit as a whole kept Wayne County controlled for the most part, only allowing one touchdown each in the first, third and fourth quarters.

However, the offense’s inability to punch the ball in meant the Blue Devils had to settle for two successful field goals.

PRC dominated time of possession, nearly doubling up on the War Eagles 30:39 to 17:21.

The team also had significantly more offensive plays, but penalties killed the Blue Devils with the team being flagged for 65 yards in penalties.

Owen said his team has the talent, and the mindset to be a playoff contender.

In order to reach that goal, Owen said the players have to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves during a game.

“This isn’t a Playstation game, you can’t hit the reset button. You get one opportunity on Friday night, and you have to take advantage of it,” Owen said.

After spending the last three weeks on the road, PRC will host the Long Beach Bearcats. The game will take place Oct. 11, and kickoff is set for 7 p.m.