Box Score POPLARVILLE - The Hinds Community College football team clinched a share of the 2021 MACCC South Division Title after a 21-10 road victory against Pearl River Community College Thursday night. Alongside the division title, the Eagles also clinched the #2 seed in the MACCC playoffs for the first time since 2017.

With the time of possession leaning in favor of the Wildcats, the Eagles were able to score two quick touchdowns in the third quarter to propel them to victory.

"This was just an old fashioned JUCO game," head coach Larry Williams said. "They were able to take the air out of the ball, but we made sure we did what we needed to do to get the win."

From the opening kickoff, the Wildcat offense controlled the clock with a heavy dose of running plays. On their first possession, the Wildcats took almost seven minutes off the clock and drove down to the Hinds 34 yard line. The drive stalled when Will Young's pass to Latreal Jones fell incomplete on fourth down.

The Eagle offense then drove straight down the field going 66 yards on 11 plays. The drive was capped off by a Jeffrey Pittman (Taylorsville) nine-yard touchdown run. Sophomore quarterback BeSean McCray (Orlando, Fla.) was able to keep the drive alive on fourth and 10 when he completed a 14-yard pass to Jaiden Burns (Canton). Ben Duncan (Florence) nailed the extra point, leaving the score at 7-0 with 4:29 left in the first quarter.

The Eagle defense closed out the first quarter of play by forcing a Wildcat punt. Shortly thereafter, the Eagle offensive drive stalled, forcing Houston Smith (Flowood) to punt for the first time.

Pearl River went 16 plays for 66 yards and took a whopping 10:19 off the clock on their ensuing possession. The Wildcats were able to cash in points on a Michael Owens 35-yard field goal. The score was now 7-3 with 2:26 left in the first half.

The Wildcats were able to get the ball back from the Eagles when Luther Woullard II intercepted a BeSean McCray pass with 1:12 left in the first half. But, no damage was done, and the first half came to a close.

Hinds came out of the gates hot to start the second half, going six plays for 55 yards and scoring on a Jeffrey Pittman five-yard run. After the Duncan extra point, the score was 14-3 in favor of the Eagles.

The Eagle defense continued their 2021 success and got the ball back on the first play of the ensuing Wildcat possession. Sophomore cornerback Ta'Darrius Williams (Hollandale) came up with the interception, his first of the season.

With the momentum in their favor, the Eagle offense quickly marched down the field and scored on a Jeffery Pittman one-yard run. This game marked Pittman's fourth straight game with at least 100 yards rushing and more than one touchdown. Duncan's point after was good, leaving the score at 21-3.

Pearl River was forced to punt again on the next possession, but the Eagles were not able to get anything going after a BeSean McCray pass was tipped at the line and intercepted.

The Wildcats took advantage of the turnover and scored on a Tony Brown four-yard touchdown to cut into the Eagle lead. The score was 21-10 with 5:51 left in the third quarter.

The Eagle offense turned the ball over again on the next possession when Jamarian Samuels (Ocala, Fla.) fumble. But, the Eagle defense held it's ground and forced a big turnover on downs.

Both squads traded a few punts to start the final quarter of play. Neither team could get anything going in the fourth quarter, which led to the Eagles securing the 21-10 victory.

Other top performers:
Jeffrey Pittman: 29 carries for 210 yards, 37-yard long, 3 touchdowns
Ben Duncan: 3-3 on PAT attempts
Thaddeus Bishop (Jackson): 9 total tackles, 8 unassisted, 1 assisted
Ta'Darrius Williams: 1 interception

With the victory, the Eagles clinched the #2 seed in the south division of the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) playoffs. 

Up next for the Eagles is the semifinal game of the MACCC playoffs on the road at East Mississippi Community College on Saturday, November 6. The game is set to kick off at 2 p.m. in Scooba.
 
Fans will be able to watch Hinds football games live here: https://hindsccsports.net/channel-1/
 
You can also follow @HindsCC_FB for live in-game updates.