HATTIESBURG – The regular season win streak continued last week, as the Bobcats offense woke up in the third quarter to pull away from Columbia Academy. PCS (2-0) coach Joey Hawkins said the play from his quarterback, junior Brandon Thornton, was the difference in the game.
“He made some plays with his arm and his feet, and we had to have him,” Hawkins said.
After a 2-for-6, 23-yard performance in Week 1, Thornton passed for 190 yards and two touchdowns on 7-of-11 passing. The performance from Thornton was not only big for the team to get the win, but it also shows he can be a productive part of this offense.
The PCS run offense had a productive night, too. A combination of five backs, plus Thornton, rushed for 252 yards on 33 attempts.
“The first quarter, give them credit,” Hawkins said, “they were ready, they played inspired and they knocked down most of our offense, which was kind of good for us. We needed that type of battle, we needed a team that was playing that hard against us, so we had to figure out a way through for awhile. Give Columbia Academy credit, they played really, really hard.
“We were able to do some things outside of our power running game, and that was the difference in the ball game.”
Now, the Bobcats turn their attention to Adams County Christian School (2-0), a team that played for the AAA State Championship last season. The Rebels went 11-3 after starting the season 0-2 in 2016.
“Collectively, they have as much skill as we’re going to see anywhere,” Hawkins said. “They have four or five guys, who if you miss a tackle, they can take it to the house. They played for the AAA State Championship last year, and they have just about everybody returning.”
On offense, Hawkins believes ACCS has three or four players who can take it to the house. The Rebels can do a lot of different things on offense, too. Hawkins says they’ll try to overload you and run sweep plays, but when they bring in five receivers, they’ll look to spread their opponents out.
Adams County Christian’s defense is pretty good, as well. It allowed only seven points to Central Hinds Academy in Week 1, then held St. Aloysius to just two touchdowns last week.
“They have an outstanding team,” Hawkins said. “Their linebackers are as good as we’re going to see, and we’re just going to have to do a great job upfront, because it’s going to be a great ball game.”
