Seth Smith era underway at PRCC

COVID-19 or not, the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference found a way to play football during the fall despite the NJCAA moving its season to the spring.

- colleges conference found a way- to play football, - during the fall... despite the- n-j- c-double-a moving its- season, to the spring.- the end result... is a rivalry- renewed, in less than 48- hours...- and perhaps a program renewed..- as former east- central head coach seth smith - gets ready to make his debut, - at pearl river community- college... where high-octane- energy... is the new standard.- - nat ---> "break them down, noah- uh oh oh- oh oh!

Uh oh oh oh oh, hey!

Uh- oh oh oh oh, hey!"- "i mean you know whenever you'v- got that cup of coffee, you kno- it's going to be a- - - - good day.

That black cup of - coffee, it's going to be a good- day.

And he's always- just going grunts you feel me?- that's him.

That's him.

I'm - being dead serious.

That's- him 24/7.

He just brought that- excitement.

He's that spark, an- we needed - - - - that."- from hurley to poplarville... - seth smith might've changed - jobs... but he, himself -- an - alumnus of pearl river communit- - - - college -- hasn't changed one - bit.- "what was the first impression- you had of him where you were - like alright, this is the - guy right here?"- "when he walked in the door - saying, yeah!"- the first impression of - champions... and the first step- in- changing the culture of a - program... that has more state- championships than any other- school in mississippi... and- - - - yet, hasn't won any of those 19- titles... since 2006.

- "totally different team.

Totall- different coaching.

Everything- is just different."

- "everybody played with their- head down last year, but none o- that this year.

He's- turned the whole culture- around."- "the big thing for us was havin- enough time to establish our- culture.

And this has - been a long camp - my goodness - seven weeks.

That's a long time- to hit each other.- so hopefully throughout that- seven weeks, we've had enough - time to evaluate who we are,- where we are and where we need- to go."

The wildcats will answe- most -- if not all -- of those- questions, during thursday's- season opener... as they play - host to defending national- champion mississippi gulf - coast... who just so happens to- - - - be their biggest rival.

"what - irony for us playing the best - team in the country."

"i can't- even explain.

It's pearl river- versus gulf coast and that's al- i can say."

- "them winning the national- championship and the big stage- that they were on last year,- it definitely hypes us up with- them being 30 minutes down the- road, so that's in our- backyard and it's a challenge - but we're up for it."

- p-r-c-c held its own at gulf- coast, last year... falling to- the bulldogs, 25-3.

- - - - overall... the wildcats went- just 3-6... but that loss to m-- g-c-c-c... was their only - defeat... in their last three - games.- "we've got a chip on our- shoulder.

Last year didn't go s- well, but this year we're - coming."- "one thing that we want to make- sure our product on the field - mirrors - is one that - makes the community proud.- obviously this is a tremendous- - - - opportunity to get to come here- and coach.

It's a great - opportunity for these young men- to get to play, so we - want to make sure when these- people leave, that it's a - product that they can - be proud of."

- beyond week 1... nothing is - guaranteed... for one of the- few programs in the country eve- getting the chance to play- junior college football...- during the fall semester.

- the wildcats have just six game- total... down from the- typical nine... to make the - first year of the coach smith - era... one to remember... for - all the right reasons.- "it's never who you play, but - it's who you are.

And that's- what coach smith has- always told us.

He came in, jus- control what you can control."- "we've been out with corona for- so long, i could jump into the- screen right now.

I - could jump into the screen righ- now.

I'm just ready to hit, - ready to hit."- "boom!

Boom!"

- - - - - the wildcats and bulldogs will- kick things off, at 7 p-m - thursday... from poplarville.

- -