Wildcats report Thursday for preseason football drills By: Mitch Deaver PRCC SPORTS INFORMATION POPLARVILLE — Pearl River Community College’s quest for a fifth-straight MACJC state football championship officially gets underway Thursday when 75 Wildcat prospects report for preseason training. PRCC head coach Tim Hatten enters his sixth season at the Wildcat helm boasting an impressive 47-7 record over the past five years, which includes four straight state titles and an NJCAA national championship in 2004. And for the third-straight year, Pearl River enters its season ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA’s preseason poll. “The recognition is nice and we’re honored by the ranking, but it immediately puts a big target on your back,” Hatten said. “But that’s just the way it is.” This year’s preseason training takes on a different light from the past, as brand new guidelines in the state league allows coaches to work with their players over the summer months. Hatten says the new rule has put his team “light years” ahead of previous seasons. “We’re allowed four hours of hands-on coaching a week during the summer. That has put us light years ahead going into the preseason as compared to the past,” Hatten explained. “Before this year, our league had its own set of rules which differed from the overall NJCAA’s. We weren’t allowed any hands-on work and that put our entire league at a disadvantage going into the season. “It’s proved advantageous for us and I’m sure the rest of the league’s coaches feel the same way. It’s a huge boost for the offensive side...particularly passing teams.” Hatten and his staff have until the week of August 30's season opener against Mississippi Delta to trim his field of players to 65 — 55 of which will comprise the Wildcat playing roster with 10 redshirt players. Pearl River has high hopes of improving on last year’s 10-2 record which saw the Wildcats win an unprecedented 19th state championship and a national championship berth in the Pilgrim’s Pride Bowl against Blinn (Tex.) which ended in a 19-6 defeat. “That’s our goal every year (national championship),” Hatten said. “But you’ve got to take care of business from the very start to get the opportunity to play for it all. We’re excited about this year on both sides of the ball and I feel we’re going to field a defense that has the potential to likely be the best this school has ever seen. “Offensively, we’re a talented bunch with a fleet of wide receivers that can take it the distance every time they get their hands on the ball.” Lance Cuevas, a St. Stanislaus recruit, has the upper hand on the starting quarterback job going in, but Hatten says the redshirt freshman will get plenty of competition from true freshmen Kirk Lance of Oak Grove and Pat Oliver of East Marion. Speedster wide receiver Theo Wilson, a sophomore transfer from Southwest Mississippi CC, has also been taking snaps in 7-on7 drills and provides even more depth at the position. “Cuevas knows what he’s doing,” Hatten said. “He’s not as fleet footed as some of the guys we’ve had in the past, but has a good arm and uses his brain and knows this (spread) offense like the back of his hand. You really don’t know how impressive he is unless you know what he’s suppose to be doing...Lance nails his reads practically every play.” Sophomore middle linebacker Keon Wilson, who has already verbally committed to the Miami Hurricanes, anchors the defense and will be flanked by a pair of Division I caliber outside LBs in Auburn transfer Hendrick Leverette, an Oak Grove alum, and Florida State placement Tim Rawlinson of Pratville, Ala., both redshirt freshmen. “Those three guys are going to comprise a corps of backers that’s as good as any in the country,” Hatten said. Hatten admits that two-a-way practices aren’t necessarily his forte’. “I’ve never been a big fan of two-a-days,” he said. “We’ll do a little of that, but the main thing is to educate your guys to understand what they’re suppose to be doing and that’s what gets them ready to play...that’s what really counts.”