The Pearl River Central Blue Devils will face the undefeated East Central Hornets on the road this Friday, Sept. 30.

The Blue Devils are disappointed in the team’s current 0-4 standing, nevertheless Head Coach Jacob Owen and his players are seeing progress. Even though they lost their last game to Picayune, Owen said they played their best and cleanest game of the year.

“The kids that are here see themselves getting better and they see the team getting better, we just got to put it all together one Friday night, that’s all it will take,” said Owen.

Their upcoming opponent, the East Central Hornets, are a run first offense with a fast defense. Owen said the most impressive thing about them is their effort. Effort has been the Blue Devils theme this week.

Owen said that they can not go on the road and match the Hornets enthusiasm or intensity, they’ll have to beat it.

“We got to go over there and beat it, we got to play with more effort than they do, and I feel like if we play harder then they do, we don’t turn the ball over and we don’t have penalties then we’ll win the game,” he said.

Also in this week’s practice the theme was getting back to Blue Devils football.

Owen wants his team to reconnect with their traditional running game after depending on pass plays over the past several weeks.

“Any team that’s ever been successful around here has been able to run the ball so we got to get back to running it better,” said Owen.

As district rolls on, PRC will lean on seniors BJ Bellelo, who plays multiple positions, and senior offensive lineman Anderson Polk to guide the team to a playoff birth.

“(Bellelo) is going to have to be a guy that leads us and responds and does the right things as far as taking care of himself to play a lot of snaps Friday. (Polk is) the only senior in our offensive line, he’s got a tremendous opportunity and responsibility to lead that young group of players,” said Owen.

During their bus ride to Moss Point Friday, Owen wants the Blue Devils to believe they will win. Kick off is set of 7:30 p.m.