Football Recap: East Central Comes Up Short + How To Watch

East Central's game on Friday was all tied up 7-7 at the half, but sadly for them it didn't stay that way. They took a 26-16 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Purvis Tornadoes. If the Hornets were looking for revenge after losing 34-27 to the Tornadoes when the teams met back in September of 2016, then they'll just have to keep looking.

Maddox Dunn

Rushing Yards

10/10/25 vs Purvis	195
09/26/25 @ Pass Christian	192
09/19/25 vs Forrest County Agricultural	216
09/12/25 @ Pearl River Central	174
09/05/25 vs St. Martin	157
08/29/25 vs Greene County	131

Despite the defeat, East Central saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Maddox Dunn rushed for 195 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 9.3 yards per carry, and also threw for 125 yards on five of 19 attempts. Dunn is crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 131 every time he's taken the field this season.

Purvis' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Paxton Cooper, who rushed for 74 yards and one touchdown on only ten carries, and also picked up 82 receiving yards. Cooper's longest reception was for an impressive 58 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per catch total. Gabe Franklin was another key rusher, rushing for 114 yards and one score on only ten carries.

This is the second loss in a row for East Central and nudges their season record down to 1-5. As for Purvis, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 4-2.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming contests. East Central will take on Northeast Jones at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Tigers' defense has only allowed 14.7 points per game this season, so the Hornets' offense will have their work cut out for them. As for Purvis, they are taking a road trip to face off against Stone at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.