No. 5 MGCCC claws Coahoma 58-21

MGCCC head coach Steve Campbell (center) talks with his players during a 58-21 win over Coahoma Oct. 31.

Bulldogs advance to 3rd straight MACJC title game

PERKINSTON, Ms.---On Halloween 2009, No. 5 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College showed no fear against upstart Coahoma as the Bulldogs steamrolled the Tigers 58-21 to advance to their 3rd straight MACJC state title game and fourth in six years.

Against Coahoma, Gulf Coast (9-1) scored 35 unanswered points in the first half and cruised to its ninth straight win. Bulldog sophomore running back Vick Ballard gained 103 yards, scored 1 touchdown, and set a new Gulf Coast single season rushing record (1,457) with at least one game remaining.

“All the credit goes to those other 10 guys on the field with me,” Ballard said. Dantrell Savage set the old record of 1,413 yards in 2005.

“It was great effort by all three phases of our football team,” said Gulf Coast head coach Steve Campbell. The guys really executed well early in the game and took care of business today against a dangerous Coahoma team.”

Gulf Coast scored on its first three possessions of the contest. Vick Ballard’s 12-yard touchdown run, a 21-yard TD pass from Greg Jenkins to Kelvin Bolden, and a 35-yard TD pass from Jenkins to Bolden made it 21-0 Bulldogs with 6:02 left in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs opened the second quarter with two Jenkins rushing TD’S…one from 5 yards out and another from 14 yards to make it 35-0.

Coahoma finally got on the board with five minutes to go in the first half when Ceasare Johnson fired a 24-yard TD pass to Daniel Lee. Gulf Coast responded with a six play, 39 yard drive capped by a Mark Seymour 3-yard TD. Ceasare Johnson hooked up with Devon Perry on a 7-yard TD pass making it 42-14 at halftime.

Jenkins and Bolden hooked up again for Gulf Coast in the third quarter on a 42-yard TD pass to make it 49-14. It’s the third time in 2009 that Jenkins and Bolden have connected for three touchdowns. Bolden finished the day with four catches for 143 yards and 3 scores. Jenkins went 10-12 for 203 yards, 3 TD’S, and 2 rushing TD’S.

Later in the third, a different Jenkins…Bulldog defensive lineman Jonathan Jenkins…got into the act as he bulled his way in for a 3-yard touchdown run out of the team’s “jumbo” formation. Jenkins is a 6-foot-4, 340 pound freshman. In the contest, he gained 41 yards on 5 carries and a score.

“Jonathan ran the ball some in high school so we knew he could handle it,” Campbell said.”

Coahoma (6-4) got one more score in the fourth quarter as Johnson found Hollis Moore II on a 3-yard TD pass.

The Bulldogs closed the scoring with 1:23 to go as they sacked Johnson for a safety making the final 58-21.

“We kind of took charge of the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball,” Campbell said. “At this time of the year, that’s what it’s all about.”

Gulf Coast goes after its third straight MACJC state title Saturday, Nov.7 against East Mississippi at Scooba. The No. 8 Lions (9-1) advanced to the MACJC title game with a 26-16 win over Jones. Back on Sept. 17, the Bulldogs defeated East Miss. 43-26.

Bulldog fans can catch all the action on 91.7 FM WAOY and via streaming audio at www.mgcccbulldogs.com. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.