GAMEDAY: COAHOMA vs. #1 MGCCC

GAME #1 (2013 Season Opener)

COAHOMA vs. #1 MGCCC

Thursday, Aug. 29, 7p.m.

A.L. May Memorial Stadium, Perkinston

Bulldogs open 2013 by hosting Coahoma

     The quest for a 16^th MACJC Championship begins tonight as Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College opens the 2013 football season against the Coahoma Tigers.

     Gulf Coast enters the first game of the year ranked #1 in the Nation in both the jcgridiron.com and NJCAA pre-season polls. The Bulldogs are coming off a 2012 campaign that featured a 9-2 record, a sixth straight trip to the MACJC title game, and the team's sixth MACJC South Division Championship in the last eight years. However, the 2012 season came to an abrupt end thanks to a 41-37 loss to Co-Lin in the MACJC Championship Game Nov. 10.

     The Bulldogs take the field in 2013 with plenty of talent and experience returning on both sides of the ball. On offense Gulf Coast features NJCAA All-American wide receiver Dhaquille Williams, who verbally committed to Auburn this summer. Gulf Coast also returns a host of starting offensive lineman that helped the 2012 squad average 45 points per game and rack up nearly 500 yards per contest.

     The Bulldog defense is also stacked, with returning sophomores Derrick Moncrief, Cavellis Luckett, David Howell, and Josh Keys leading the way. Last season the Bulldog defense tallied 21 sacks, forced 33 turnovers, and scored 15 touchdowns.

     Coahoma enters 2013 coming of a 1-9 record in 2012. The Tigers begin this season against ranked opponents in three of its first five games. Coahoma features an experienced offensive line and returning quarterbacks Quantavious Peterson (4 TD passes, 10 interceptions in 2012) and Roderick McKee (9 TD passes, 4 INT in 2012). The Tigers also return a number of starters on defense.