Gulf Coast puts in productive first football practice

PERKINSTON – Mississippi Gulf Coast started it spring football drills Monday, and the results were happily predictable.

"I thought it was a good crisp day," Bulldogs coach Chad Huff said. "I thought the kids competed, which was good to see. There were several mistakes on both sides of the football, but I thought overall with the tempo, the attitudes and the coachability, it was a productive day."

Gulf Coast reached the MACJC championship game at the end of an 8-3 season last year. The Bulldogs finished ranked eighth in the country and expect to extend a streak of 141 straight weeks in the NJCAA Top 20 in 2016.

Huff said there were a few more turnovers than what he would have liked to have seen, but the defense ran well to the ball. He was happy with the overall effort.

The Bulldogs have a couple more quarterbacks than normal participating, with transfer Jabe Burgess from Tulsa joining returnees Tyler Allen and Larry Sisson.

With roughly half a team graduating every season, spring practices can sometimes be a challenge. Huff said this year he's got a good balance on both lines to help make it a productive period, with 12 more practices and two scrimmages on the schedule.

"On the defensive line, we've got a lot of bodies, which is good to have," he said. "With the offensive line having a bunch of guys back, it's big. Anytime you have an offensive line and defensive line this time of year in junior college, you've got a chance to have a practice, simulate a team period and give everybody a chance to get good looks."

Media interested in coming to practice should contact MGCCC sports information director Don Hammack to verify practice times, which may change because of weather or other reasons.