No. 4 Gulf Coast stays perfect with commanding 27-3 win

PERKINSTON — No. 4 Mississippi Gulf Coast used physical play along the line on both sides of the ball Thursday to grind out a 27-3 win over East Central at A.L. May Memorial Stadium.

The Bulldogs piled up 280 rushing yards and broke the 500-yard total offense barrier, while the Regulators allowed just 16 yards on the ground and a lone field goal.

"A win at home, in front of our home crowd, we'll always take that," Gulf Coast coach Jack Wright said. "It doesn't matter how we got to the end result; we're always going to take the win."

Gulf Coast stayed unbeaten, improving to 6-0 overall and 4-0 atop the MACCC South, avenging a 24-20 loss at East Central last season. The Warriors are 1-5, 1-2.

The Regulators held the Warriors to 16 yards rushing on 18 carries. They had 170 total yards, 103 of which came on three plays. Throw out those two passes and a run, and they managed only 1.3 yards per snap.

The famous chainsaw was not to be seen in the pregame Thursday, but it might appear next week when No. 12 Copiah-Lincoln visits.

"Every week we have a goal to get the saw," defensive lineman Jonathan Davis said. "Last week we didn't meet it, so that's why we didn't bring the aw out tonight. But I think tonight we got it." 

Shadrick Toodle (So., Mobile, Ala./Cottage Hill) and Christian Bingham (So., Ocean Springs/Ocean Springs) had fourth-quarter interceptions to help keep ECCC out of the end zone. Jordan Shuler (So., Herndon, Va./Gonzaga) and Kaleb Arterberry (Fr., Pearl/Pearl) had two tackles for loss each, and the Bulldogs had 10 TFLs for 56 yards.

The Bulldogs established the run game on the opening drive, throwing just once on an 11-play, 60-yard drive. Alan Woods (Fr., Jacksonville Fla./University Christian) got his sixth carry of the drive on the final play, plunging in from the 1-yard line. He had six rushes for 35 yards and the only reception on the drive, an 11-yarder.

Elijah Jones-Crosby (Fr., Laurel/West Jones) had four carries on the drive, finishing with 16 rushes for 84 yards. Woods wound up with 151 yards on 23 carries, and the Bulldogs averaged 5.3 yards per attempt.

"We always want to establish the run," offensive lineman Jeremiah Keyhea (So., Laurel/Laurel) said. "It's a rhythm. Once we get started, it's hard to stop us. We get to clicking and everybody goes on the same speed and it's time."

Aiden Guinn (Fr., Wiggins/Stone) kicked his first of two field goals later in the first quarter for a 10-0 lead. He had a 25-yarder and one from 34 with 10 seconds left in the half for a 13-3 lead.

Woods punctuated the Bulldogs' first drive of the second half with another 1-yard score. Royale Shelvy (Fr., Fayette/Jefferson County) caught a pass from Landon Varnes (So., Brandon/Brandon) on a crossing route and turned it upfield for a 39-yard score later in the third quarter for the final margin.

Varnes completed 18-of-30 passes for 229 yards, and Gulf Coast wound up with 280 yards rushing.

"It's a big night rushing led by Allen and Elijah running the football hard," coach Jack Wright said. "When you have two backs that are producing, that's indicative of the work the O-line's doing. We're really proud of that group."

Co-Lin visits Perk next Thursday for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Wolves beat up on Pearl River 39-7 on Thursday. A Gulf Coast win would be big toward the end goal of another South Division title.

"They're a hard team," Keyhea said. "They're a good team we've got to face, so we've got to come in, get back Sunday, and put the work in."

For more information on MGCCC's 12 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.