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No. 12 Bulldogs host No. 14 EMCC in semis Saturday

No. 12 Bulldogs host No. 14 EMCC in semis Saturday

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast finally entered the NJCAA football rankings for the first time this season, right at No. 12 and just in time to face No. 14 East Mississippi in an MACCC semifinal.

Is there any playoff pressure on the Bulldogs? Maybe, but it's really not different than what they've experienced to get into the postseason.

"We've been in playoff football mode the last five weeks," Gulf Coast coach Jack Wright said. "We're kinda comfortable living in this world."

Kickoff at historic A.L. May Memorial Stadium is set for 5 p.m. Saturday. The game will be streamed at https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch, and advance tickets are on sale at http://mgcccbulldogs.com/tickets.

It will be the second meeting of the season between the teams. East Mississippi erased a big second-half deficit to beat Gulf Coast 48-45 at Perk on Sept. 22.

Gulf Coast would lose the following week at Pearl River to put the Bulldogs in that playoff mode. They had to win the next four games to storm back from a 2-3 start to win the MACCC South and earn the No. 1 seed. That's what has them hosting the Lions (6-3) for the second time.

Wright downplays how what happened in the first meeting affects Saturday. He said each game is its own story, and the only thing that matters is the next play. He's emphasizing that most of the time the second meeting between two teams in a season develops into a different type of game.

"They've improved on both sides of the football like we have," he said. "They're much more crisp on offense, much more high tempo on offense. They're throwing for a high percentage of completions. They seem to be protecting the quarterback better. All areas of playing football, they've improved over the last five weeks like we have, too."

Cyrus Hartfield, a sophomore wide receiver from Hattiesburg, burst onto the scene for Gulf Coast in that first meeting. He had three catches, including a touchdown, and continues to make big plays. He's caught two more touchdown passes and is up to 25 catches for 285 yards.

"Cyrus has been here two years," Wright said. "He always seems to be really, really close to a big play. He's gotten some big plays this year. He got two huge third-down conversions in the third quarter versus Jones that allowed us to go ahead and tie the game up. He's just a kid who is very explosive, and he's made some very timely plays for us this year."

Game #10

WHO: No. 14 East Mississippi (6-3) at No. 12 MGCCC (6-3)

WHAT: MACCC Semifinal

WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 5, 5 p.m.

WHERE: A.L. May Memorial Stadium, Perkinston

WATCH: https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch

LISTEN: SuperTalk Mississippi 103.1 FM

The Series

Series record: Gulf Coast leads 32-30-4

First Meeting: 1929

Last Meeting: Sept. 22, 2022, East Mississippi 48, Gulf Coast 45

Notes: East Mississippi has won eight of the last nine meetings between the teams … Gulf Coast won the last playoff game between the schools, beating the Lions 31-7 in the 2019 MACJC semifinals … EMCC had won the first five postseason meetings before that one .. Gulf Coast has 10 shutouts in its 31 victories, the last of which came in 1983 … East Mississippi has six shutouts in its 29 victories, the last of which came in 1987 … Gulf Coast's longest win streak in the series in seven games (1975-86) … East Mississippi's longest winning streak is 10 games (1987-2008) … The biggest Gulf Coast win in the series was a 55-0 victory in 1983, while the biggest East Mississippi win came in 1961 (49-0).

Postseason History

Date Results
11/7/09 East Mississippi Community College 75, MGCCC 71 (MACJC Championship)
11/12/11 East Mississippi Community College 42, MGCCC 17(MACJC Championship)
11/2/13 East Mississippi Community College 45, MGCCC 28 (MACJC Semifinal)
11/1/14 East Mississippi Community College 42, MGCCC 21 (MACJC Semifinal)
11/5/16 East Mississippi Community College 27, MGCCC 24 (MACJC Semifinal)
11/2/19 MGCCC 31, East Mississippi Community College 7 (MACJC Semifinal)

Series History

Date Result
10/19/29 MGCCC 19, East Mississippi Junior College 13
10/18/30 MGCCC 0, East Mississippi Junior College 0
9/26/31 East Mississippi Junior College 12, MGCCC 0
9/24/32 East Mississippi Junior College 7, MGCCC 0
9/23/33 East Mississippi Junior College 18, MGCCC 12
9/22/34 MGCCC 7, East Mississippi Junior College 7
10/19/35 MGCCC 40, East Mississippi Junior College 6
10/17/36 MGCCC 6, East Mississippi Junior College 6
10/16/37 MGCCC 13, East Mississippi Junior College 6
10/15/38 MGCCC 31, East Mississippi Junior College 0
10/14/39 MGCCC 7, East Mississippi Junior College 0
10/12/40 East Mississippi Junior College 13, MGCCC 0
10/11/41 MGCCC 6, East Mississippi Junior College 6
11/6/42 MGCCC 27, East Mississippi Junior College 0
11/1/46 MGCCC 18, East Mississippi Junior College 0
10/25/47 MGCCC 20, East Mississippi Junior College 0
10/14/48 MGCCC 13, East Mississippi Junior College 6
10/15/49 MGCCC 27, East Mississippi Junior College 6
10/13/50 East Mississippi Junior College 61, MGCCC 21
10/13/51 MGCCC 31, East Mississippi Junior College 7
10/11/52 MGCCC 19, East Mississippi Junior College 7
10/10/53 MGCCC 35, East Mississippi Junior College 13
10/8/60 East Mississippi Junior College 35, MGCCC 8
10/7/61 East Mississippi Junior College 49, MGCCC 0
11/1/62 MGCCC 13, East Mississippi Junior College 8
11/2/63 MGCCC 47, East Mississippi Junior College 18
9/24/64 East Mississippi Junior College 34, MGCCC 14
9/25/65 MGCCC 35, East Mississippi Junior College 7
9/22/66 MGCCC 14, East Mississippi Junior College 10
9/23/67 East Mississippi Junior College 14, MGCCC 13
9/14/68 MGCCC 31, East Mississippi Junior College 12
9/13/69 East Mississippi Junior College 10, MGCCC 7
10/24/70 MGCCC 23, East Mississippi Junior College 0
10/16/71 MGCCC 33, East Mississippi Junior College 13
9/15/72 MGCCC 27, East Mississippi Junior College 7
9/15/73 MGCCC 28, East Mississippi Junior College 7
9/21/74 East Mississippi Junior College 14, MGCCC 7
9/20/75 MGCCC 21, East Mississippi Junior College 0
9/20/80 MGCCC 15, East Mississippi Junior College 7
9/19/81 MGCCC 23, East Mississippi Junior College 3
10/9/82 MGCCC 21, East Mississippi Junior College 0
10/8/83 MGCCC 55, East Mississippi Junior College 0
11/10/84 MGCCC 50, East Mississippi Junior College 7
8/30/86 MGCCC 19, East Mississippi Junior College 7
9/3/87 East Mississippi Junior College 12, MGCCC 0
11/5/88 East Mississippi Junior College 31, MGCCC 28
11/4/89 East Mississippi Community College 23, MGCCC 21
9/15/94 East Mississippi Community College 24, MGCCC 14
9/14/95 East Mississippi Community College 39, MGCCC 14
9/12/96 East Mississippi Community College 45, MGCCC 35
9/11/97 East Mississippi Community College 27, MGCCC 22
9/12/02 East Mississippi Community College 10, MGCCC 7
9/11/03 East Mississippi Community College 10, MGCCC 6
9/18/08 East Mississippi Community College 27, MGCCC 23
9/17/09 MGCCC 43, East Mississippi Community College 26
11/7/09 East Mississippi Community College 75, MGCCC 71
9/2/10 MGCCC 40, East Mississippi Community College 21
9/1/11 East Mississippi Community College 34, MGCCC 30
11/12/11 East Mississippi Community College 42, MGCCC 17
11/2/13 East Mississippi Community College 45, MGCCC 28
11/1/14 East Mississippi Community College 42, MGCCC 21
9/8/16 East Mississippi Community College 45, MGCCC 7
11/5/16 East Mississippi Community College 27, MGCCC 24
9/7/17 East Mississippi Community College 49, MGCCC 10
11/2/19 MGCCC 31, East Mississippi Community College 7
9/22/22 East Mississippi Community College 48, MGCCC 45

For more information on MGCCC's 11 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.