Bulldogs kick off 2023 against No. 3 NWCC

PERKINSTON — When Mississippi Gulf Coast kicks off the 2023 football season Thursday against No. 3 Northwest Mississippi, the Bulldogs won't be lacking for practice. They've been together since the first week of July, and it's time to see what they have.

"We've had a lot of reps in practice," Gulf Coast coach Jack Wright. "We won't know how good we are until we play, but we've practiced a lot. Some positions have experience have none. It's a varying mix of talent, experience and leadership. We just need those places that have a combination of both, they need to really play well for us."

Kickoff at historic A.L. May Memorial Stadium is set for 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale at http://mgcccbulldogs.com/tickets, and single-game chairback seats are on sale now. Games are streamed at https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch.

Northwest will be as good as usual, and the Bulldogs will be looking to break a three-game losing streak to the Rangers. Gulf Coast will again be playing the toughest schedule in the MACCC, perhaps the toughest in the nation. Like colleges across the country, there are no jamborees or exhibition games. Everything counts.

"In college football, you have to go play good teams Week 1," Wright said. "Sometimes that's not fair to the kids. Some of these freshmen haven't played college football. They're drinking water from a fire hose getting ready for the season."

OFFENSE

There's a big "OR" at the top of depth chart, with a quarterback battle featuring a pair of transfers with experience. Eli Anderson (So., Philadelphia/Neshoba Central) helped East Mississippi win the MACCC last year, and Kason Lincke (So., Mobile, Ala./Mobile Christian) was at Western Carolina.

"They both get rid of the ball quickly," Wright said. "They're both smart football players. Both of them have some really good athletic ability, and they're both older. Neither one is a freshman, which at this level is a big key." 

There's a key returnee leading the wide receiver corps. Ramone Bradley (So., Fairhope, Ala./Fairhope) started all 10 games last year and ranked in the top 10 nationally in receptions (51), yards (649) and touchdowns (8). He had 10 catches for 114 yards against Northwest.

"Ramone was a big part of last year's offense, and he's back," Wright said. "We expect big things out of him. Jay Dupree has looked great throughout the spring and preseason."

Dupree is a sophomore from Philadelphia who's back, and Dayan Bilbo (So., Vancleave/Vancleave) will see time at receiver and running back, where he played last year. JP Coulter (Fr., Ocean Springs/Ocean Springs) and Trey Hall (Fr., Vicksburg/Warren Central) are newcomers who have flashed making plays and now need some game experience. 

Jamari Thompson (So., Pearl/Pearl) ran for nearly 300 yards as a freshman. He leads a talented group of running backs, including Chandler Chapman (Fr., Bay St. Louis/St. Stanislaus), who set a St. Stanislaus rushing record, and Jalen Davis (So., Houston, Texas/Katy), who led his high school to a Texas state championship.

"T-Train finished the year really strong," Wright said. "He's big and looks the part. He's talented, and his skill set has grown since he's been here. He's a much better blocker and much better receiver. His game has become much more well-rounded. I really need him to have a big year."

The position group with the most experience returning is the offensive line, where five sophomores are expected to start from a group of six. Greg Nunnery (So., McComb/McComb), Zerian Hudson (So., Brookhaven/Brookhaven), Joe Bradford (So., Pass Christian/St. Stanislaus), Daz Galloway (So., Madison/Madison Central) and Jaekwon Bouldin (So., Gluckstadt/Canton) combined to play in 47 games last year with 14 starts.

DEFENSE 

The Regulators will have a ton of bodies available up front, led by Kazarius Bowie (So., Jackson/Brandon) and Al Sandifer (Fr., Greenwood/Greenville Christian). Bowie had 38 total tackles with two sacks and a fumble recovery, while Sandifer took an injury redshirt.

"We've got a lot of D-linemen," Wright said. "They're a really good group of guys and they work really hard. They've gotten a lot better since they got here this summer."

It will be linebackers by committee, but there's a lot of talent in that group. Wyatt Wright (So., Bridgeville, Del./Woodbridge) is an out-of-stater expected to make a lot of tackles. The inexperienced group will have to learn quickly from their mistakes.

The back end has a bunch of Division I transfers, including Kionte Curry (So., Mims, Fla./Cocoa) from Illinois, LJ Hewitt (So., Sanford, Fla./Palmetto) from Missouri and Deon Biggins (So., Horn Lake/Horn Lake) from Liberty. Dramarian McNulty (So., Brookhaven/Brookhaven) is the leading returning tackler, and Cary Grant (So., New Orleans, La./Warren Easton) has had a good training camp.

"We were able to pick up some good defensive backs on the transfer market," Wright said. "Some of those guys played at some big schools. We need them to play that way. We need them to lead that way, and we need them to play at a higher level than junior college." 

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Bulldogs won't need to worry about their kicking game. They return NJCAA All-American Gabriel Showalter (So., St. Martin/St. Martin), who helped Gulf Coast lead the nation in kickoff depth. He's a near-automatic touchback machine who made 8-of-10 field goals and averaged more than 38 yards per punt.

"We need him to have the same type of year this year, or even better," Wright said. "He brings something different on kickoffs. Everybody knows what he is. He's a proven commodity, and we're glad to have him back."

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