No. 2 Bulldogs target yet another title

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast dropped down to second in the Bushnell Golfweek NJCAA Division II Coaches Poll last week, but the Bulldogs are looking to improve a series of impressive streaks at the NJCAA Gulf District Championship.

Gulf Coast opens play in the 36-hole event Thursday at Beau Pre' Country Club in Natchez.

"These guys want to finish up the season in the conference and the region perfect," Bulldogs coach Brad Thornton said. "They want to win this event, just like they do any other one. They're definitely focused. I haven't had to remind them of what's at stake. We've got to be ready to roll tomorrow morning."

Five MACCC teams will be at Natchez, where host Copiah-Lincoln will also welcome No. 9 Meridian, Northeast Mississippi and Jones. The top three teams plus two individuals will advance.

Live scoring will be available at https://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=team&tid=27975.

Gulf Coast won the region preview tournament at Beau Pre' in September by 18 shots. Will Burnham (Fr., Jackson/Jackson Prep) and Chase Kaiser (So., Natchez/Cathedral) finished 1-2 in the individual race. Kaiser will be playing on his home course and looking to break the school record for tournament wins in a season. He's tied with Grant Motter (2014-15) and Hayes Weathersby (2013-14) at five.

The Bulldogs will also be looking to extend their region/district dominance. They've won 13 of the last 14 championships. They've also broken the school record for tournament wins in a season. They can extend that mark to 11 this week.

They haven't lost to a junior college team all season. They finished behind six four-year schools at the Folds of Honor Challenge in Michigan in October. They've also won every round during MACCC play, which remains a goal that continues to prepare them for the rigors of the national tournament. It will be held in Plymouth, Ind., next month.

"The bottom line with postseason is you've got to be locked in from the moment you get on the grounds," Thornton said. "There's not a time to let up. Competition doesn't dictate how we prepare or how we want to play. We want this to be as close as we can to nationals. It's the same concept."

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