No. 6 Gulf Coast faces rejuvenated Coahoma

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast easily won its season opener last week, but everybody in the NJCAA football world is talking about its Week 2 opponent.

Coahoma, which hadn't won a game since 2018, beat then-No. 4 Jones 18-10 in Clarksdale, one of the biggest upsets in junior college football history. And according to Gulf Coast coach Jack Wright, it was no fluke.

"They played really well," he said. "They're very well-coached and have a lot of talent. I saw a very well-played football game on film.  Coahoma came out on top. They earned the victory."

Coahoma visits A.L. May Memorial Stadium on Thursday, where it will be White Out Night. T-shirts are available in the MGCCC Bookstore and will be for sale at the stadium before the 7 p.m. game. If you can't make the game, it will be streamed at http://mgcccbulldogs.com/stream.

Gulf Coast moved up six spots in the NJCAA Football Rankings to No. 6 this week.

The Tigers held the Bobcats to 134 yards of total offense, and Jones didn't score an offensive touchdown. Sophomore defensive end Guy Thomas had 12 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Coahoma feasted on five turnovers, including four fumbles.

"They did a really good job on defense," Wright said. "They didn't give up any big plays. They had a really strong pass rush that kept the defense in front of the chains. They put the other team in a lot of long situations. They created havoc on early downs, which put them in tough spots offensively."

Gulf Coast cruised past Mississippi Delta 49-9, but there is plenty to correct from the first week. Wright said the kicking game needed to get much better, and the defense missed some tackles. The Bulldog offense shot itself in the foot at times with penalties, and Wright wanted to see crisper tempo and more urgency.

There was still plenty of offense. Gulf Coast piled up more than 500 yards of it on the night, and sophomore running back Austin Bolton ran for 107 yards.

"I've seen him since he's been here," Wright said. "He's an extremely hard worker and a team player. He was NJCAA All-Academic last year, and he embodies what we want our student-athletes to be. I was glad to see him get rewarded with three touchdown carries and a couple of incredible runs. I've seen him and that whole running back position group really push each other and be better."

Fellow running back Omni Wells (So., Moss Point/Moss Point) is another NJCAA All-Academic performer. Wright said the group tries to be really good in the classroom while being leaders in the weight room.

Gulf Coast averaged 7.5 yards per rush, with freshman Deondre House (Fr., Senatobia/Senatobia) gaining 119 yards on just seven carries.

Game #2

WHO: Coahoma at MGCCC

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 5, 7 p.m.

WHERE: A.L. May Memorial Stadium, Perkinston

WATCH: http://mgcccbulldogs.com/stream

LISTEN: SuperTalk Mississippi 103.1 FM 

The Series

Series record: Gulf Coast leads 20-2-0

First Meeting: 1975

Last Meeting: Sept. 6, 2019, MGCCC 46, Coahoma 21

Notes: Gulf Coast has won four straight in the series, dating back to 2011 … The Bulldogs are averaging 51.8 points in the streak, allowing 12.5 points … Gulf Coast has registered eight shutouts in its 20 victories … Gulf Coast won nine straight in the series between 1991 and 2009. 

Series History

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