No. 1 MGCCC faces No. 6 Hinds for title

PERKINSTON — There's probably not much need to drum up fake excitement this week for No. 1 Mississippi Gulf Coast. The Bulldogs face No. 6 Hinds, and there's a big prize on the line.

"It's a championship game," Gulf Coast coach Jack Wright said. "That's the approach this week. It's for a championship, and I expect our kids to play really hard and really well to try to win South State."

Kickoff is Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Raymond. The game will be streamed at https://www.hindsccsports.net/.

The winner gets to host an MACJC semifinals game. Gulf Coast (8-0, 5-1 MACJC South) has clinched a playoff spot, while Hinds (7-1, 4-1) needs a win to guarantee a trip to the postseason. The Eagles lost to Jones earlier in the season, which means the Bobcats would advance if they beat East Central and Hinds loses.

The Bulldogs will have their work cut out for them. The Eagles are on a four-game win streak, and they rallied in the final 20 seconds to force overtime at East Central and win.

"It's easy to see why they are 7-1," Wright said. "They're very big, very fast. There's a lot of really good skill players on offense, from (Don) Ragsdale, who's a great running back, and the quarterback (Elijah Walker) does a good job of spreading the ball around. Defensively, it's an older group that is very talented and doesn't make a lot of mistakes."

Gulf Coast hasn't allowed a touchdown in the last eight quarters, and the Bulldogs have pitched a first-quarter shutout this season. They've outscored the opposition 74-0 in that frame.

The Regulators, the team's defense, are ranked second in total defense (161.8 yards per game), first in passing defense (100.5 yards) and fourth in scoring defense (11.0 points per game).

A big reason for that success is the defensive line, a deep group that includes Shelvin Hudson (So., Jefferson County/Fayette). He has 13 total tackles, including two sacks among three tackles for loss, as well as a fumble recovery.

"Shelvin is a long, athletic defensive end," Wright said. "He's got the body type that leaves recruiters drooling. He's a great kid, a great leader. He's been an extremely hard worker for two years. I've been tickled to death he's been able to have so much success on the field." 

Game #9

WHO: No. 1 MGCCC (8-0, 5-0 MACJC South) at No. 6 Hinds (7-1, 4-1)

WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 24, 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Joe Renfroe Stadium, Raymond

WATCH: https://www.hindsccsports.net/

LISTEN: SuperTalk Mississippi 103.1 FM or https://livestream.com/MGCCCBulldogs/events/8864666

The Series

Series record: Gulf Coast leads 48-33-1

First Meeting: 1926

Last Meeting: Oct. 27, 2018, MGCCC 45, Hinds 24

Notes: Gulf Coast has won 13 of the last 14 meetings, dating back to 2005 … Gulf Coast is averaging 40.8 points in that span, Hinds 17.9 … Gulf Coast has eight shutouts in its 48 wins, the last of which came in 2016 (34-0) … Hinds has nine shutouts in its 33 wins, the last of which came in 1995 (55-0) … Gulf Coast has two 12-game win streaks in the series (1962-73, 2005-16) … Hinds longest win streak is 10 (1988-97) … The biggest Gulf Coast win in the series was a 61-0 win in 2007, while the biggest Hinds win came in 1995 (55-0).

For more information on Gulf Coast's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.