No. 13 Gulf Coast faces must-win at No. 1 Jones

PERKINSTON — No. 13 Mississippi Gulf Coast needs to win out to keep its postseason hopes alive, and the first opponent will be a doozy.

The Bulldogs travel to Bobcat Stadium in Ellisville to meet No. 1 Jones on Thursday, and that ranking is well-earned.

"They have a big powerful running back who is hard to bring down in the open field," Gulf Coast coach Jack Wright said. "They're physical and have a lot of third-year players on the team. They've got a third-year quarterback, a third-year running back and a bunch of third-year O-linemen."

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The game will be streamed at https://jcbobcats.com/watch with Gulf Coast audio available on SuperTalk 103.1 FM and https://livestream.com/mgcccbulldogs/events/9902355/edit. All tickets must be purchased online at https://jcbobcats.com/tickets.

La'Damian Webb is the big man running the ball. He played at Jones in 2019, then ran for nearly 400 yards in 2020 at Florida State. Back in a Bobcats jersey, he's leading the NJCAA with 1,058 yards and 13 touchdowns in seven games. He's also eighth in yards per carry, which proves he's not just a volume rusher.

Quaterius Hawkins is the quarterback, and he's thrown for nine touchdowns and two interceptions.

Wright said the Bobcats are physical on both sides of the ball, and they have a sure-tackling defense.

Game #8

WHO: MGCCC (5-2, 3-1 MACCC South) at Jones (7-0, 4-0)

WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Bobcat Stadium, Ellisville

WATCH: https://jcbobcats.com/watch

LISTEN: SuperTalk Mississippi 103.1 FM or https://livestream.com/mgcccbulldogs/events/9902355/edit

The Series

Series record: Gulf Coast trails 46-45-6

First Meeting: 1929

Last Meeting: Nov. 19, 2020, MGCCC 35, Jones 8

Notes: Gulf Coast has a two-game winning streak in the series … Gulf Coast has registered nine shutouts in its 43 victories … Jones has registered 13 shutouts in its 46 wins … Gulf Coast won eight straight in the series between 2005 and 2011 … Gulf Coast beat Jones 42-3 in 2014, the most-lopsided result in the series … Jones is one of only two MACJC schools Gulf Coast has a losing record against (Pearl River).

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