4 Bulldogs head to Next Level
PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast men's soccer coach Chris Handy has a simple motto for his top-tier program at Perk.
Two-Year School, Four-Year Program.
The team which became the first Bulldogs squad to play in the NJCAA championship tournament in the fall is sending four to play at the Next Level.
Defender Chad Hudson will head off to the University of North Georgia, while forward Brandon Marquez is University of West Alabama-bound. Keeper Zach Seymour is going to Spring Hill University, and midfielder Ashton Taylor will play at Milligan University.
"For me, it's the ultimate test of the program, even more than the wins," Handy said. "This is what determines if we're doing the right thing — if the kids are moving on — over everything else. We've been able to consistently put kids at the next level. To continue to do that in the middle of COVID, which has presented some challenges, is exciting for us."
Three of the players played vital roles in Gulf Coast's MACCC/NJCAA Region 23 championship and at the national tournament in Wichita, Kansas. The fourth missed the 2021 season because of injury but still earned a NCAA Division II scholarship.
The third-year sophomore from Gulfport and St. Patrick earned NJCAA All-American Second Team honors this year. He scored both Gulf Coast goals in Wichita. He started all 54 games in his three seasons at Perk, finishing with 35 wins, six goals and two assists. He'll be playing in NCAA Division II.
"I'm excited for his opportunity," Handy said. "He's worked really hard for us as a leader at the back. He's a guy you can count on. I think North Georgia is getting a guy they for sure can put in there and know the job they're going to get. As a coach, there's not much more you can ask for."
Another third-year sophomore from Gulfport and St. Patrick, Seymour returned for an extra season by using the extra COVID eligibility. He started 16 of the 17 games he appeared in with a 9-5-2 record and 1.50 goals-against average. Seymour scored in the sixth round of a playoff shootout against No. 3 Pearl River in the MACCC/Region 23 title game and made a save in the eighth round of a penalty shootout to help win it, and now he'll be playing D-II soccer.
"He spent two years watching Isaiah (Gore) play and COVID gave him a new lease," Handy said. "He still had to fight for the job and earned the job. He made the big PK save (in the state championship game) and earned a four-year scholarship. You really can't write a better story for a kid. I'm really excited for him to have the opportunity to go in and fight for a starting job."
The sophomore midfielder from Olive Branch scored three goals in 2021, but none better than the one in the state championship game that tied the score at 1 after halftime. Taylor had five goals and five assists as a freshman, but his contributions to team success aren't measured strictly by statistics. He'll be playing NAIA soccer at the Tennessee university.
"He's all heart and soul," Handy said. "He stepped up big in the state final and got us back in that game. The job that he does, the way that he does it, I don't think I've ever run across a player who just screams, 'I'm here to win games.' Because of that, we're going to miss him a ton."
Brandon Marquez
The third-year sophomore forward didn't even get to take advantage of his extra season of eligibility because of an injury sustained just before the start of the schedule. He started 30 games and appeared in all 34 during his first two seasons, scoring four goals and assisting on another. He'll be playing in D-II.
"Brandon is one of the toughest players I've ever coached," Handy said. "He's one of the hardest workers. He was dealt a bad blow with his injury this year because he didn't really get to play, but the fact he was still able to get (signed) was big for him and big for us."
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