Coming up short East Mississippi outguns Gulf Coast to capture junior college state championship

By AL JONES - afjones@sunherald.com

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SCOOBA— In a wild and wacky game, Gulf Coast’s bid for a third consecutive MACJC state championship fell 1 yard short Saturday, as the Bulldogs lost 75-71 to East Mississippi at Sullivan-Windham Field.

The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak for the 9-2 Bulldogs.

East Mississippi (10-1) earned a berth in the Dec. 6 Mississippi Bowl and claimed its first-ever state championship.

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‘’That was a tough loss, a real tough loss,’’ Gulf Coast coach Steve Campbell said. ‘’The kids played hard, we just came up short.’’

The game featured 1,244 total yards of offense and 12 touchdown passes. Seven touchdowns came from Lions’ quarterback Randall Mackey, while Gulf Coast quarterback Greg Jenkins had five.

The game also featured eight touchdowns that took a combined 9:53 off the clock.

Toss in three missed extra points, one missed field goal by the Bulldogs and the game featured more than 1,400 yards of total offense.

East Mississippi coach Buddy Stephens and Campbell were penalized twice each for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

‘’I am very disappointed for these kids,’’ Campbell said. ‘’They worked so hard to be champions and they came up short.’’

The Bulldogs, who trailed 14-0 in the first quarter and 34-26 at the half, tied the game at 47-47 on an 11-yard run by Vic Ballard of Pascagoula with 7:40 left in the third.

With 9:43 left in the game, the game was tied at 61-61 following a Ballard 1-yard run and Gulf Coast took its second lead of the game at 64-61 on a 29-yard field goal by Bo Bryan.

East Mississippi, however, outscored the Bulldogs 14-7 in the final 4:29, leaving Gulf Coast with one last chance.

With the ball at the Gulf Coast 37 and 1:35 left in regulation, the Bulldogs drove to the Lions 32. Facing a third-down situation, Jenkins was intercepted at the 1-yard line by Anthony Hines with 46 seconds left.

‘’The only other game like this that I have been around was a 55-47 win over Pearl River a few years ago that snapped a 28-game winning streak,’’ Campbell said.

‘’I am proud of the way we came back. You can not fault Greg for the interception. That was only his fourth all year. We just came up short.’’