Gulf Coast welcomes No. 8 Jones County in season finale

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will wrap up its 2017 football season Saturday against Jones County Junior College.

Kickoff for the homecoming contest in Perkinston is set for 3:30 p.m.

While MGCC (5-3, 3-2) enters the game having been eliminated from the playoffs, JCJC (7-1, 5-0) clinched the MACJC South Division title last weekend and is riding a seven-game winning streak.

“They’re a really good football team on both sides of the football,” Bulldogs coach Chad Huff said in a release. “They’re talented and playing really, really hard. They’re undefeated in the South. It’s going to take every bit of effort from our guys to match what they do.”

JCJC owns a 44-43-6 advantage in the series and has won three of the last five meetings.

The Bobcats are led offensively by Ole Miss commit Scottie Phillips at running back. The sophomore has rushed for 603 yards and eight touchdowns. Supplementing Phillips’ production, fellow sophomore DeShawn Smith has rushed for 477 yards and nine scores.

JCJC has been effective rotating its two quarterbacks this season. Detric Hawthorn and Chris Weaver have have combined to pass for 1,530 yards and 12 touchdowns against five interceptions. They have also rushed for 431 yards and six scores.

“They do a good job controlling the ball, running it,” Huff said. “They have a quarterback who throws it, and one who’s a dual threat. It presents the defense a little bit of a change.”

Gulf Coast enters the contest with the nation’s second leading rusher in Deandre Torrey. The Gautier product has rushed for 1,131 yards and 11 scores on 165 carries. Stone’s Terrion Avery ranks 12th nationally with 753 yards and six touchdowns on 122 touches.

Coast connection

JCJC’s roster features four former Coast standouts in Moss Point’s Rayshon Marcel, Ocean Springs’ Thaddeus King, Vancleave’s Cal Bakker and Harrison Central’s Jordan Beaton.

Marcel is among JCJC’s tackle leaders with 19, including two sacks and four TFLs. Beaton has recorded 15 total tackles with four sacks and three TFLs.

This story was originally published October 26, 2017 at 3:02 PM with the headline "Gulf Coast welcomes No. 8 Jones County in season finale."