MGCCC football ready to take on Lackawanna for junior college title on national TV

The NJCAA national championship will be on the line when No. 1 Mississippi Gulf Coast faces No. 2 Lackawanna out of Pennsylvania at 5 p.m. on Thursday on the campus of Div. II Pittsburg State.

For Bulldogs coach Jack Wright, that doesn’t mean it’s time for big rah-rah speeches. He’s seen Gulf Coast prepare for 11 other opponents this year, and he’s confident the squad will be ready come 5 p.m.

“They know the magnitude of the game,” he said. “They don’t need me to stand in front of them and say, ‘Hey, we’re playing for a national championship.’ We’ve got great kids. I expect great effort, great The game will be televised by CBS Sports Network, and there will be a watch party in Perkinston at A.L. May Memorial Stadium. You can listen to the MGCCC radio broadcast at SuperTalk 103.1-FM.

Gulf Coast (11-0) traveled to Kansas on Monday, making a stop at the University of Central Arkansas on Monday for practice before getting back on the buses for the final four hours of a 15-hour day.

Waiting for them Thursday at Carnie Smith Stadium will be Lackawanna (10-0), which flew via Baltimore and Kansas City on Monday. The Falcons have beaten their last 22 opponents and bring in the nation’s top scoring defense (11.2 points per game allowed) and second-ranked scoring offense (45.5 points).

“They’re very physical,” Wright said. “They’re very intentional to what they do. They show different layers to their schemes on both sides of the ball. They kind of have an identity, but they’re able to get away from that identity just enough to keep the other team guessing and keep them off balance.”

The Lackawanna offense ranks 18th in rushing and 37th in passing, while their seventh-ranked rushing defense and ninth-ranked passing defense present tough tests.

“They’re very good at defending the ball, and they’re very good at running the ball,” Wright said. “But at times, they can get into a different look and make it very difficult to throw on them, and at times they have hit some critical plays in the passing game to complement their very strong running game. They definitely have an identity, which I think most really good teams do. You can tell they are coached very hard and very tough.”

Lackawanna leads the country with an eye-popping 28 interceptions, nearly three a game. Add in 16 fumble recoveries, and it’s easy to see why taking care of the football will be important.

“They don’t make a ton of mistakes, but I think a big word you have to say when you watch these guys is that they’re opportunistic,” Wright said. “Other teams have given them plays, and when that’s happened, they’ve taken advantage of it. That’s a very, very good quality to have as a football team, to take advantage of opportunities when they arise.”

Gulf Coast is trying to win its fifth national championship with the other four coming in 1948, 1971, 1984 and 2007.

NJCAA title game

Who: No. 1 MGCCC vs. No. 2 Lackawanna (Pa.)

What: NJCAA Football Championship

When: 5 p.m., Thursday

Where: Carnie Smith Stadium, Pittsburg, Kansas

TV: CBS Sports Network

Radio: SuperTalk 103.1 FM

This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 10:11 AM.