Gulf Coast arrives with a chainsaw, throttles Jones College for another South title
The Gulf Coast football team did most everything it wanted Thursday night against Jones College aside from a failed attempt to carry the squad’s chainsaw onto the sideline.
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (5-0) trounced Jones College 35-8, winning a South Division championship and earning the right to host the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference championship game against Northwest Mississippi on Dec. 5 in Perkinston. The game time is to be determined.
MGCCC, which thumped Southwest Mississippi 40-3 last week, is playing its best football of the season despite having to shut down operations for 14 days back on Oct. 26 because of COVID-19.
“I’m extremely surprised by how well we’ve executed,” MGCCC coach Jack Wright said. “As a coach, you believe you have to rep certain plays and certain skills for a certain amount of time throughout the week to be able to execute. We were cut short in time with quarantine before the Southwest game, but we were high efficiency on offense against Southwest and played really well on defense. That carried over to tonight.”
It all started Thursday night with a moment of junior college comedy before kickoff when MGCCC senior defensive tackle Brian Merritt led his teammates into the Bulldogs’ oversized inflatable helmet while constantly revving a large chainsaw.
He was holding the chainsaw up high and revving it with one hand when one of the referees stepped forward to tell him, “Y’all can’t bring that out here. Don’t bring out that saw.”
One ref remarked, “One of us has been doing this 30 years and haven’t seen something like that.”
The chainsaw is nothing new for MGCCC. It’s been carried onto the field to start games for the last two years.
“We run a blitz called, ‘Saw,’” Wright said. “It’s a pretty risky blitz, I guess you could say. You don’t leave a lot of help on the back end. We’ve got the kids sold on that’s the greatest defense we can run.
“It’s kind of taken on a life of its own over the last two years. Our kids love (the chainsaw). It brings a lot of energy and I think it’s unique. Anything that gives the kids a little boost before the game, I’m all for it.”
Wright let out a laugh when he was told the referees weren’t too big on the chainsaw display Thursday night.
“Maybe we should have have asked permission, but sometimes it’s better off not asking and doing it anyway,” he said.
MGCCC’s defense set the tone
MGCCC dominated in every phase of the game, out-gaining the Bobcats 526-199.
The MGCCC defense, known as “The Regulators,” smothered JCJC from the outset with sophomore linebacker Navonteque Strong, a Mississippi State commit, putting an exclamation point on a dominant first half that included only 61 yards by the Bobcats. Strong put a hit on Jones College running back Romal Webb on the final play from scrimmage in the second quarter, producing a loud thud that could be heard throughout the stadium.
The collision drew a roar of approval from the Gulf Coast sideline.
“It feels good to take life out of another man and not get in trouble for it,” Strong said with a slight grin.
The 6-foot, 230-pound Strong finished the night with team highs of eight tackles, 2 ½ sacks and four tackles for lost yardage.
Wright credits defensive coordinator Brett Shufelt for putting together a group that has overwhelmed opponents in 21 consecutive victories.
“He’s not only a good scheme guy. He’s a guy that gets the players lined up and gets the kids to play hard for him,” Wright said. “That’s probably more important on that side of the ball.”
Gulf Coast offense finds its way with Philip Short
After splitting reps early in the season with fellow freshman quarterback DeCarlos Nelson, it appears that Philip Short has earned the top spot on the MGCCC’s depth chart headed into the state title game.
On Thursday, Short hit 23 of 38 passes for 362 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Bulldogs began to pull away when Short a wide open Jymetre Hester for a 68-yard touchdown toss with 37 seconds remaining in the first half.
Short’s favorite target was sophomore Jalen Bracey, who hauled in 10 receptions for 158 yards and a touchdown.
“We’re getting more comfortable,” Short said. “COVID-19 pushed us back a lot so it took a little time to get in a groove. Once we get in a groove, I believe nobody in the state can stop us. We’ve got a great coaching staff, great receivers and the O-line is nothing short of amazing.”
Freshman K.T. Hicks also had a nice night, catching five passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Hester caught three passes for 79 yards and a score.
“(The receivers) make my job a lot easier,” Short said. “They’re very fast, very elusive. They’re great with the ball in their hands and they make big-time catches. They also have great IQ. They know when to sit in the zone and went to keep going.”
Sophomore running back Deondre House, an Arkansas State commit, ran 32 times for 150 yards and one touchdown.
Alyssa Newton contributed to this story.
This story was originally published November 19, 2020 at 11:20 PM.
