PERKINSTON — It doesn’t get any bigger in the regular season than Mississippi Gulf Coast’s White Out regular-season finale Thursday against No. 4 Jones.

 

The Bulldogs are in a must-win to make the MACCC postseason, and a win earns them their fourth-straight South Division title. They would get the No. 1 seed from the South and earn the right to host a semifinal game.

 

“Everybody in the building knows it’s a big game, so it doesn’t really need to be discussed that much,” Gulf Coast coach Jack Wright said. “It’s a big game. I’m sure they’ll be prepared to play, and I’m sure we will, too. It’s two really good teams fighting for a win.”

 

Kickoff at A.L. May Memorial Stadium is set for 7 p.m. The game will be streamed at https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch. White Out T-shirts, which are also honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month, are available at Gulf Coast Bookstores.

 

The only other path to the playoffs for the Bulldogs would be if Pearl River loses Thursday to winless East Central. Gulf Coast would win a two-team tiebreaker with Hinds, if the Eagles beat Copiah-Lincoln.

 

Jones (8-0, 5-0 South) brings a tried-and-true formula to the table:

 

“They have a really good defense,” Wright said. “They’ve been tough to move the ball on for everybody this year. They tough against the pass because they’re got a really good set of DBs who don’t give up a lot of big plays. They’ve also run the ball very efficiently. They have a great running back who’s a tough, downhill runner who also makes explosive plays. That’s a winning combination.”

 

Robert Henry leads the country with 17 rushing touchdowns and by averaging 135.1 yards per game. The Jones defense leads the MACCC in total defense (240.5 yards), which ranks ninth in the country.

 

The Gulf Coast pass-and-catch combination of Pat McQuaide (Fr., Solon Ohio/Solon) and Keymari Odum (So., Haines City Fla./Ridge) leads the country in three categories. The thrower is averaging 258.0 yards per game and has thrown 18 touchdowns, while the catcher has 744 receiving yards. Odum is second in touchdowns receiving with eight, one behind Northwest Mississippi’s D.T. Sheffield.

 

Gulf Coast has the nation’s 20^th-ranked defense, the fifth-best in the conference. One of the Bulldogs’ leaders is sophomore linebacker Drake Thornton (So., Gautier/Gautier). He’s second on the team in tackles with 53, and he has five tackles for loss including a sack.

 

A passionate player, he’s also got a fumble recovery to his credit.

 

“Drake took a year off in 2021, which is not always an easy thing to come back after not playing,” Wright said. “He’s had a great season. He’s second on the team in tackles. He plays with a lot of energy. He’s a really fast football player. I’m just proud to have him on the team, and we need his continued leadership.”

 

 

Game #9

WHO: No. 4 Jones (8-0, 5-0 MACCC South) vs. MGCCC (5-3, 4-1 MACCC South)

WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

WHERE: A.L. May Memorial Stadium, Perkinston

WATCH: https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch

LISTEN: SuperTalk Mississippi 103.1 FM

 

The Series

Series record: The series is tied 46-46-6

First Meeting: 1929

Last Meeting: Nov. 21, 2021, MGCCC 27, Jones 24

Notes: Gulf Coast has a three-game winning streak in the series … Gulf Coast has registered nine shutouts in its 43 victories … Jones has registered 13 shutouts in its 46 wins … Gulf Coast won eight straight in the series between 2005 and 2011 … The Bulldogs have scored exactly 1,600 points against Jones, 83 more than the Bobcats … Gulf Coast beat Jones 42-3 in 2014, the most-lopsided result in the series.

 

Series History

Date             Result

10/5/29         MGCCC 38, Jones County Junior College  0

10/3/30         *Jones County Junior College 18, MGCCC 0

10/3/31         Jones County Junior College  7, MGCCC 6

10/1/32         MGCCC 0, Jones County Junior College  0

9/30/33         Jones County Junior College  6, MGCCC 0

9/28/34         Jones County Junior College  19, MGCCC 6

9/28/35         MGCCC 6, Jones County Junior College  0

9/25/36         MGCCC 12, Jones County Junior College  0

9/25/37         MGCCC 7, Jones County Junior College  7

9/24/38         Jones County Junior College  3, MGCCC 0

9/29/39         MGCCC 6, Jones County Junior College  6

9/28/40         Jones County Junior College  13, MGCCC 6

9/26/41         Jones County Junior College  24, MGCCC 6

9/26/42         MGCCC 0, Jones County Junior College  0

10/6/44         Jones County Junior College  19, MGCCC 8

11/10/44       Jones County Junior College  13, MGCCC 6

11/16/45       Jones County Junior College  14, MGCCC 0

10/4/46         Jones County Junior College  12, MGCCC 0

9/26/47         Jones County Junior College  27, MGCCC 0

9/18/48         MGCCC 19, Jones County Junior College  7

12/4/48         MGCCC 27, Jones County Junior College 13

9/17/49         MGCCC 20, Jones County Junior College  7

9/16/50         Jones County Junior College  12, MGCCC 0

9/15/51         Jones County Junior College  33, MGCCC 6

9/13/52         MGCCC 9, Jones County Junior College  0

9/12/53         MGCCC 22, Jones County Junior College  13

9/11/54         Jones County Junior College  20, MGCCC 7

9/10/55         Jones County Junior College  32, MGCCC 0

9/8/56           Jones County Junior College  19, MGCCC 6

9/7/57           MGCCC 7, Jones County Junior College  7

9/6/58           MGCCC 13, Jones County Junior College  8

9/5/59           Jones County Junior College  10, MGCCC 0

10/15/60       Jones County Junior College  15, MGCCC 8

10/14/61       Jones County Junior College  6, MGCCC 0

11/10/62       Jones County Junior College  18, MGCCC 7

11/9/63         Jones County Junior College  20, MGCCC 6

11/21/64       Jones County Junior College  14, MGCCC 6

11/20/65       Jones County Junior College  8, MGCCC 6

11/19/66       MGCCC 21, Jones County Junior College  14

11/18/67       MGCCC 39, Jones County Junior College  21

11/9/68         Jones County Junior College  28, MGCCC 7

11/8/69         MGCCC 14, Jones County Junior College  3

9/26/70         MGCCC 0, Jones County Junior College  0

9/18/71         MGCCC 27, Jones County Junior College  8

10/28/72       Jones County Junior College  14, MGCCC 9

10/27/73       MGCCC 29, Jones County Junior College  10

9/14/74         MGCCC 14, Jones County Junior College  0

9/13/75         MGCCC 25, Jones County Junior College  7

10/21/76       MGCCC 10, Jones County Junior College  7

10/15/77       Jones County Junior College  7, MGCCC 6

10/14/78       Jones County Junior College  7, MGCCC 6

10/13/79       Jones County Junior College  24, MGCCC 20

11/24/79       Jones County Junior College 12, MGCCC 0

10/18/80       MGCCC 36, Jones County Junior College  13

11/21/80       MGCCC 18, Jones County Junior College 14

10/17/81       Jones County Junior College  28, MGCCC 23

10/2/82         MGCCC 24, Jones County Junior College  13

10/1/83         MGCCC 17, Jones County Junior College  15

11/19/83       Jones County Junior College  17, MGCCC 12

10/6/84         MGCCC 21, Jones County Junior College  12

11/17/84       MGCCC 17, Jones County Junior College  16

10/5/85         MGCCC 17, Jones County Junior College  7

10/4/86         MGCCC 26, Jones County Junior College  9

10/10/87       Jones County Junior College  13, MGCCC 3

10/8/88         MGCCC 31, Jones County Junior College  6

10/7/89         Jones County Junior College  45, MGCCC 43

10/13/90       Jones County Junior College  36, MGCCC 20

10/12/91       MGCCC 28, Jones County Junior College  0

10/17/92       MGCCC 20, Jones County Junior College  10

10/16/93       Jones County Junior College  32, MGCCC 7

10/15/94       Jones County Junior College  38, MGCCC 21

10/15/95       MGCCC 24, Jones County Junior College  23

9/28/96         MGCCC 21, Jones County Junior College  16

9/27/97         MGCCC 25, Jones County Junior College  21

10/3/98         Jones County Junior College  33, MGCCC 10

10/2/99         MGCCC 52, Jones County Junior College  21

10/5/00         MGCCC 27, Jones County Junior College  13

10/6/01         Jones County Junior College  30, MGCCC 14

10/31/02       Jones County Junior College  29, MGCCC 14

11/1/03         Jones County Junior College  27, MGCCC 13

9/25/04         Jones County Junior College  41, MGCCC 14

9/22/05         MGCCC 44, Jones County Junior College  7

10/19/06       MGCCC 24, Jones County Junior College  3

10/20/07       MGCCC 20, Jones County Junior College  14

11/10/07       MGCCC 20, Jones County Junior College  17

10/23/08       MGCCC 41, Jones County Junior College  8

10/24/09       MGCCC 20, Jones County Junior College  17

9/18/10         MGCCC 31, Jones County Junior College 24

9/15/11         MGCCC 17, Jones County Junior College  10

9/22/12         Jones County Junior College  35, MGCCC 28

9/19/13         Jones County Junior College 52, MGCCC 42

9/25/14         MGCCC 42, Jones County Junior College 3

9/24/15         MGCCC 37, Jones County Junior College 27

10/27/16       Jones County Junior College 28, MGCCC 14

10/28/17       Jones County Junior College 38, MGCCC 24

9/20/18         Jones College 16, MGCCC 13

9/19/19         MGCCC 20, Jones College 14

11/19/20       MGCCC 35, Jones College 8

10/21/21       MGCCC 27, Jones College 24

 

For more information on MGCCC’s 11 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.