MGCCC ups record to 2-0 after win over Co-Lin
by Troy Treasure

Bulldog quarterback Eric Walden of Thomasville, Ga., is surrounded by a pack of Co-Lin Wolves in last Saturday’s game in Wesson.  The Bulldogs won 30-27, putting them at 2-0.

WESSON--Nationally ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College ran its record to 2-0 Saturday with a 30-27 victory over the Copiah-Lincoln Wolves at Stone Stadium. Bulldogs quarterback Eric Walden, a sophomore from Thomasville, Ga., had touchdown runs of 1 and 33 yards while tossing a 71-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Hawthorne (St. Martin). After capturing NJCAA co-offensive player of the week honors for leading the Bulldogs to a season-opening 44-7 win over Jones County, Walden has scored four touchdowns and thrown for three more in two games.

Gulf Coast entered the game ranked 18th in the NJCAA poll, while Co-Lin was ranked 20th after a 16-6 upset over Northwest Mississippi in Senatobia.

MGCCC jumped on Co-Lin early in the first quarter marching 65 yards on seven plays on the game's opening drive, with Walden scoring on a one yard dive. Trey Read added the extra point, and the Bulldogs led 7-0 just 1:54 into the contest. Seven minutes later, Walden utilized his downfield blocking to find daylight, scampering for a 33-yard touchdown. Read's extra point made it 14-0 at the 6:11 mark. Co-Lin came to within eight late in the second period when Donavon Dickson caught a deflected Cedric Johnson pass for a 2-yard touchdown.

The Wolves missed the extra point, and Gulf Coast led 14-6 at halftime.

MGCCC started the second half with a flurry. After the Bulldogs’ defense forced Co-Lin to punt on its opening drive of the half, MGCCC started with possession at the 25-yard line. Walden dropped back to pass and found Hawthorne 15 yards over the middle. The Jackson County native did the rest, fighting off would-be tacklers and sprinting all the way. Read's extra point just missed, and Gulf Coast led 20-6.

The afternoon heat and bright, cloudless sky took a toll on both teams as the second half progressed. The Wolves were able to rally and score two touchdowns and a 2-point conversion to tie the game at 20. However, MGCCC's physical conditioning kicked in for the fourth quarter. Bernard Seymour gave the Bulldogs a 27-20 lead with a 9-yard touchdown and Read nailed a 30-yard field goal to extend the lead to 10. Co-Lin was certainly a worthy opponent, refusing to give up. Johnson ran for a 19-yard touchdown with just 3:21 left to make the final score 30-27.

Walden felt it would be appropriate to have an offensive lineman speak about the Bulldogs' performance after the game. Sophomore guard Chris Goff of Vancleave said the team dug down for extra effort in the fourth quarter.

"It was really hot, and they have a good defense," he said. "I thought Dantrell Savage and Bernard Seymour were fabulous running the ball. Seymour must have carried seven guys with him on that touchdown. That was a great run."

Bulldogs coach Steve Campbell said his offensive line's performance against a highly touted Wolves' defense was a decisive factor in the outcome of the contest.

"These guys did an absolutely great job," Campbell said after the game while assisting exhausted center Jacob Dykes of Ocean Springs. "They have two defensive linemen who are going to Mississippi State and another who is an All-American. My guys from places like Ocean Springs and Vancleave played their hearts out."

The Bulldogs should jump up from 18th in the NJCAA poll this week and next host Southwest Mississippi for Homecoming Saturday at A.L. May Stadium in Perkinston. Southwest will enter the game at 1-1 after losing 20-19 at home last week to Jones County. The Bears led Jones 19-0, but the Bobcats scored 20 unanswered points to pull out the win. Southwest opened the season with an upset victory over Hinds.

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