No. 3 MGCCC Bulldogs begin 2008 football practice

The euphoria of a national championship faded for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College head football coach Steve Campbell as soon as the Bulldogs began spring drills last April.

Now it’s August, and time for Gulf Coast to begin the quest to defend its title as Co-National Champions in the NJCAA. The Bulldogs are coming off a 2007 season which featured an undefeated record (12-0) and the college being named NJCAA and JCFootball.com National Co-Champions along with Butler College (Kansas). The 2007 team also won the college’s first MACJC state title since 1986. But Campbell, who’s entering his fifth year at Gulf Coast, said it’s definitely time to move on.

“We’ve got to put last year behind us,” he said. “Last year is gone. There are 22 guys on this year’s team who played last year. People talk about ‘repeating’ or whatever…it’s not repeating; it’s doing it again with a fresh start.”

The 2008 Bulldogs, ranked No. 3 in the NJCAA/JC.Football.com pre-season football poll, will go into the Aug. 28 season opener at Northwest with a freshman quarterback for the first time since 2004. Four players are battling for that job.

“They’ll be taking their first snaps in live action in three weeks,” Campbell said. “That’s typical at this level. That’s the challenge of junior college. Each year you have a different personality with your football team.”

Mixed in with a roster that includes pre-season NJCAA All-Americans Sean Brauchle (kicker), Chris White (linebacker), Demond Washington (defensive back/running back) and P.K. Keyes (offensive lineman) are 18 freshmen from South Mississippi.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Campbell added. “We lost a lot of good football players, but we’re excited about the young guys coming in.”