PERKINSTON — No. 5 Mississippi Gulf Coast erased another fourth-quarter deficit with two scores in the final six minutes to be No. 10 Jones for the sixth straight time, winning 27-20 at A.L. May Memorial Stadium.
Landon Varnes (Fr., Brandon/Brandon) found Mason Beverly (Fr., Purvis/Purvis) from 34 yards out with 58 seconds to play to win it.
“Despite all the gravity and the weight of the standings on the outcome, it was just a lot of fun,” Bulldogs coach Jack Wright said. “It was typical Gulf Coast-Jones. It’s why you get in coaching, to play in games that matter against good teams in front of a crowd with an atmosphere like this. I’m proud to be the coach here. I’m exhausted, but it was a great night, especially because we won.”
The Bulldogs outgained the Bobcats 492-219, but three second-half Gulf Coast turnovers aided Jones’ cause. One of them was a 100-yard fumble return that gave Jones a 20-13 lead with 11:15 to play.
Gulf Coast marched 80 yards in 13 plays to answer. Beverly converted a key fourth-and-7 with a 17-yard catch, and Varnes finished it with a 1-yard tush-push plunge. That tied the score with 5:59 to play.
The Regulators, who held Jones to 2.6 yards per rush, forced a quick three-and-out, and the Bulldogs got the ball back with 4:08. What followed was a classic four-minute drive, with Gulf Coast methodically moving the ball down the field.
Varnes found Tyler Henderson (Fr., Vicksburg/Vicksburg) for 6 yards to convert a third-and-3 on the first set of downs, and he found JP Coulter (So., Ocean Springs/Ocean Springs) for 17 on a third-and-7 to get into Jones territory. A swing pass to Chandler Chapman (So., Bay St. Louis/St. Stanislaus) moved the Bulldogs to the 34, setting up the game-winner.
“I didn’t like what I saw to the right, so I went back left,” Varnes said. “I saw Beverly, and he’s a really fast guy. He’s a shorter guy, but he can run. I saw he had a step on the guy, and I said my guy’s better than that guy. I got faith in everybody, and when the time’s right, they’re going to make a play.”
Beverly was behind the defense in the back of the end zone for the winning score. He finished with three catches for 61 yards. Coulter was Varnes’ favorite target, catching nine passes for 118 yards.
The Bulldogs fell behind 13-7 in the third quarter after Jones got interceptions on the first two drives. One drive started at the MGCCC 21, and the other at the 33, but the Bobcats managed only three points.
“It’s basic things,” Gulf Coast defensive lineman Javen Gibson said. “Coach (Brett Shufelt) told us all week to do your job. Focus on the little things, the hustle plays, crowd the ball and be great athletes.”
Gibson finished with six tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Keshawn Thomas (So., Ocean Springs/Ocean Springs) led the Bulldogs with 12 tackles, and Damani Dent (Fr., Jacksonville, Fla./Terry Parker) and Montrell Chapman (So., Batesville/South Panola) had 10 each. Chapman also had a game-clinching interception.
Trey Hall (So., Vicksburg/Warren Central) jump-started the Bulldogs offense after that six-point deficit. He burst through the right side of the line and 67 yards later the score was tied.
“It looked like the O-line came off the ball, and that was a dominant group up front on that play,” Varnes said. “Trey hit the hole very hard, and if you see No. 5 in front of you, you ain’t catching him.”
Hall finished with 141 of Gulf Coast’s 182 yards rushing. Varnes was 26-for-37 for 310 yards, two touchdowns throwing, one running and two interceptions.
Gulf Coast improved to 3-0 in winning its first MACCC South game of the season. The Bobcats are 2-1, 0-1.
The Bulldogs travel to Summit next week to play Southwest Mississippi. Kickoff on Thursday will be at 7 p.m.
For more information on MGCCC’s 12 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.
This post originally posted at https://www.mgcccbulldogs.com/landing/index by MGCCC Athletics
