No. 5 MGCCC falls in championship game

SENATOBIA — No. 5 Mississippi Gulf Coast's season came to a sudden end Saturday here at Bobby Franklin Field. The Bulldogs lost a 16-13 heartbreaker to No. 4 Northwest Mississippi in the MACCC Championship game.

"There's always going to be some things you look back on and wish they were one inch closer or one inch a little bit further back," Gulf Coast Jack Wright said. "I thought we played great. The energy was there. The kids were prepared. We knew what was coming on both sides, and it was just an inch or two here on probably more than a handful of plays might have made a difference."

Gulf Coast ends a great season at 9-2. Northwest is 10-1 and probably headed the NJCAA playoffs.

The Rangers opened the scoring with a 51-yard field goal early in the first quarter, but the Bulldogs answered after Demarcus Johnson (Fr., Vicksburg/Vicksburg) blocked a punt deep in Northwest territory.

On the next play, Landon Varnes (So., Brandon/Brandon) hit Owen Colpaert (So., Detroit, Mich./Dakota) for a 7-yard touchdown pass.

"We come after a lot of punts," Wright said. "You're always hopeful that you're going to do that. That definitely was a big play because we had just come up short on third and fourth down there. It turned the tide back our way, so that was a big play by Demarcus."

Northwest took the next drive in for a touchdown that gave the Rangers a 10-7 halftime lead, and they went up 13-7 on a 28-yard field goal in the third quarter.

Gulf Coast put together a big drive starting late in that quarter and stretched for 12 total plays. It ended with Tyler Henderson (So., Vicksburg/Vicksburg) scoring from 4 yards on a reverse. After a penalty, the long point-after was blocked, and it was a 13-13 game.

After an exchange of punts, Northwest kicked a 47-yard field goal with 6:55 left to retake the lead.

The Bulldogs put together a nine-play drive to get in range for a 39-yard field goal, but it was blocked and Northwest was able to run out the clock.

"We had an incredible team," Wright said. "I hate that they lost because they just worked so well as a unit. I see how hard they work all the time. They put so much into this, even back a year ago, and the sophomores two years ago. I just hate it ended this way. These guys have nothing to hang their heads about. They played the game the right way. They gave unbelievable effort. They gave this college and coaching staff and their teammates, everything they had." 

For more information on MGCCC's 12 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.