Sophomore Night a success for Bulldogs

PERKINSTON — More times than not this season, when Mississippi Gulf Coast has needed him, Alexander Mink has delivered. The do-everything player for the Bulldogs helped his fellow class celebrate Sophomore Night in style Tuesday, beating Copiah-Lincoln 2-1 at Bary Thrash Field. 

"Credit to Mink," Gulf Coast coach Chris Handy said. "He won another one."

The sophomore from Long Beach scored his 11^th goal of the season to break a 75^th-minute tie and win it. Gulf Coast improved to 9-5 overall and 5-3 in the MACCC, tied for fifth. The Bulldogs put a little more ground between them and Co-Lin, now 5-4-2, 3-3-2.

Neko Worthy (So., St. Martin/St. Martin) put the Bulldogs in front with the latest goal you could score in the first half. Mink flicked a ball into the box with the clock winding down, and Worthy nodded it over the keeper as he was getting blasted. The ball nestled in the net as the halftime horn sounded.

The Wolves tied it up with a 59^th-minute penalty.

Gulf Coast forced a turnover in the Co-Lin end in the 75^th minute and had a short field with numbers. After a couple of shots, Mink found himself in the right place at the right time and got the game-winner.

"As a back line, we played well in most moments," Handy said. "I thought "(Omarion) was good and just gave up the PK. We'll take our three points, and we'll keep moving on, and try to get healthy."

The Bulldogs celebrated an accomplished sophomore class on Tuesday, one that accomplished big things last year, with more opportunities to do something special this year. The class includes Xavier Ezell (So., Starkville/Starkville), Dorian Robinson (So., Biloxi/Biloxi), Seamus Murphy (So., Gulfport/Gulfport), Alexander Mink (So., Long Beach/Long Beach), Tobias Buch (So., Skovlunde, Denmark/Borupgaard Gymnasium), Hayden Thomas (So., Clinton/Clinton), Hung Nguyen (So., St. Martin/St. Martin), Vincenzo Jeanfreau (So., Saucier/Pass Christian), Neko Worthy (So., St. Martin/St. Martin) and Braylon Poindexter (Fr., Madison/St. Joseph).

"We've been to nationals twice, and they're one of the classes that was a part of it," Handy said. "That says they're class, as a group, to be able to accomplish that. They're fighting this year. It's a challenging year, but I know they're fighting to be in. They're kind of carrying us. It's a class we'll always remember, for sure. They've done well in the classroom, they've done well on the field, they're going to do well in the future."

Gulf Coast will travel to Scooba next Tuesday to play East Mississippi. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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