The #2 ranked Jones College Bobcats handily won against MACCC south division rival East Central Warriors 34-5 to go 1-0 in the South on opening day Oct.1.
Sophomore quarterback Quaterious Hawkins was 16-of-25 for 226 yards of passing the ball and rushed the ball seven times for 23 yards. Freshman running back Romal Webb had 11 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns on the ground rushing. Sophomore receiver Markel Mclaurin had six catches for 120 yards receiving and a touchdown. The offensive had a total of 484 yards including 197 yards of rushing and 4 total touchdowns.
The Bobcats’ defense deserves the spotlight as well, as they gave up no touchdowns and helped an East Central team that specializes in the ground game to 90 yards rushing. The Bobcat defense made the Warriors give up the football five times, including three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. MACCC defensive player of the week, Hershey Mcclaurin reigned the defense with three tackles, one interception, and a fumble recovery for a 27 yard touchdown.
“I’m just going to have to continue to do what my coach teaches me all throughout the week as far as the game plan and take that on to the field,” said Mclaurin.
It’s going to take more than one person to shine in order to stop Hinds Community College and their read option but Delawrence Butler leading the team with ten tackles feels confident in slowing down Hinds’ running game.
“We just have to be aggressive and get to the ball and tackle. I feel that if we all do our jobs we will stop the run game and the pass game……We really are number one in the nation,” said Butler. “We should not give up any points to anybody if we are disciplined, and if we are doing our job we should shut everyone out.”
Hinds had a total of 323 yards of offense against Mississippi Gulf Coast, including a stout rushing performance from their running back, Dajon Stout, with 24 carries for 101 yards.
Mclaurin is trusting the process of what the coaches are teaching them by saying, “We know that they’re capable of having big plays so we have to limit those plays and even stop all of them doing what we’ve been coached to do…. All we have to do is play aggressive and to be fundamentally sound.”
The Bobcats will next play October 29 at home at 7 p.m.
by Caleb Harris
