ELLISVILLE – In this era of high-powered offenses across the country, it was a day for defense here on a pretty Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Stadium/Sim Cooley Field.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Bulldogs edged the Jones County Junior College Bobcats 20-17 before around 4,000 fans in a game that decided the MACJC South Division championship.

After the Bobcats scored first, Gulf Coast scored 20 straight points and took a 20-7 halftime lead. In the second half, JCJC held the high-powered Bulldog offense in check, limiting them to just 61 yards and five first downs. However, Jones only managed three first downs and 60 yards in the second half.

For the game, Gulf Coast had 14 first downs, 154 yards rushing on 54 carries and 54 yards passing for 208 yards of offense. Jones had nine first downs, 26 yards rushing on 30 attempts and 130 yards passing for 156 yards of offense.

Gulf Coast, ranked No. 5 in the nation, won its eighth straight game and improved to 8-1 overall and 6-0 in the division. JCJC, rated No. 14, saw its six-game winning streak come to an end. The Bobcats are now 6-3 overall and 5-1 in the division.

JCJC will travel to face East Mississippi at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, in the opening round of the state playoffs. Gulf Coast will host Coahoma on Saturday. The two winners will meet for the state championship on Nov. 7.

The Bobcats got on the scoreboard on its second possession of the game. Chris Lofton returned a punt 19 yards to the Gulf Coast 36-yard line to give JCJC excellent field position.

Four plays later, quarterback Brian Robinson found Jamieon Keyes on a pretty, over-the-shoulder 18-yard touchdown pass. Jacob Chancellor’s extra point gave Jones a 7-0 lead with 9:12 left in the first quarter.

But the Bobcats would give Gulf Coast good field position when they fumbled a punt at their own 18. Three plays later, Vick Ballard went over from four yards out for a touchdown. Bo Bryan’s extra point made it 7-7 with 7:04 left in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs then forced a ‘3 and out’ and took over on their own 45. Gulf Coast would then march 55 yards in 11 plays for a score. Quarterback Greg Jenkins scrambled around to his right and found Joe Burnett on a 10-yard touchdown strike on a third and nine play. Bryan’s conversion made it 14-7 with 1:07 left in the first quarter.

Gulf Coast increased the lead when they would drive from their 46 to the Bobcat 20 in nine plays. Bryan would boot a 37-yard field goal and the Bulldogs led 17-7 with 3:16 left in the first half.

The Bulldogs then took advantage of a 16-yard Bobcat punt and started their final drive of the first half at the Jones’ 30. Six plays later, Bryan kicked a 31-yard field goal with just 51.4 seconds left in the first half and Gulf Coast led 20-7.

Jones fought back quickly in the second half.

On their first possession of the third quarter, the Bobcats moved from their 41 to a first and goal at the Gulf Coast 6-yard line. The key play was a 22-yard screen pass from Robinson to Bubba Brown.

However, Gulf Coast held Jones out of the end zone and Chancellor booted a 22-yard field goal to make it 20-10 with 8:18 left in the third quarter.

The Bobcats quickly got another opportunity when DeAntrae McInnis picked off a Jenkins’ pass at the Gulf Coast 42. On the next play, Robinson found Anthony Jackson for a 16-yard pickup to the 26. But Jones could not gain any more ground and Chancellor’s 43-yard field goal attempt was short with 6:21 left in the third quarter.

It stayed that way until the middle of the fourth quarter.

The Bobcats forced a punt and Lofton fielded it at his own 29. He started to his right, cut back to the middle of the field around midfield and then headed back to his right en route to a splendid, 71-yard punt return for a touchdown. Chancellor’s conversion was good and suddenly Jones was only down 20-17 with 7:45 left in the game.

Each team went ‘3 and out’ on their next possession. Gulf Coast would then punt the ball away again and Jones took over at its own 25 with just 2:15 left. But Gulf Coast’s Sammy Brown intercepted a Robinson pass at the Jones’ 40 and returned it to the 36.

But on the very next play, Gulf Coast’s Mark Seymour fumbled and JCJC came up with the recovery at their own 29 with just 1:53 left to play. However, on a fourth and 1 at the 38, Brown was stuffed on an inside run. He tried to bounce it outside, but the Bulldogs dropped him for an 8-yard loss and took over at the Jones’ 30 with just 1:27 remaining.

Jenkins took a knee three times to end the game.

Ballard, a Mississippi State University commitment, was the workhorse for the Bulldogs, carrying the ball 32 times for 92 hard-earned yards.

Plans are in the works to televise the JCJC at East Mississippi playoff game on www.jcjc.tv. Lance Pittman will call the play-by-play and Mark Easley will provide commentary. The game will also air on WGDQ-FM, 93.1. The pregame show will begin at 1:30 p.m.