JUCO football roundup: Hinds stomps Coahoma; Northwest beats EMCC in top 10 showdown
Published 3:16 pm Friday, October 4, 2019
RAYMOND — Hinds Community College got its work done early Thursday night and then took it easy.
Derrick Turner rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns, Zhadarian Haywood scored two touchdowns on only three carries, and Hinds crushed Coahoma Community College 54-26 on homecoming.
The Eagles (5-1) scored all of their points in the first half and led 54-12 at halftime. The second half was played with a running clock.
Coahoma (1-5) lost its fifth consecutive game after beating then-No. 3 Jones College in its season opener.
After Elijah Pugh returned a fumble 75 yards for a touchdown to pull Coahoma within 7-6 in the first quarter, Hinds scored the next 47 points.
Don Ragsdale started Hinds’ scoring spree with a 33-yard touchdown run, while Turner scored on runs of 7 and 6 yards. Ragsdale finished with nine carries for 79 yards. Haywood had 68 yards on three carries, including TD runs of 38 and 28 yards.
Elijah Walker and Javon Antonio also hooked up for two touchdown passes. Hinds finished with 438 yards of total offense.
Dewayne Betts threw three touchdown passes for Coahoma.
No. 11 Hinds will be back at home on Oct. 10 as it takes on No. 15 Copiah-Lincoln in a crucial MACJC South Division matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Northwest Mississippi 56, East Mississippi 36
No. 7 Northwest Mississippi rolled up a season-high 572 yards of offense, and the defense shut out No. 3 East Mississippi in the fourth quarter of a high-scoring game to earn a huge win in a top-10 showdown Thursday night.
East Mississippi (4-2, 2-1 MACJC North) had a 36-game home winning streak that dated to 2012 come to an end. This is also the first time since 2012 that EMCC has lost two games in a season.
Northwest Mississippi (5-1, 2-1 MACJC North) led 42-16 after Jack Walker’s 66-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Wynn late in the first half. East Mississippi scored 20 straight points, however, to get within 42-36 on a 3-yard TD run by Zias Perryman late in the third quarter.
Jaquerrious Williams finally broke the scoring silence for Northwest with 9:37 left in the fourth quarter, as the freshman tailback wrapped up a six-play, 79-yard drive with a 35-yard TD run, moving the Rangers back ahead by two scores, 49-36.
Northwest came up clutch again on other side of the ball, as the defense stopped the Lions at midfield on fourth down. Nine plays later, Williams scored again on a 1-yard run to make it 56-36 with less than three minutes remaining.
Walker completed 15 of 26 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns for Northwest. All three of his touchdowns went to Wynn, who finished with three catches and 144 yards.
Itawamba 27, Holmes 21
Holmes Community College (2-4, 2-1 MACJC South) rolled up 336 rushing yards, but it wasn’t enough to beat Itawamba Community College (2-4, 2-2).
Hiram Wadlington ran for two touchdowns for Itawamba, and Clark Mills scored on a 2-yard run.
East Central 23, Copiah-Lincoln 18
J.D. Martin rushed for 216 yards, Robens Beauplan kicked four field goals, and East Central Community College (4-2, 3-0 MACJC South) knocked off No. 15 Copiah-Lincoln (3-3, 1-2).
East Central ended a 10-game losing streak to its South Division rivals and remained in first place in the division.
The East Central defense held Co-Lin to 130 passing yards — 100 yards below its average — and registered five sacks.
Tyrus Wheat had five tackles for Co-Lin, and returned a missed field goal 86 yards for a touchdown. Former Warren Central star Lamar Gray had three tackles.