RAYMOND - The top-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) Bulldogs fend off some late game heroics from the number six ranked Hinds Community College Eagles and capture a 31-21 victory.

The Hinds Eagles came into the game with the opportunity to win the MACJC South Division and proved they were ready to battle as they got off to a fast start when quarterback Elijah Walker connected with Jakarius Caston for a 50-yard touchdown strike on the game's opening drive.

The Hinds' touchdown was the first that the MGCCC Bulldogs' defense had allowed in their last eight quarters of play.

The Hinds' defense followed up the touchdown by forcing the Bulldogs to turn the ball over on downs on their opening drive.

The Eagles momentum was halted, however, as they lost a fumble on their ensuing offensive drive.
MGCCC capitalized off the Eagles' first turnover of the game via a 20-yard touchdown pass that tied the game at seven a piece with 5:40 on the clock in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs then forced their second straight turnover in as many chances when they intercepted the Eagles' pass in the end zone, which ended a 69-yard drive by Hinds.

MGCCC opened up the scoring in the second quarter with a 23-yard field goal which gave them their first lead of the game with 9:27 left in the first half.

On the next drive, the Eagles' offense took back a 14-10 lead, as running back Don Ragsdale busted through the Bulldogs' defense and into the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown. Ragsdale's touchdown run gave him his eighth rushing touchdown of the 2019 season, and the 21^st of his illustrious career at Hinds.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, MGCCC went on to put up 21 unanswered points giving them a 31-14 lead with 7:47 left on the clock in the third quarter.

Much like they did all season long, the Eagles did not go down without a fight. Hinds managed to cut their deficit to just ten points (31-21) when Walker dished an 11-yard touchdown pass to Tabashi Thomas with 3:19 left on the clock in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles defense then did their job, as they forced the Bulldogs to turn the ball over on downs with two minutes remaining the game.

With 20 seconds left in the game inside Bulldog territory, the Eagles comeback chances were thwarted as MGCCC forced and recovered a Hinds' fumble. Hinds' fourth turnover of the game proved to secure MGCCC the win as well as a first place finish in the MACJC South Division.

"Congratulations to Gulf Coast, they have a good team. I think we have a good team too though. Our guys fought hard for four quarters. We just turned the ball over too many times tonight," said head football coach Larry Williams.

The Hinds football program finished the 2019 regular season with a 7-2 overall record, and a 4-2 record in the MACJC South.

Inopportunely, the loss eliminated Hinds from MACJC playoff contention.

"We will be back. Next year, we will return some impact players who were either injured or freshmen this year, and we will continue to hit the road hard recruiting to bring in the next great class to Hinds. We intend to continue to keep taking steps forward as a program, never backwards," said Williams.