ELLISVILLE – The Jones College Bobcats scored two touchdowns in less than a minute late in the second quarter and went on to whip East Central 34-5 here on a pleasant Thursday night at Bobcat Stadium/Sim Cooley Field.
It was the opening game of 2020 for both teams in a season delayed by five weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leading 10-3, the Bobcats got a 50-yard touchdown run by freshman
Romal Webb (Memphis, Tennessee) with 4:26 left in the first half. Seconds later,
Hershey McLaurin (Collins) would recover a fumble and return it 27 yards for a score at the 3:35 mark.
Sophomore quarterback
Quaterius Hawkins (Bastrop, Louisiana) was solid for the Bobcats. He completed 16-of-25 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown. Webb ended the game with 112 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 11 carries.
Markel McLaurin (Collins) had six catches for 120 yards and a score and
Bud Tolbert (Water Valley) had six receptions for 95 yards.
Defensively, safety
Jodie Williams (Holmes County Central), along with linebackers
DeLawrence Butler (Clinton) and
Mike Cockream (Ray Brooks) had nine tackles each. Lineman
Javeon Jones (Heidelberg) had one sack, one tackle for loss and one forced fumble. Cornerback
Travor Randle (Greenwood), safety
Ty Rawls (Wetumpka, Alabama) and
Hershey McLaurin each had a pass interception with
Shaheim Carroll (Gautier) and
Hershey McLaurin both recovering fumbles.
As a unit, the JC defense forced a total of five turnovers, including three interceptions and two fumbles.
East Central took the opening kickoff of the game and drove 49 yards in eight plays. The Warriors had a touchdown pass called back because of a holding penalty and had to settle for a 33-yard field goal by Robens Beauplans to make it 3-0 with 12:49 showing in the first quarter.
Jones would answer on its first possession of the season with a 76-yard, 10-play drive for a touchdown. Webb's 4-yard run gave the Bobcats the lead for good and
Gavin Gaudin's (Northwest Rankin) extra point made it 7-3 with 8:39 to play in the first quarter.
The Bobcats would march 58 yards in nine plays on its next possession, but Gaudin would miss a 45-yard field goal attempt.
But Jones would go up 10-3 on its possession when Gaudin booted a 42-yard field goal with 9:31 left in the first half to end a 55-yard, six-play drive.
Two possessions later, Jones started a drive at its own 31-yard line. Hawkins gained 19 yards on the first play and Webb followed up with a 50-yard scamper for a touchdown. Gaudin's extra point made it 17-3 at the 4:26 mark.
On East Central's next possession, John Hilbert fumbled.
Hershey McLaurin recovered and ran it back 27 yards for a touchdown. Gaudin's conversion put Jones on top 24-3 with 3:35 left in the second quarter.
Jones continued the momentum by taking the second half kickoff and moving 65 yards in three pass plays. Hawkins found
Ashton Nickelberry (Brandon) for 11 yards and
Markel McLaurin for five more. Hawkins then connected with
Markel McLaurin for a 49-yard touchdown strike. Gaudin's extra point made it 31-3 with 13:33 left in the third quarter.
The Warriors would then get a safety when the Bobcats were backed up deep in their own territory and recovered a fumble in the end zone. That made it 31-5 with 10:49 to play in the third quarter.
Jones ended the scoring when Gaudin drilled a 25-yard field goal with 3:49 to play in the third quarter to end a 91-yard, 11-play march.
The Bobcats ended the game with 22 first downs, 197 yards rushing, 287 yards passing and 484 yards of total offense. East Central had 17 first downs, 90 yards rushing, 280 yards passing and 370 yards of total offense.
The Bobcats were penalized only one time for five yards – an illegal formation penalty midway the fourth quarter. ECCC was penalized six times for 40 yards.
The Bobcats, 1-0, will have an open date next week. Jones will travel to Hinds for a 6:30 p.m. game on Oct. 15. The game will air on JCJC.TV, SuperTalk WLAU-FM, 99.3, and SuperTalkLaurel.com with Mark Easley and Luke Johnson on the call.
East Central, 0-1, hosts Southwest on Oct. 8.
