ELLISVILLE – La'Damian Webb made a successful return to Jones College.
 
Webb, who starred at Jones in 2019 and then played at Florida State in 2020, rushed 20 times for 193 yards and two touchdowns to pace the Bobcats to a solid, 41-17 victory over Northeast Mississippi here Thursday night in the season-opener at Bobcat Stadium/Sim Cooley Field.
 
Webb ran 14 yards on the game's first play from scrimmage and then took off for a 68-yard touchdown run on the next play. The Bobcats also had two special teams' touchdowns on the evening.
 
Jones outrushed Northeast 326-97 and ended the game with a 408-230 edge in total yards. 
 
Defensively, linebacker Mike Cockream led a balanced group with eight tackles. Corterrious Shaw and Jaylin Simmons had five stops and Drew Horton, Tylan Glass, Javarian Jenkins, Travor Randle and Tahjai Graham had four stops each. Randle had two fumble recoveries, Glass had one and Jodie Williams had a pass interception.
 
Three possessions after Webb's first score, the Bobcats forced a punt. Lardarius Webb Jr. took the kick and returned it 62 yards for a touchdown with 4:46 remaining in the first quarter. Brody Pierce's extra point gave the Bobcats a 14-0 lead.
 
The Tigers made it 14-3 on a 33-yard field goal by John Ellis Murrah with 12:17 to play in the second quarter.
 
Northeast pulled within 14-10 when AC Graham scored on a 4-yard run to cap a 42-yard, four-play drive with 4:09 left in the first half.
 
But Jones would take the ensuing kickoff and march 75 yard in 11 plays. Webb scored from a yard out to end the drive. The extra point attempt was no good, but the Bobcats led 20-10 with 1:06 to play in the second quarter.
 
Jones continued the momentum on its first possession of the second half.
 
The Bobcats went 50 yards in 10 plays with Paul Hughes II ending the drive on a 10-yard run. Pierce's extra point gave Jones a 27-10 lead with 10:26 remaining in the third quarter.
 
Two possessions later, the Bobcats forced another Northeast punt. The Tiger punter dropped the ball and Randle got a 'scoop and score' from 27 yards away. Pierce's extra point put Jones ahead 34-10 with 2:54 to play in the third quarter.
 
The Tigers would answer with a quick, 73-yard, five-play drive. Goldman Butler VI did the honors from four yards out and Murrah's conversion made it 34-17 with 43 seconds to play in the third quarter. 
 
The game's final score came when the Bobcats went 30 yards in four plays with Robert Henry getting the call on all four runs. Henry ended the drive with a 3-yard run and Pierce's extra point made it 41-17 with 8:44 left in the game.
 
Jones (1-0) with host No. 3 Northwest Mississippi at 7 p.m. on Sept. 9. Northwest defeated Copiah-Lincoln 31-12 on Thursday.

Former Bobcat tennis and soccer coach Mark Easley and former football player Dr. Mark Barron will be inducted into the school's Sports Hall of Fame and will be recognized at halftime.
 
Northeast (0-1) hosts Gulf Coast on Sept. 9.