ELLISVILLE – Jones College resumes play this week with an important MACCC South Division contest.
 
The Bobcats host No. 9 Hinds at 7 p.m. Thursday at Bobcat Stadium/Sim Cooley Field. The game will air on jcbobcats.com/watch with Mark Easley and Chuck Robertson on the call.
 
The Bobcats enter the game at 3-2 overall, 0-2 in division play. Hinds is 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the division.
 
The Eagles own wins over Itawamba (34-7), No. 12 Copiah-Lincoln (31-29), Mississippi Delta (48-0) and East Central (48-2). Their only loss was at East Mississippi (7-6).
 
Jones is coming off a 38-28 victory over Holmes on Sept. 27. 
 
Head coach Lytrel Pollard said that was a big win going into last week's open date.
 
"We had a good week and it helps going into an off week when you are coming off a win," he said. "The kids' attitudes were better. We just worked on getting us better. We've made mistakes throughout the year and we haven't had time to truly get those corrected. 
 
"We also tried to get some guys who have been banged up healed a little bit as we get ready for this last stretch of the season."
 
Pollard was pleased with the team's performance in the win over Holmes, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
 
"It was a lot more positive for us on offense than it was on defense," he said. "But we did find a way to score some points and you've got a chance to win every ball game when you do that."
 
Quarterback Jevarion Glover (Amanda Elzy) had a big game for the Bobcats in the win over Holmes. He completed 21-of-34 passes for 335 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed 15 time for 69 yards to account for 404 yards of total offense.
 
The 6-foot-4, 201-pound freshman was named MACCC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance and Pollard said it was much deserved.

"He is such a mature kid even though he is a freshman," he said. "He's way above his days because he's so mature. We can put a lot of stuff on him that you usually can't put on a freshman, but he can handle it and he wants to be good."
 
Wide receiver TK Keyes (Taylorsville) also had a huge game for Jones, catching nine passes for 239 yards and a touchdown. For the season, the 6-foot-2, 202-pound redshirt freshman transfer from Southern Miss leads the NJCAA in receiving with 29 receptions for 582 yards – 116.4 yards per game.
 
"He is another one of those kids that is very humble and comes to work every day," Pollard said of Keyes. "He doesn't take any plays off. For Glover to have a guy there that you know is going to work and be ready when you need him really helps."
 
The Eagles have also had exceptional quarterback play from a freshman.
 
Jaylon Ruffin, a 6-foot-2 product from Starkville, has completed 93-of-145 passes for 1,167 yards (233.4 per game) and 15 touchdowns.
 
Pollard said Ruffin is gifted.
 
"Their guy reminds me of Glover," he said. "He can run it and he can throw it and their offense goes as he goes. It's going to be fun to watch those two quarterbacks go at it."
 
Hinds is under the direction of first-year head Chris Jones, who coached Ruffin at Starkville High School.
 
Pollard said the Eagles will pose quite a challenge this week.
 
"Coach Jones has been a really good offensive coach his whole career," he said. "They are doing a very good job over there. Defensively, they are physical and run to the football well. They play hard, fly to the football and create a lot of turnovers."
 
Next week, the Bobcats travel to East Central for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on Oct. 16. 
 
Hinds hosts Southwest on Oct 16.