ELLISVILLE – Jones College head football coach Lytrel Pollard has a simple philosophy when it comes to football.
 
"The key for us is to play fast and physical," he said. "That's my motto. If you ever ask those kids and those coaches what is coach Pollard's theme, they are going to say to play fast and physical. I think by playing fast you know what you are doing and you are confident in what you are doing. And by playing fast you have a chance to be physical. 
 
"And when you are physical in a ballgame you are trying to take another man's will. In the third and fourth quarter you will always be in a ballgame if you are fast and physical. You will have a clear mind and will be playing with a purpose."
 
Pollard begins his first full season as head coach in 2025.
 
He took over for Steve Buckley in the final two games of the 2024 season and led Jones to wins over Southwest (37-21) and Pearl River (16-10).

Pollard was a standout player on state championship football and baseball teams at Stringer High School in the early 1990s before going to Southern Miss and helping the Golden Eagles to a pair of Conference USA titles.
 
He has served as a defensive coach for 26 years before being named the Bobcats' full-time head coach in December 2024.
 
It is Pollard's first time to be a head coach and he is ready for the challenge.
 
"It's been an adjustment, but I've worked my whole life to get to this point in my career," Pollard said, who has been the Bobcat defensive coordinator for the past six years. "The adjustment part of it is balancing what I really love and that's being the defensive coordinator with being the head coach. At practice when you see the offense be successful there is a part of me that doesn't really like that. But then the head coach side of me says that's what I need. We need some back and forth. It's been fun."
 
Pollard said the team has grown and become close during spring practice, summer workouts and the beginning of fall camp.
 
"The number one thing is I think they really like playing for each other," he said. "I've been a part of teams where you have individuals that are always looking out for themselves, but this team seems like they are in it for each other. They compete against each other every day, but then I see guys that I think don't like each other, but they are eating together in the cafeteria. That's the number one thing I see us doing and that's just being a team."
 
Pollard's specialty is defense and he is optimistic about that group even though there will be a lot of inexperience. He expects the defensive line to be solid.
 
"Defensively, we've got a lot of young guys," he said. "Our strength is going to be the defensive line. Out of our nine defensive linemen, seven of them are sophomores and that helps a whole lot that you are older at the d-line."
 
The only returnees on the defensive line are Tmarion Phillips (Roanoke, Ala.), a 6-foot-1, 286-pound sophomore tackle and Bryston Dixon (McIntosh, Ala.), a 6-foot-5, 330-pound redshirt sophomore tackle. Jones welcomes Diego Spears (Prairieville, La.), a 6-foot, 263-pound redshirt freshman from McNeese and Zyan Tremont (Prairieville, La.), is a 6-foot-5, 311-pound sophomore transfer from Southwest Mississippi.
 
At linebacker, the Bobcats have Cam Toney (West Jones), a 6-foot-1, 221-pound sophomore, and Isaiah Lindsey (West Jones), a 6-foot-2, 212-pound sophomore, returning.
 
"We've got Cam back, who played a little last year, but did not play a lot," Pollard said. "Isaiah Lindsey plays a hybrid linebacker spot. We've got talent there, but a lot of youth."
 
Jones will be young in the secondary. Sophomore Tay James (Mendenhall), a 6-foot, 207-pound sophomore and Dion Barber (Oak Grove), a 6-foot-2, 184-pound sophomore, are back.
 
"In the secondary, we've got guys who played last year in a backup role," he said. "We will be relying on a lot of freshmen this year to help us get over the hump."
 
On offense, Pollard said the offensive line will be the key.
 
"Offensively, once again it all starts up front," he said. "We've got some returning guys in the offensive line that played somewhat last year. But now they will be stepping into that starting role. I feel really good about our center and guard positions. But we're young at tackle and in this league, you've got to play well at tackle. There are a lot of unknowns there, but we've got the talent to do it."
 
Brodie Bass (Sumrall), a 6-foot-4, 296-pound sophomore, is back at center and Brayden Warner (East Rankin Academy), a 6-foot-3, 310-pound sophomore, returns at a guard slot.
 
"Brodie and Brayden are pretty rock solid," Pollard said. "Everything else is up for grabs. We've got some out-of-state guys, but we just have to wait and see them with the shoulder pads on."
 
Nick Reagan (Columbia), a 6-foot-7, 276-pound sophomore, is at a tackle slot, and Brandon Russell (Bay), a 6-foot-6, 282-pound sophomore, played at guard last season.
 
Jones has no tight ends returning. Keegan Temich (Seminary), a 6-foot-2, 262-pound freshman, JJ Gammage (Bay Springs), a 6-foot-5, 238-pound sophomore, Davion Kinlaw and Shamarye Lee are the four tight ends listed. Gammage is a Mississippi Delta transfer.
 
"All of our tight ends are new, but we will be OK there as long as we continue to progress," Pollard said.
 
The only experienced receiver returning is Zay Roberts (Pompano Beach, Fla.), a 5-foot-11, 174-pound sophomore. But Pollard says he is expecting good things from that position, which includes 10 players.
 
"We have a couple of transfers in at receiver that's going to help us out a lot to go with Zay that's coming back," he said. "I feel really good about that group. They compete every day one through 10. We have a mixture of size, speed and quickness there. It will be interesting to see us at that position."
 
JQ Gray (Oak Grove), a 5-foot-8, 150-pound redshirt sophomore transfer from Southern Miss, and TK Keyes (Taylorsville), a 6-foot-2, 201-pound redshirt freshman transfer from Southern Miss, will play big roles at wideout.
 
Jones has experience at running back with Cobey Craft (Taylorsville), a 5-foot-10, 201-pound sophomore, and Ky'Yon Harris (Union), a 5-foot-9, 196-pound sophomore, returning. Santae McWilliams Jr. (Saraland, Ala.), a 5-foot-7, 198-pound freshman, and CJ Rush (Philadelphia), a 5-foot-10, 202-pound freshman, round out the running back room.
 
"Cobey and (Ky'Yon) played really good last year," Pollard said. "Santae is probably in the best shape of any kid on the board. He does not get tired. The other kids recognize that."
 
At quarterback the Bobcats have two players battling for playing time.
 
Cannon Crowder (Presbyterian Christian School), a 6-foot-1, 176-pound sophomore, and Jevarion Glover (Amanda Elzy), a 6-foot-4, 199-pound freshman, are in competition.
 
"Quarterback is the most important position," Pollard said. "Cannon played sparingly throughout last year. He's a good leader. Glover is a kid that we signed that I think has all the talent in the world. They are going to go back and forth. We've got two weeks of camp before we get into game week. 
 
"I see a place for both of them. Cannon is one of the best leaders I've been around as a football coach and Jevarion is one of the most talented kids I've seen play at the quarterback position. Between those two we'll have a good mixture."
 
Jones has plenty of experience with special teams.
 
Christian Baglione (Northwest Rankin), a 5-foot-7, 175-pound sophomore, returns as the placekicker. Luke Stewart (Oak Grove), a 6-foot-2, 180-pound redshirt freshman transfer from Southern Miss, will handle punts and kickoffs. William Hodges (Sumrall), a 6-foot-2, 195 sophomore, is back as the long snapper.
 
"Christian will handle the field goal stuff," Pollard said. "Luke kicked off for Southern Miss last year and we are glad to have him. William handled every long snap last year. Our specialist group is the strongest on the team with the most experience."
 
Only two assistant coaches are back from 2024.
 
Assistant head coach and defensive line coach Kwési Drake is back for his eighth season and linebackers coach Slade Buckley returns for his fourth season. Tevin Lakes, who most recently served as defensive coordinator at Central Methodist University and cornerbacks coach at Henderson State, will coach safeties.
 
"Coach Lakes played for a lot of guys I coached with and he's done a good job," Pollard said.
 
It's all new coaches on offense.
 
Bam Bryant is the offensive coordinator/receivers coach, Dominique Sullivan coaches quarterbacks, Matt Lott is the offensive line coach and Scottie Phillips, an NJCAA All-American at Jones in 2016, coaches running backs. Drew Taylor is the first-year strength and conditioning coach.
 
"I coached with coach Bryant for one year at Gulf Coast in 2018," Pollard said. "From that moment on, I knew what type of coach he was. He brings the demeanor I bring on defense to the offense. He holds them to that standard, so I don't have to worry about preaching the standard to that side. Coach Sullivan was at Southwest coaching quarterbacks and receivers and the receiving crew always stood out there.
 
"Coach Lott comes from Hinds. They did not always have the most talented guys up front, but they would maul you and come off and be physical. That's one thing he is instilling in those guys – be less of a talker, but go to work and do your job. Coach Phillips is in his first year of coaching, but the running backs love him because he is teaching them how to be a running back and overall football player."
 
Pollard said the competition in the MACCC is always top-notch.
 
"You can get beat on any given Thursday night when you play a team in the south," he said "You have new coaches at Southwest, Co-Lin and Hinds. East Central was the No. 1 seed last year, Gulf Coast will always be competing and Pearl River is going to be physical. They have a good transfer quarterback and will probably change what they do on offense. Up north, it used to be just Northwest and East Mississippi, but now Itawamba and Holmes have gotten better and it's a four-team race. It's JUCO and you don't know who is going to show up."
 
The Bobcats open the season Thursday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. at Mississippi Delta.
 
"Week one is totally different than week nine," Pollard added. "We just take them all game by game and do our best."
 
All games will air on jcbobcats.com/watch.