JUCO Football Eve, Part I: Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs

PERKINSTON, Miss. (WXXV) — Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College football and winning just go together, and the Bulldogs are showing no signs of slowing down heading into 2023.

Head coach Jack Wright is heading into year six with the program, fresh off a school record fourth straight year with at least a share of the MACCC South division title.

Last season, MGCCC went 6-4 overall (5-1 MACCC South), falling just short in the first round of the playoffs against East Mississippi.

By nature, roster turnover is always a big part of JUCO football, with the Bulldogs having sent 66 players to the four-year level over the past three years.

One key returner on offense, sophomore wide receiver Ramone Bradley, who finished 10th in the nation last year in receiving yards.

He’ll be catching passes from either Eli Anderson or Kason Lincke.

On defense, Wright says to watch out for Dramarian McNulty.

Plenty of local talent will also be making contributions in the team’s quest for its first national championship since 2019.

“Everything is about winning,” said MGCCC redshirt sophomore tight end and St. Patrick alum Jackson Kostmayer. “You want to win. You want to go to the national championship. You want to be the guys, the guys to do it.”

“We had a pretty good team last year, but I feel like we’ve got a better team this year,” said Gautier sophomore offensive lineman and Gautier alum Bryson Hurst. “We take winning pretty serious. We go outside every day, trying to get one percent better. We try to turn that onto the field.”

“It’s always good to win the division,” said Wright. “We did that last year. But Jeff, every team is a new team. We have such a tough schedule, and look at the teams that are coming in here, and we’ve got a tough road trip, so we do like the tradition here. It’s something we’re very proud of. It’s something we’re not scared to talk about. But this is 2023, and our record right now is 0-0, and I know I’m being extremely coach cliche, but we have to try to go win that game that week, and the tradition has nothing to do with that.”

Wright and the Bulldogs kick off the 2023 season against his former team, Northwest Mississippi, at home Thursday at 7 p.m.