MGCCC Bulldogs playing in CFP National Championship game

When Alabama and George punched their respective tickets to the national championship game, they made it the first all-SEC affair in the college football playoff era. They also made it an all MGCCC reunion with each roster featuring a former Bulldog. For the Tide, it’s Isaiah Buggs and for UGA it’s D’Marcus Hayes.
Former teammates at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College turned enemies for a week, leading up to Monday’s title game. MGCCC Offensive line Coach Les George said, “I’ve talked to D’Marcus a little bit, and obviously he wishes that he was playing and not being red-shirted, but told me he would love to be out there on that stage going against Isaiah.”
Buggs was the top ranked JUCO defensive lineman coming out of Perk and he’s lived up to the hype, having started 11 games during his first season in Tuscaloosa.
Meanwhile, Hayes has yet to see the field with his new Bulldog family although his former o-line coach still has a dog in the fight. “I’m excited for both of those guys, obviously. But being an offensive line coach, I’m probably going to have to lean towards Georgia a little bit with D’Marcus being there.”
But that’s no disrespect to the one they call ‘Big Pooh.’ “There were a couple of times he put some double move spins on D’Marcus and frustrated him a little bit, but at the same time I think that is what helped D’Marcus grow and develop was the type of caliber player that Isaiah was pushed D’Marcus to be better.”
Regardless the outcome of the big game, MGCCC can claim a national champion of its own no matter what. “I know right now they’re excited for each other, knowing that one of those guys is going to be a national champion. They obviously, too, I think have that competitive nature, they’re wanting to win it. But at the same time knowing that if the other one wins it, the other one is going to be happy for them.”
Monday’s title game kicks off at 7 p.m. on ESPN from the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This is the first all-SEC championship bout since the 2011 season when Alabama took down LSU.
Here’s a look at some former high school standouts representing the Magnolia State on the big stage:
• Raekwon Davis-Meridian
• Nigel Knott-Germantown
• Scott Lashley-West Point
• Matt Womack-Magnolia Heights
• Jarvis Wilson-Tupelo