Who’s Rising, Who’s Rebuilding: Week 2 in the MACCC

Week 1 of the MACCC season delivered haymakers. Old powers flexed. New rosters fought to find their rhythm. And Mississippi JUCO football reminded us why Thursday nights in late summer feel so sacred.

No. 10 Mississippi Gulf Coast and East Mississippi gave us the headliner. On paper, it looked like Bulldogs dominance. On the field, it was tighter early. East Mississippi, with only 13 returning players, shocked the crowd with a 14-6 lead in Perkinston. A botched snap on a PAT kept Gulf Coast chasing. But that moment was a spark. By night’s end, Gulf Coast found its stride. Final score: 41-21.

Quarterback Landon Varnes was the maestro. Twenty-eight completions. Four hundred twenty-six yards. He carved the Lions apart. Tyler Henderson was his weapon. Ten catches. One hundred eighty-six yards. A go-ahead touchdown that broke the game open. Alan Woods hammered the point home in the second half. Three touchdowns on the ground. That was the dagger.

East Mississippi showed flashes. Quarterback Rodge Waldrop, fresh from Georgia State, threw for 240 and a touchdown. Gavin Griffin was a workhorse with 91 tough yards. Noreel White, the Ole Miss transfer, caught 11 balls for 101. But youth showed. The secondary bent. Then it broke. This was EMCC’s third straight season-opening loss. The rebuild is real. Week 2 in Scooba will tell us if it is temporary or a deeper problem.

No. 3 Northwest Mississippi made the loudest statement. The defending champs steamrolled Pearl River 42-17. That margin was the largest in the history of the series. The Rangers didn’t just win. They owned the trenches.

Fifty-eight rushing attempts. Three hundred sixty-six yards. Six touchdowns on the ground. Time of possession in their pocket. On defense, they were suffocating. Pearl River finished with negative five rushing yards. That is pure dominance. The Rangers look every bit like the team to beat again.

Hinds turned heads too. New coach Chris Jones had his team ready. The Eagles opened with a 68-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. They never looked back, beating Itawamba 34-7. The difference? Execution. Hinds didn’t turn the ball over once. Itawamba coughed it up twice, both times inside the red zone. One team finished drives. The other squandered them. That’s the ballgame.

Elsewhere, the scoreboard lit up with lopsided wins. No. 9 Co-Lin crushed Coahoma 42-3. Southwest handled Holmes 34-6. Jones blanked Mississippi Delta 33-0. Northeast had the lone tight contest, pulling away from East Central 24-13. The story is clear. The top half of the league has separated early.

Week 2 is coming and it will test everything we just learned.

Week 2 Previews

East Central at Northwest [EC Livestream] [Northwest Livestream]

The rematch in Senatobia. Last year’s championship pairing. East Central struggled to move the ball against Northeast in Week 1. Now they run into the nastiest front seven in the state. Northwest is rolling. This is a measuring stick for the Warriors.

Hinds at East Mississippi [Hinds Livestream] [EMCC Livestream]

The redemption shot in Scooba. EMCC cannot afford another stumble. Their defense gave up nearly 600 yards in Week 1. Hinds is confident after dismantling Itawamba. Momentum favors the Eagles. The Lions’ pride is on the line.

Itawamba at Pearl River [ICC Livestream] [PRCC Livestream]

The desperation duel in Poplarville. Both 0-1. Both licking wounds. Itawamba turned it over in scoring position twice. Pearl River was bullied in the trenches. The winner breathes. The loser sinks fast.

Jones at Coahoma [Jones Livestream] [Coahoma Livestream]

Jones looked polished in a 33-0 shutout. Coahoma was overwhelmed by Co-Lin. The Bobcats should dominate up front. Coahoma will need turnovers or a special-teams play to hang around.

Holmes at Copiah-Lincoln [Holmes Livestream] [Co-Lin Livestream]

Co-Lin exploded for 42 in their opener. Holmes was handled by Southwest. Expect Co-Lin to push the tempo again. Holmes needs to slow this game down and grind clock to have a chance.

Mississippi Delta at Gulf Coast [Delta Livestream] [GC Livestream]

Delta was blanked in Week 1. Gulf Coast put up 547 yards. This looks like a mismatch. Varnes and Henderson could feast again. The Bulldogs should cruise if they stay sharp.

Northeast at Southwest [Northeast Livestream] [Southwest Livestream]

Both are coming off wins. Northeast leaned on its defense. Southwest looked balanced and physical. This feels like the most even matchup of the week. Whoever controls the line will get to 2-0.