The season’s gone past the halfway mark, and the noise has thinned into truth. You can see who’s built for late October and who’s been running on borrowed momentum.
Last week told the story in bold ink.
Jones College walked into the fire and came out grinning. A 31–21 upset of ninth-ranked Hinds shook the South Division awake. Hinds rolled up 500+ yards but tripped over itself in penalties and missed chances. Jones didn’t blink. They didn’t beat Hinds with flash. They beat them by not losing their heads.
Meanwhile, Gulf Coast looked like Gulf Coast. A 27–3 chokehold on East Central. Six wins, zero losses, no wasted motion. That’s a machine, not a team.
Co-Lin took care of Pearl River, Holmes shut out Mississippi Delta, Itawamba ripped Coahoma, and Northwest handled Southwest. Order held everywhere else… except in Scooba, where East Mississippi barely held off Northeast, 31–28, on Homecoming.
Now we reach the hinge.
The North Division belongs to two programs right now: Itawamba and Holmes. Both 3–0 in league play. Both unbeaten where it counts. Thursday night in Goodman decides the balance. The winner holds the tiebreaker and, possibly, a ticket to the playoffs.
Down south, Gulf Coast is in its own lane. 4-0 in conference play. Two games clear. Co-Lin stays sturdy in second, but below them it’s chaos! Hinds, Jones, East Central, and Southwest all clawing for air. Hinds’ loss cracked the window, but that light won’t last long.
Nationally, the MACCC still owns the conversation. Gulf Coast. Northwest. Hinds. Co-Lin. Four ranked. Itawamba could join them. No other league in the NJCAA stacks that deep. The Bulldogs might climb into the top three. Hinds will take the fall. The rest keep circling.
Thursday night is where it all tilts.
Itawamba at Holmes. Power against grit. Winner claims the North.
Co-Lin at Gulf Coast. Are the Bulldogs on upset alert?
Southwest at Hinds. Two proud programs trying to get things pointed back in the right direction.
Northwest gets Mississippi Delta. A game to polish edges, not to sweat.
Jones at East Central. One will stay breathing.
Northeast takes on Coahoma. A chance for the Tigers to take out some frustrations from last week.
Pearl River and East Mississippi square off in non-conference play.
By the time Friday morning hits, the playoff map will look different. The next two weeks will shape the playoffs. Gulf Coast looks untouchable. Everyone else is trying to keep up.
It’s mid-October football in Mississippi. The air’s getting colder. And the truth, as always, is coming fast.
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