2009

WEEK OF _D (j:Qtf( 5 .2cc '_! J I

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offense is rated fourth in the state and 15th nation– ally. Sophomore- Derrick Cade continues to be the team's leading rusher, averaging 82.3 yards per contest. Cade is rated fifth in the state and 26th nationally. He has rushed for 494 yards on 91 car– nes, a 5.4-yard average per carry. He has scored two touchdowns. T;tylor is al"o among the state's top rushers, accumulating 469 yards on 66 carries, a 7.1- yard per carry. He is aver– aging 78.2 yards per con– test and ha::. two ru bing touchdowns. Taylor also continue" to be ranked among the top passers in the state and nation. He i~ ranked fourth in the ::.tate and ninth nationally by com– pleting 104 of 182 passes for 1394 yards and 11 touchdowns. His top receiver is Antonio Hughes. who has 26 grabs for 385 yards and two touchdowns. Hughes is ranked fifth in the state and Lth nationally Bulldog quarterback Greg Jenkins is ranked 20th nationally and eighth in the state. Jenkins has completed 67 of 108 passes for 972 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is aver– aging 162 yards passing

per game. Kevin Bolden of Ocean Springs leads the Bulldogs in receptions with 30 catches for 547 yards and eight touch– downs. Bolden is ranked third in the state and lOth nationally. Overall, tht> Gulf Coast offense iq ranked third nationally and second in the state. averaging 492.5 yards per game. EC's offense i~ ranked fifth in state and ninth nationally, with a 426.&-yard average. Bulldog Bo Brian leads the state in individual scoring among kickers with 50 point . He has made all 29 PATs and con– nected on seven of 11 field goal attempts. EC's Chad Mangum is ranked fourth ·with 27 points. Mangum has made 15 of 16 PATs, and has connected on four of nine field goals. Defensively, the Bull– dogs have the state's top unit defending the rush, allowing just 54 yards per contest. The Gulf Coast rushing defense is ranked fifth nationally. East Central's rushing defense is ranked near the bottom, allowing 184.5 yards per game. In pass defense, the Warriors are rated seventh statewide, allowing 180.8- yards per game. The Bull-

dogs are last in the same category and are giving up 244 yards per game. Overall, the Gulf Coast defense is ranked third in the state by allowing 298 yards per game. EC is rated last in overall defense. giving up 365.3 yards per contest. Warrior linebacker Octavious Gilbert is ranked third among the state's top tacklers with 42 solo stops and 19 assists. EC defensive back Elijah Tanksley of Meridian is second in interceptions with six. Teammate CJ Estelle is tied for fourth with three picks. Estelle is also lOth in kickoff returns. He has 11 returns for 253 yards, a 23-yard average. The ECCC/Gulf Coast game has been designated as "Black Out Bailey Sta– dium Night," and Warrior fans are encouraged to wear black for the division battle. The contest is also "Be Our Guest Night" for area high school students. The special guests will be admitted free to the game and have the opportunity to win various door prizes. One district senior will be selected to kick a field goal for free tuition for the 2010 fall semester.

The Bulldogs, who have won the past two state titles and were co-national champs in 2007, have wins against Itawamba (63-9), Southwest (33-16), East Mississippi (43-26), Pearl River (38-28) and Copiah– Lincoln (38-14). Gulf Coast's only loss is to Northwest (30-25) in the season opener. East Central's other vic– tory this season came against Holmes (27-24). The Warriors fell to Coa– homa (32-31), Hinds (30- 7), Jones County (32-10) and Southwest (21-20). Both Gulf Coast and EC squads are experiencing success on offen~e. The Bulldogs have the nation's top rushing offense and the Warriors arc also highly rated in the same category. Gulf Coast leads the state and nation in team rushing, with a 327-yard average per game. Sopho– more running back Vick Ballard leads the state in rushing and is ranked third nationally, averaging 169.2 yards per contest Ba1lard has accumulated 1,015 yards on 157 carries -a 6.5-yard average - and has scored nine touch– downs. East Central's rushing

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CARTHAGINIAN ------- NEWTON COUNTY APPEAL ---- SPIRIT OF MORTON

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