By Shawn Wansley
JCJC Sports Information Director

SUMMIT – It almost sounds like a broken record, but it is pretty sweet music for the Jones County Junior College Bobcats.

The Bobcats used a complete team effort again – offense, defense and special teams – and whipped the Southwest Mississippi Community College Bears, 40-21, here on a dreary Saturday afternoon at John Hurst Stadium.

It marked the fifth straight victory for JCJC and clinched a playoff berth for the Bobcats. JCJC is now 5-2 overall and 5-0 in the South Division. The top spot in the division will be decided at 2 p.m. on Oct. 24 when the Bobcats host the Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs. Gulf Coast is currently 4-0 in league play and faces Hinds this week.

Jones got another steady performance from Virginia Beach, Va., freshman Brian Robinson at quarterback. Robinson ran for two touchdowns, threw for another, rushed for 48 yards and passed for 109 yards. Kissimmee, Fla., freshman running back Bubba Brown rushed for 109 yards, including 106 yards in the first half and two touchdowns, before leaving early in the third quarter with an ankle injury.

The defense got a score when Raleigh sophomore defensive back Jamie Bender returned an interception 47 yards for a score. Bender would later have another interception, as would fellow Raleigh sophomore defensive back Chris Lofton. Lofton would also have a lengthy fumble recovery return to set up another score. The defense limited Southwest to four first downs and 71 yards of offense in the first half.

And in special teams, Northeast Jones’ sophomore Ramon Blakeney ran 14 yards on a fake punt in the first quarter, which gave the Bobcats a first down and eventually led to the team’s first touchdown.

Jones ended the game with 17 first downs, 202 yards rushing, 109 yards passing and 311 yards of offense. The Bears had 12 first downs, just 39 yards rushing and 310 yards of offense.

The Bobcats got on the board first when they mounted a 63-yard, 15-play drive and used up almost eight minutes of the clock. The key play was Blakeney’s run on the fake punt and the drive was capped when Robinson scored on a 5-yard run on third and goal. Jacob Chancellor’s extra point was good and Jones led 7-0 with 3:44 left in the first quarter.

Bender would strike next, picking off a Stanley Jennings’ pass and racing 47 yards for the score. Chancellor’s kick made it 14-0 with 13:37 left in the first half.

The Bears took the kickoff and drove from their 29-yard line to the Jones’ 39. Southwest then tried some ‘trickeration’ and Jennings ended up throwing the ball on a reverse pass. However, Lofton came up with the interception in the end zone for a touchback.

The Bobcats would then drive 80 yards in 10 plays for their third touchdown of the game. Jones faced a fourth-and 1 at the Bear 47 when Brown took a toss to his right, broke a couple of tackles at the line, maintained his balance and rambled the rest of the way into the end zone. A high snap on the extra point caused it to be blocked, but JCJC led 20-0 with 7:03 left in the first half.

The Bears moved the ball to the Jones’ 44 on their next possession. However, Jennings would be stripped of the ball, Lofton picked it up at the Bear 40 and returned it all the to SMCC 2-yard line.

Two plays later, Brown went over from the 2 for his second score of the game and 10th of the season. Chancellor’s PAT was true, the Bobcats led 27-0 with 5:22 left in the half and by then many of the Bears’ fans in attendance realized it was not going to be a happy Homecoming.

But Southwest would bounce back in the third quarter and make it interesting.

They took the second half kickoff and promptly drove 84 yards in nine plays for a score. Jennings connected with Anthony Cain on a 10-yard touchdown pass with 11:42 showing. Brandon Thomas made the extra point and it was 27-7.

The Bears then stopped Jones and forced a punt. But SMCC’s J.D. Ratliff fumbled it and JCJC’s Marcus Pierce, a West Jones’ sophomore, recovered at the Bear 47.

Jones could not move and Chancellor punted it out of bounds on the SMCC 7.

However, Southwest would then drive 93 yards in seven plays to get back in the game. The big play was a 54-yard strike from Jennings to Donovan Belle. Jennings capped the drive with a 6-yard run. Thomas kicked the extra point and suddenly it was 27-14 with 5:06 left in the third quarter.

But Jones would answer on its next possession and take the steam out of the SMCC comeback attempt. The Bobcats moved 87 yards in just seven plays with Robinson finding Laurel sophomore Anthony Jackson from 18 yards away for the score.

Robinson hit Jackson on a short pass to his left and Jackson tip-toed down the sidelines and leaped into the end zone for the touchdown. The big play of the drive was a 30-yard strike from Robinson to Laurel sophomore Rafael Pollard. Jones went for two, but the pass fell incomplete and the Bobcats led 33-14 with 1:42 left in the third quarter.

JCJC’s final touchdown was set up by another Bender interception. Bender picked off Jennings at the Bear 37 and returned to the 5. But Jones was called for an illegal block and had to start the drive at the SMCC 33.

Seven players later, Robinson would score on a 4-yard run. Chancellor’s conversion made it 40-14 with 4:53 left in the game. Southwest then took the ensuing kickoff and moved 80 yards in 13 plays behind backup quarterback Robby Robinson. Robby Robinson did the honors himself, scoring on a 2-yard run. Thomas’ extra point closed the scoring at the 1:16 mark.

Jennings ended the game by completing 14-of-26 passes for 200 yards, but three interceptions. Southwest falls to 3-4 overall and 2-3 in the division. They go to Pearl River on Saturday.

JCJC will hold its own Homecoming festivities on Saturday, Oct. 17. The Bobcats will host the Mississippi Delta Trojans at 2 p.m. in a non-division contest at Bobcat Stadium/Sim Cooley Field.

Fans can watch the game at www.jcjc.tv with Lance Pittman doing play-by-play and Mark Easley providing color commentary. The game will be available on radio on WGDQ-FM, 93.1. The pregame show begins at 1:30 p.m.


Jones at Southwest

Jones County 40, Southwest 21
Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009
At John Hurst Stadium

Jones County 7 20 6 7 – 40
Southwest 0 0 14 7 – 21

JCJC SMCC
17 FD 12
48-202 Rushes-Yards 26-39
11-21-2 Att-Comp-Int 20-36-3
109 Passing Yards 271
311 Total Offense 310
7-69 Penalties-Yards 9-56
4-39.3 Punts-Ave. 5-30.0
2-1 Fumbles-Lost 3-2
126 Return yardage 73

Scoring Summary
1st quarter – JCJC, Brian Robinson 5-yard run, 3:44. Jacob Chancellor PAT. JCJC 7-0.
2nd quarter – JCJC, Jamie Bender 47-yard interception return, 13:37. Chancellor PAT. JCJC 14-0.
2nd quarter – JCJC, Bubba Brown 47-yard run, 7:03. PAT blocked. JCJC 20-0.
2nd quarter – JCJC, Brown 2-yard run, 5:22. Chancellor PAT. JCJC 27-0.
3rd quarter – SMCC, Anthony Cain 10-yard pass from Stanley Jennings, 11:42. Brandon Thomas PAT. JCJC 27-7.
3rd quarter – SMCC, Jennings 6-yard run, 5:06. Thomas PAT. JCJC 27-14.
3rd quarter – JCJC, Anthony Jackson 18-yard pass from B. Robinson, 1:42. Pass failed. JCJC 33-14.
4th quarter – JCJC, B. Robinson 4-yard run, 4:53. Chancellor PAT. JCJC 40-14.
4th quarter – SMCC, Robby Robinson 2-yard run, 1:16. Thomas PAT. JCJC 40-21.

Individual statistics
Rushing
Jones – Bubba Brown 18-109; Brian Robinson 19-48; Ramon Blakeney 1-14; Justin Gaines 9-30; La’Darious Portis 1-1. Southwest – Martee Tenner 8-28; Isiah Ferdinand 2-6; Tray Bateaste 2-10; Robby Robinson 3-9; Stanley Jennings 11-(-14).

Passing
Jones – Robinson 11-20-2 for 109; Anthony Jackson 0-1-0 for 0 yards.
Southwest – Stanley Jennings 14-26-3 for 200 yards; Robby Robinson 6-10-0 for 71 yards.

Receiving
Jones – Anthony Jackson 4-39; Tristan Purifoy 3-28; Rafael Pollard 1-30; Jamieon Keyes 2-7; Brandon May 1-5.
Southwest – Donovan Belle 4-115; Anthony Cain 3-42; Darren Arline 1-8; Martee Tenner 3-6; Carderian Beale 1-4; Antonio Wyche 1-8; Blake Stalans 3-37; Isiah Ferdinand 2-19; LeMario Barnes 1-26; Josh Hawkins 1-6.

Punts
Jones – Jacob Chancellor 4 for 157 yards – 39.3 ave.
Southwest – Robby Robinson 5 for 150 yards – 30.0 ave.

Returns
Jones – Chris Lofton 3 KO returns for 54 yards – 18.0 ave.; Lofton 1 punt return for 11 yards; Jamie Bender 2 int returns for 61 yards; Lofton 1 int for 0 yards.
Southwest – Mychal Bailey 4 KO returns for 63 yards – 15.7 ave; Mardavian Martin 1 KO return for 4 yards; Martin 1 int return for 0 yards; Devorris Stanton 1 int return for 6 yards.