ELLISVILLE – Jones County Junior College takes aim at its first-ever state championship in men’s soccer this weekend.

Head coach Oleg Baleyev’s team will be competing in the MACJC Soccer Tournament Saturday and Sunday at Tom Shepherd Field on the campus of Hinds Community College in Raymond.

The Bobcats, 11-3, are the South Division runnerups and will take on the host Eagles, 9-5-1, in Saturday’s semifinal match at 6 p.m. Hinds is the North Division champion. The other men’s semifinal game finds the South champions from Gulf Coast, 13-0-2, facing North runnerup Northwest, 7-6-1, at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

The championship game is slated for 7 p.m. on Sunday. The winner and runnerup in the state tournament will advance to the Region 23 Tournament on Oct. 30-31 at the site of the women’s state champion. The state runnerup will play Meridian Community College on Oct. 30 with the winner of that game meeting the state champion for the regional championship on Oct. 31.

The Bobcats enter the tournament riding a huge wave of momentum. Jones has won four games in a row and eight of its last nine contests.

JCJC is led offensively by Pearl sophomore Jonathan Jones. Jones is tied for the lead in scoring in the state with 46 points. An All-Region 23 performer in 2008, Jones has scored 22 goals and assisted on two others this season. Northwest Rankin freshman Patrick Coates is eighth in the state in scoring with 25 points – eight goals and nine assists.

Havana, Cuba, sophomore Julio Espinosa is tied for second in the state in assists with 10.

Sophomore defenders Austin Coley of Pearl and Brice Marks of Long Beach have been solid performers, along with sophomore midfielders Chip Vonder Bruegge of Long Beach and Brock Gaubert of Gautier.

Hinds is led by Marcello Lima, who has 25 points, and Dillon Walker, who has 18 points.

Last year, the Eagles defeated Jones in a shootout in the state tournament semifinals at Gulf Coast. Hinds has won five straight state/regional crowns.

In the women’s portion of the tournament, South champion Pearl River, 14-0-1, faces North runnerup Itawamba, 7-6-1, at noon Saturday, while North champion Hinds, 9-7, plays South runnerup Gulf Coast, 12-4-1, at 4 p.m. The women’s championship is slated for 5 p.m. on Sunday.

JCJC scoring statistics
Player Goals Assists Points
Jonathan Jones 22 2 46
Patrick Coates 8 9 25
Julio Espinosa 3 10 16
Jerret Chism 4 3 11
Brock Gaubert 3 4 10
Fabiel Martinez 3 2 8
Trequan Hollingsworth 1 2 4
Tyler Zugg 2 0 4
Josh Corley 2 0 4
Chip Vonder Bruegge 1 1 3
Juan Benitez 1 1 3
Chris Moncivais 1 1 3
Zach Hagin 0 2 2
Mackenzie Johnson 1 0 2
Ryan Ashley 0 1 1
Josh Bailey 0 1 1

MACJC STATE SOCCER TOURNAMENT
Hinds Community College
At Tom Shepherd Field
MEN
Saturday’s games
Gulf Coast vs. Northwest, 2 p.m.
Jones vs. Hinds, 6 p.m.
Sunday’s game
Championship, 7 p.m.

WOMEN
Saturday’s games
Itawamba vs. Pearl River, noon
Hinds vs. Gulf Coast, 4 p.m.
Sunday’s game
Championship, 5 p.m.