A long, disappointing season came to an end Thursday for the Southwest Mississippi Community College football team as it dropped a 23-10 home decision to Co-Lin.
With the loss, the Bears finished the year 0-8 and 0-6 in the MACJC South Division. Co-Lin, ranked 17th in the NJCAA, moved to 7-2 and 5-1. The win gave it second place in the division and a spot in next week’s playoffs.
For Southwest coach Charles Anthony, the game marked the end of his seven-year tenure at Southwest. His previously announced resignation became effective at the end of the game.
“It’s not exactly the way I prefer to go out,” he said, “But that’s life and things happen. But I’m going out with my head up.”
Due to injuries, the Bears started the game with their sixth different person in the quarterback position.
Steven Joiner was 2 of 3 for 95 yards and added 40 yards in the start.
“With having just two days to put in a basic offense, the offense did a heck of a job,” Anthony said.
Southwest held a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. With the Wolves marching toward a possible touchdown, Brennan Dunklin stepped in front of a Chandler Rogers pass and returned it 62 yards for a touchdown with 4:22 on the clock.
The Wolves went into the locker room tied at 7 after Rogers hit Joe Craig for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 1:41 before the half.
“I thought our kids played their butts off,” Anthony said. “They played their butts off on both sides of the ball. But when things are going good, the ball bounces your way. When you’re struggling, it doesn’t. Plays went against us. It was nobody’s fault. They just went against us.”
The Bears regained the lead with 10:51 to play in the third quarter on a 27-yard field goal. The score completed a seven play, 56-yard march.
Co-Lin quickly took its first lead when Rogers hit Marquis Hayes for a 49-yard touchdown with 10:36 on the third and tacked on another TD when Jumal Ellis raced 20 yards early in the fourth to make it 20-10.
The final score of the game came on a 37-yard field goal with 8:17 to play.
Jerome Stewart and Laderick Turner picked up 67 and 64 yards on the ground, respectively. Greg Johnson had one catch for 51 yards while Chris Cooley hauled in a 44-yard pass.
Darius Guy carried the ball 20 times for 145 yards to lead Co-Lin. Rogers completed 21 of 28 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted once.
