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November 17, 2008

GMC JUCO wins, headed to bowl game

Jessica Luton

As the University of Georgia football team fell to No. 13 in the polls following this weekend’s matchups, another team of Bulldogs now bears the title of the highest ranked college football team in Georgia.

Following the defeat of Lackawanna College 27-26 this weekend in Scranton, Pa., the GMC Junior College Football team currently holds the No. 4 spot in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s football rankings and GMC Head Coach Bert Williams expects the team to inch up to the third place spot following the release of today’s rankings.

With Saturday’s win against Lackawanna, the GMC Bulldogs finished the regular season 9-1, cinching a place in the Mississippi Bowl in Biloxi, Miss. Dec. 7.

Despite a rough third quarter for the Bulldogs, with Lackawanna scoring two touchdowns to take the lead 26-20 going into the fourth quarter, the GMC bulldogs found their stride, driving for the go ahead score and defensively holding Lackawanna at bay.

Following a missed field goal by Lackawanna, the GMC Bulldogs were down in the fourth quarter, but the team regained control of the game after Dallas Walker threw a 25-yard pass for the winning touchdown.

Walker threw a total of three touchdown passes in Saturday’s game, each to a different receiver, to guarantee a win for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs kept control of the game until the very end, with defensive lineman Torrey Ball blocking a field goal attempt by Lackawanna with eight seconds left in the game.

“Really the entire team was very supportive of each other as we went through a difficult quarter and a half there,” said GMC coach Williams. “Sticking together gave us the ability to take the lead back and then preserve it to get the win.”

The team will now begin preparing for the Bowl Game matchup Dec. 7, said Williams.

“They’re looking forward to it,” said coach Williams. “They’ve had a long season, finishing with a 9-1 record. It should be a great game and a challenge, but it will also be a great reward for them.”

The team will practice this week, go home for Thanksgiving and then have four or five days of practice before heading to Mississippi for the bowl game.

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