Jim Randall Stadium in Moorhead was the site of a slobberknocker on Thursday, as Mississippi Delta Community College played host to No. 14 Hinds Community College, and it saw the Eagles of Hinds come away with a narrow 19-17 victory on the home turf of MDCC.
MDCC dropped to 0-2 with the heartbreaking loss, while Hinds improved to 2-0.
The Eagles of Hinds jumped out to an early 6-0 lead with 4:23 left in the first quarter when kicker Carson Flumm drilled field goals of 22 and 43-yards in the early going, but MDCC kicker Spencer Romero (Brookhaven) helped cut the Hinds lead in half when he nailed a 32-yard field goal of his own to narrow the margin at 6-3.
Hinds quarterback Elijah Walker would extend the Eagles lead with 16 seconds left until halftime when he found Jakarius Caston on a 41-yard touchdown strike. The Flumm PAT was no good and Hinds now led 12-3 and things looked to remain this way going into the locker room.
Su'Metris Stewart (Hollandale) would have something to say about this, however, as the freshman defensive back took the ensuing kickoff to the house from 70 yards out for the score with just six seconds remaining in the opening half. Romero's PAT was money and the Hinds lead was cut to 12-10 going into the half.
The scoring was at a minimum in the second half, as both teams were only able to muster one touchdown apiece.
Don Ragsdale rumbled in from five yards out to push the Hinds lead to 19-10 with 12:11 left in the fourth quarter, but the Trojans of MDCC put forth a valiant effort and cut the lead to 19-17 with just 5:37 left in the game after Jordan Gilleylen (Tupelo) found Lebarron Jones (Mobile, Ala.) on a four-yard touchdown pass.
Hinds used the remaining five plus minutes to complete a long drive and run the clock out, thus ending the scoring in the contest. MDCC finished with 254 yards on 65 plays, while Hinds had 59 plays for 360 yards.
Gilleylen finished 18-27 for 189 yards, one touchdown and one interception through the air, and Jones was his main target, as the sophomore wide receiver had 12 catches for 91 yards and one touchdown reception.
Latarius Embry (Maben), Montreal Huff (Montgomery, Ala.) and Kelton Marshall (Wiggins) each led the Trojans defense in the unofficial stats department with five solo tackles apiece.
MDCC will return to action on Thursday, hitting the road for the first time, and this time in division play, as the Trojans will take on Northwest Community College at 7 p.m. in Senatobia.