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The 2019 gridiron slate at Mississippi Delta Community College opens on Thursday night at Jim Randall Stadium on the Moorhead Campus, as the Trojans welcome perennial power Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College to town for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
The Trojans will look to build on their improvement from a year ago, as the 2018 season ended with a 3-6 mark behind a number of pivotal victories in the middle of the season.
Jeff Tatum will once again be at the forefront of the MDCC football program, as he enters his seventh season at the helm. The former quarterback of the Trojans under leagendary coach Wooky Gray also serves as the college's athletic director.
Patrick Johnson (Columbus) returns for Mississippi Delta and looks to be a workhorse in the backfield once again. The sophomore running back emeged late in the 2018 season and finished with 503 yards and six touchdowns on 161 carries in his initial campaign.
The MDCC defense will be anchored by a set of sophomore defensive backs, as Kyle Cass (Mobile, Ala.) and George Jackson (Rolling Fork) look to improve upon their impressive freshman seasons. Cass had 23 tackles and one interception a season ago, while Jackson was right behind him with 21 tackles and an interception of his own.
Spencer Romero (Brookhaven) will give the MDCC kicking game a wealth of experience, as the sophomore had a solid freshman season, finishing 15-17 on point after attempts and 3-5 on field goal attempts.
The Gulf Coast offense will have experience at the most important position on the field, as quarterback Chance Lovertich is back for his second season. As a rookie, he ranked first in the country with a 184.1 passing effiency rating and completed passes at a 70.8 clip.
On the defensive side, MGCCC returns a number of players that played a part in the defense finishing second in the country in passing yards per game (116.8) and fifth in the nation in points per game allowed (15.7).
The Trojans will return to Jim Randall Stadium a week from Thursday, welcoming Hinds Community College to Moorhead for a 7 p.m. start. The first road and North division contest for MDCC takes place on Thursday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. in Senatobia on the campus of Northwest Community College.