RAYMOND –  The Hinds Community College Eagles scored 18-unanswered points Thursday evening (Oct. 15) to take down the Jones College Bobcats, 18-16. Connor Smith (Vicksburg) connected a 25-yard field goal (his fourth of the game) as time expired to complete the Hinds comeback victory.

This marks Hinds first win over Jones since 2015.

Game Recap

The Jones Bobcats commanded much of the first half as they led 16-0 with just one minute remaining in the second quarter.

Hinds, however, closed out the first half with a six-play 45-yard drive, that was capped off by a Connor Smith 25-yard field goal.

Trailing 16-3 at the start of the third quarter, the Hinds defense showed what they were made of as they did not allow the Bobcats to score the remainder of the game.

The Eagles continued their comeback as Smith connected on a 24-yard field goal early in the third quarter. He then followed that up with a 20-yard field goal, which cut the Jones lead to 16-9 with 12:49 remaining in the game.

With under a minute left in regulation, the Eagles sent their fans on a roller coaster of emotions.  

Hinds quarterback BeSean McCray (Orlando, Fla.) connected with Jeffery Malone (Macon) for a 49-yard touchdown on fourth down with just 47 ticks left on the clock. The Eagles elation would not last long as the game-tying extra point attempt was blocked.

With Jones still leading 16-15, Hinds attempted and recovered an onside kick to give Eagle nation hope once again, as it gave the Hinds offense the ball back on the Jones 44-yard line with just 45 seconds left.

After a few short completions, McCray connected with freshman receiver Jaiden Burns (Canton) for 23-yards to bring the ball inside the Bobcat 10-yard line with just a few seconds left on the clock.

Hinds took their final timeout, and then sent out their field goal unit for a chance to win the game.

With ice in his veins, Connor Smith drilled the 25-yard field goal as time expired to give Hinds their first win of the season.

Hinds Individual Performances

BeSean McCray completed 41 of his 74 pass attempts for 421 yards and one touchdown. His 421 passing yards and 74 passing attempts each are Hinds football single game records.

Dajon Richard (Patterson, La.) hauled in 12 receptions for 63 yards and rushed 10 times for 28 yards.

Jaiden Burns and Jakarius Caston (Natchez) each had six receptions for 76 yards.

Connor Smith made all four of his field goal attempts as he scored 12 of the 18 points for Hinds.

Jeffery Malone had one catch that went for 49-yards and a touchdown.
 
Hinds Team Performances

The Eagles defense held Jones to just 16 points and only 266 yards of total offense.

The Eagles special team's unit recovered a fumble, an onside kick, and scored 12 points via field goals.

The Eagles offense ran 96 plays and tallied 433 total yards. They also converted nine times on third down.

Next Game

Hinds (1-1) will be back in action on Thursday, October 29^th when they take on the Southwest Mississippi Community College Bears (0-2) at home in Raymond. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.