RAYMOND, Miss. — The Hinds Community College Football team battled hard under the lights at Joe Renfroe Stadium on Wednesday night but came up short against a strong Mississippi Gulf Coast team, falling 31-10 in MACCC action.

The Eagles showed flashes of promise early and kept the game close through much of the first half. After Gulf Coast opened the scoring with a short touchdown run, Hinds quickly answered when quarterback Jaylon Ruffin connected with Braishun Forbes on a 34-yard touchdown strike to even the score at 7-7 late in the first quarter.

Defensively, Hinds stood tall through several key series, forcing the Bulldogs to settle for a field goal in the second quarter. However, Gulf Coast's offense found its rhythm, adding another touchdown before halftime to take a 17-7 lead into the break.

The Eagles cut into the deficit in the third quarter with a 32-yard field goal by Wyatt Long, narrowing the score to 17-10. But the Bulldogs capitalized on late opportunities, scoring twice in the fourth quarter to pull away. Hinds would end up falling to MGCCC by a final score of 31-10. 

Jaylon Ruffin led the offense, completing 14 of 29 passes for 236 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown strike. On the ground, Geron Johnson paced the rushing attack with 51 yards on 14 carries, while DJ Miller added 26 yards. Braishun Forbes was Ruffin's top target, hauling in four catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. Miller contributed 73 yards receiving, highlighted by a 46-yard catch. 

Defensively, Hinds delivered a strong performance, led by Jermar McCarter's nine tackles and Kevin Beckham's eight tackles and interception. Amarien Bailey added seven tackles and half a sack, while RJ Hall and Miles Adams finished the game with five tackles apiece. DJ Hairston also had a diving interception inside the redzone to keep the Bulldogs off the board. The unit totaled 65 tackles, six tackles for loss, two pass breakups, and a fumble recovery.

On Special teams, Ryan Harvey had four punts for 149 yards for an average of 37.3 per punt. Wyatt Long handled the field goal duties drilling a 32 yarder. DJ Miller had five Kickoff returns for 129 yards. 

Hinds conclude the season with an overall record of 6-3 and 4-2 in conference play. The Eagles finished third in the south division and improved their win total by four games just one season ago. 

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