Wolves rout Southwest in season finale

SUMMIT, Miss. - The Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wolves finished the 2019 season strong with a 41-0 shutout victory over rival Southwest on Saturday, October 26. The win wraps up the year and moves the Wolves to 4-5 overall and to 2-4 in South Division play. The loss dropped the Bears to 0-9, 0-6 on the season. 

The contest was all Co-Lin from the start. On the Wolves' second possession Dell Thigpen took a reverse handoff 28-yards for a score with 10:11 remaining in the first quarter. The touchdown run capped off a brief, four-play, 47-yard drive. After a quick Southwest three-and-out forced by Co-Lin's strong defense, the Wolves marched down the field yet again. This drive was finished with an eight-yard strike from Danny Clark to Antoine Robinson. The eight-play, 81-yard drive was highlighted by a big 36-yard reception from Malik Heath and a five-yard rush from Clark on a fourth-and-one situation. With 3:43 remaining in the first quarter, the Wolves led 14-0. 

The Bears ensuing possession got into the red zone, but Southwest walked away with no points as a 31-yard field goal attempt missed wide right. Just three plays into the following Co-Lin possession Clark connected with Robinson again, this time for a 68-yard score, the longest pass of the year for Co-Lin. After Bryce Lofton's point-after attempt, the Wolves led 21-0 with 13:03 remaining in the first half. 

In the final minutes of the half, the Wolves took over at their own 34-yard line after a Southwest punt. Co-Lin capitalized on the stop and took it 66-yards on a grueling 14-play drive. Highlights included receptions from Bo Brooks and JJ Jernighan. Clark wrapped up the drive with a 16-yard bullet to Erick Rogers for a touchdown. The extra-point failed, but the Wolves took a 27-0 lead into intermission. 

Midway through the third quarter, Co-Lin once again got possession after a forced punt from the Wolf Pack defense. Jernighan set the Wolves up with a 57-yard run that put Co-Lin inside the Bears' 15-yard line. Clark once again found Rogers, this time from 10-yards out to grow Co-Lin's lead to 34-0. 

That lead quickly grew as a Southwest three-and-out put the ball back in Clark's hands. The lefty found a streaking Robinson for a 51-yard connection that put the Wolves at Southwest's five-yard line. Just three plays later Clark hit Robinson for his third touchdown of the night. The score put Co-Lin on top 41-0, a score that would hold throughout the fourth quarter. 

The Wolves dominated the line of scrimmage all night as Co-Lin outgained the Bears 463 yards to 153. Co-Lin held the Bears, who run a wishbone style offense, to just 27 rushing yards on the night. Clark finished with 312 yards on 23-of-31 passing with five touchdowns. Jernighan led the rushing attack with 87 yards on 10 carries, while Landon Murphy got 23 yards on 11 touches. Robinson led the receiving corps with 142 yards and three scores, while Rogers posted 43 yards and two touchdowns. Heath finished with 37 yards and Dawson Brown posted 36. 

Defensively, the Wolves were led by Jalen Ware with six tackles and half a tackle for loss. Khehlan Kennedy, Co-Lin's leading tackler, posted five tackles and wrapped up one sack for six yards. Jordan Davis rounded out the Wolves top performers with four tackles. Kason Chinn also wrapped up a sack on the night, a 10-yard loss for the Bears.