JCJC Bobcats happy for shot at bowl game

By By Shawn Wansley / EMG sports writer
Nov. 20, 2002
ELLISVILLE Chris Swain is thrilled to have one more chance to play football for the Jones Junior College Bobcats.
with my brothers. I love 'em. I really do love 'em.
Jones had lost Saturday's state championship game to Holmes, 7-0. But the invitation from Texas came to JCJC President Dr. Ronald Whitehead Monday morning and he accepted.
The Bobcats, 8-3, will meet the loser of Saturday's game between Trinity Valley, Texas, Junior College and Northeast Oklahoma A&M Junior College. Those two teams are meeting for the Texas Conference championship.
The bowl game will take place on a Sunday, Dec. 8 at 3 p.m. After the disappointment of not going bowling last year, despite winning the
state championship, Bobcat head coach Parker Dykes is excited for this year's players.
Bobcat running back Bobby Keyes, a Raleigh sophomore, was stunned to find out Jones had received a bowl bid.
The game will also be an opportunity for the Bobcats to show their talents to senior college scouts, especially from Texas.
Bobcat wide receiver Alonzo Nix said the bowl game offers a chance for redemption after last year's snub.
With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up next week, the Bobcats will have to make adjustments in their practice schedule. They will only have nine practices leading up to the game.
The Bobcats will practice today, Wednesday and Thursday and take the weekend off. They will report back to campus Sunday night and practice Monday. They will then take off for the Thanksgiving holiday and report back to campus Dec. 1, where they will receive a scouting report on their bowl opponent. They will practice Dec. 2-5 and leave for Texas on the morning of Dec. 6.
They will arrive in Copperas Cove the night of Dec. 6, practice the morning of Dec. 7, visit the Fort Hood Military Museum the afternoon of Dec. 7 and play the game Dec. 8. They will return immediately after the game.
Dykes said the game would be a good matchup between the Mississippi and Texas junior college leagues.
Dykes is somewhat familiar with Trinity Valley and Northeast Oklahoma A&M. "Well, I've got a friend Navarro and a friend at Blinn (both Texas junior colleges) and I call them occasionally just to see how the league is doing," he said. "NEO, two weeks ago, was ranked No. 2 in the country, and Trinity Valley has been up there and we were No. 2 in the country at one point."
Going into last week, Trinity Valley was No. 5 in the National Junior College Athletic Association poll, while Northeast Oklahoma A&M was No. 6 and Jones was No. 8.
Still, Dykes feels for the 2001 Bobcats which did not get a bid.
that had worse records than we did last year and got to go to a bowl."