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History
JCJC FOOTBALL
JONES COLLEGE HISTORY Jones played its first junior college football game in the fall of 1929 with J. W. Elmore as the first head coach. It was the only season in the college’s history that the team did not win a game. JCJC has fielded a football team every year since 1929, with the exception of 1943 when Mississippi suspended athletics for one year due to World War II. The first football field, called “The Rock Pile,” was located where the J.B. Young Business and Career Center is now located. In 1930, the team moved to a new field located between the D.O. Thoms Building and Howard Gymnasium. Named Bush-Young Stadium in 1934 after JCJC president M.P. Bush and athletic director Earl W. Young, Bush-Young Stadium was one of the first stadiums in Mississippi junior college football to have lights. A field house located west of BushYoung Stadium was built in 1980. Fire destroyed that field house in the spring of 2002. On September 27, 2003, the Bobcats played their first game in the current stadium. A field house was constructed next to the stadium and was completed for the 2004 season. Also in September 2004, the field was dedicated and named for long-time Bobcat Head Coach Sim Cooley. Throughout the years, Jones has had the privilege of playing in many bowl games, but the most prestigious are the 1955 and 1977 Junior Rose Bowls in Pasadena, CA. In 1955, JCJC made history competing in the Jr. Rose Bowl against Compton (CA) Junior College. At that time in history, no Mississippi colleges or universities had ever played an integrated team. Media and some government officials put pressure on Jones not to play in the game. In fact, some tried to get the legislature not to appropriate money
to JCJC if they participated. However, the Bobcats wanted to play and have a chance at winning a national championship. Jones made the trip to Pasadena where they lost to Compton 22-13 in front of 57,000 spectators, the largest crowd in the history of that bowl. In 1977, the Bobcats were again invited to play in the Junior Rose Bowl. Their opponent was Pasadena City College. The Bobcats were defeated 38-9. There have been many football coaches at JCJC since football began competing in 1929. However, Sim Cooley’s 27 years make him the longest serving football head coach. His 187-92-5 record places him sixth on the list of winningest coaches in the National Junior College Athletic Association. The JCJC overall compiled record is 550-301-27. Bobcat Bowl games include: Junior Rose Bowl, 1955, 1977; Garland Bowl (TX), 1978; East Bowl, 1981, 1983; Roaring Ranger Bowl (TX), 1984; Texas Shrine Bowl, 1993; Golden Isles
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Bowl, 1998, 2004; and Heart of Texas Bowl, 2001. and Mississippi Bowl, 2018. JCJC has been the state champion or co-champion 13 times. Those teams are: 1940, 1941, 1946, 1947, 1951, 1955, 1964, 1968, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1998, and 2001. Two teams also received national championship honors. The JC Grid Wire named the 1968 team its national champion, while Mike Gottfried Magazine selected the 1998 team as its national champion. Additionally, the 1998 team is the only JCJC team to win 12 games in a season. JCJC head coaches, and their years of service, are: J. W. Elmore, 1929-30; Bill Denson, 1931-36; John Read, 1937-44; Melvin Vines, 1945-46; B. L. “Country” Graham, 1947-49; Paul Davis, 1950-54; Jim Clark, 1955-56; Milton White, 1957-58; A. B. Howard, 1959-60; Sim Cooley, 1961-1987; Elmer Higginbotham, 1988-1991; Parker Dykes, 1992-2005; Eddie Pierce, 20062011; Ray Perkins, 2012-2013; David Thornton, 2014-2015; Steve Buckley, 2016-present.
Football Team of 1929-30
