BLOGGING FROM BILOXI: Shrimp anyone?

I imagine most of you will find this blog come Saturday morning, but I wanted to give one last update on the day's events along with my story in Saturday's newspaper.

Friday's kick-off dinner at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College - Jefferson Davis Campus cafeteria (say that three ime fast or even once without any hitches) was delicious. The menu was as follows

Entrees:

Boiled shrimp

Corn on the cob

Potatoes

Fried chicken

Sausage Jambalays

Sides:

Green beans

Loaded potato casserole

Yeast rolls

Desserts: 

Pecan pie

Sweet Potato pie

Let me just compliment on the shrimp. Leave it to Southerners to serve up a mean bowl of shrimp that packed a serious punch out of a table-sized, canoe-shaped serving dish. Two sticky thumbs way up!

While all 15 of the Mississippi junior colleges and community colleges help sponsor the bowl, MGCCC is its official host. This has created quite the busy weekend for MGCCC since Mississippi Gulf Coast's seventh-ranked football team is playing in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl in Copperas Cove, Texas against No. 4 Navarro (Texas). While MGCCC's president and athletic director were in attendance for the bowl dinner, they'll be on planes early Saturday and Sunday morning to see both games.

The Matadors came dressed to the banquet in their white jerseys and jeans and had to leave 10 players back at the hotel because they didn't pack and pairs of pants. East Mississippi showed up in dress shirts and ties (one player definitely stood out in his lime green vest and pants). AWC sports information director Jim Howell said the bowl gave the school no instructions about attire for the dinner.

Rain has been falling since the sun went down, but no white stuff as of yet. My apologies to those of you who are already tired of weather reports, but after hearing players grumble about the cold and bundle up for practice in an extra layer of clothes, I have a feeling ball security is going to be a key factor in Sunday's game for both teams. (One player wore his flannel pajama pants to keep warm.)

AWC kept practice low key on Friday. The team spent the first 45 minutes working as separate offense, defense and special teams units before lining up against each other for the final 15 minutes of practice. 

Biloxi Indian Stadium is the home of the Biloxi High Indians and located behind the high school and sandwiched between two first-rate baseball and softball complexes. But seeing how this is Mississippi, the football stadium is the crown jewel. Artificial turf. Giant scoreboard. Should seat close to 5,000. Beautiful surroundings.

Saturday's schedule:

8 a.m. - Breakfast

10 a.m. - Visit Boys & Girls Club

Noon - Lunch

2 p.m. - Workout at football stadium

6:15 p.m. - Dinner

11 p.m. - Lights out