Caleb Parten (5) steps back to pass for the Warriors during East Central Community College’s home opener Thursday night.

DECATUR — Behind a stellar defense that had five interceptions and a stellar offensive performance in the first half, 10th-ranked Jones College raced past East Central Community College 33-13 in the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference South Division opener at Bailey Stadium on Thursday night.

Next week, Jones College (3-0, 1-0 MACCC South) travels to Itawamba, while ECCC (0-3, 0-1) travels to Southwest.

“I don’t think we could’ve have started out any better, and I don’t think we could’ve ended any worse,” Bobcats coach Steve Buckley said. “I told the team afterwards we’re happy to be 3-0, but that was probably the worst second half of football I’ve witnessed in my life. Lack of focus, coaching, playing and just an embarrassment to sit there and watch for two quarters.”

The first quarter couldn’t have gone any better for Jones. The Bobcats scored on their opening possession on a La’Damian Webb 2-yard run to take a 7-0 lead with 10:49 left in the first quarter.

After Jones’ Jaylin Simmons intercepted a pass in the end zone, the Bobcats capitalized on the turnover as Webb scored on a 1-yard run with 4:48 left in the first quarter to extend the lead to 14-0.

Bobcat quarterback Quaterius Hawkins had a 10-yard touchdown run with 11:11 left in the second quarter to extend the Jones lead to 20-0. The Bobcat defense, meanwhile, intercepted five passes and held ECCC to just 7 yards rushing in the first half and 96 yards total.

Jones scored on its opening drive of the second half as Robert Henry took the handoff on fourth down and dashed 40 yards to the end zone with 12:56 remaining in the third quarter to extend the Bobcat lead to 27-0.

ECCC got on the board with 4:37 left in the fourth quarter as Gabriel Larry hit John Hilbert on a 9-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 27-6. Larry added a 13-yard touchdown run with 24 seconds left for ECCC to cut the Jones lead to 27-13.

Jones’ Kendarion Dixon had a 65-yard interception return for touchdown on the last play of the game to seal the 33-13 win for the Bobcats.

“The defense flew around like they normally do and created turnovers, but at the same time, they didn’t do a good job of tackling,” Buckley said. “Offensively, we couldn’t line up right in the second half, and our kids didn’t keep fighting. Give ECCC credit, they kept fighting and playing, and we went through the motions.”

Hawkins had 172 yards passing to lead the Bobcats offensively. Webb finished the night with 131 yards rushing on 13 carries with two touchdowns for Jones.

Larry had 78 yards passing and 78 yards rushing to lead ECCC.