WESSON — When his team needed him most, wide receiver Jason Bruce came through for them.

Bruce, a sophomore at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, posted big numbers for a team that rallied to finish the season with a 4-5 record after floundering to an 0-3 start.

Because of that, the Natchez High graduate was rewarded by being named to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Region 23 team and being named first team All-State by the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges.

Bruce will also play in the association’s All-Star Game Saturday at Northeast Community College in Booneville.

“It’s a big honor to be selected for that,” Bruce said. “It was a big goal of mine. One of my last main objectives was being picked for the All-Star Game.”

Bruce made 53 catches this season for 734 yards and seven touchdowns. He led the state of Mississippi in catches and yards.

Bruce’s biggest game came in Co-Lin’s upset victory over Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

The receiver caught 13 passes for 219 yards; both school records for a single game. He also scored three touchdowns in the game.

Wolfpack head football coach Glenn Davis said Bruce was a special player to coach.

“He was our go-to guy,” Davis said. “We lost another player early on so we had to lean really hard on (Bruce). He was a great leader for this team and a fun guy to coach.”

Davis said Bruce made tremendous strides from his freshman to sophomore seasons.

“He really grew up a lot as a player this season,” Davis said. “I was just tickled to death to be able to coach him the past two years.”

Bruce said he plans to play Division 1 football and has received scholarship offers from Arkansas State, Troy, UAB and North Texas.

Davis says Bruce will have no trouble adjusting to major college football.

“There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll be successful on that level,” Davis said. “I’ve known he would be able to do that since we recruited him out of high school.”