WESSON — It took a loss for the Copiah-Lincoln Community College football team to focus itself for a championship run this season.

The Wolfpack dropped its second game of the season, and veteran players like Natchez-native Brian Isaac used that loss to motivate their teammates.

“We played Northwest (Mississippi) at the beginning of the year and came in overconfident,” Isaac said. “We thought we were going to be undefeated, but after that we bonded together.”

Head Coach Glenn Davis used a drill during practice to reinforce what the Wolfpack needed to do to win a championship, Isaac said.

“One day at practice coach had us do a tug-of-war with the offense and defense pulling against each other,” Isaac said. “Then he asked, ‘Why do we have to be separated? Why can’t we all be on one side and pull together?’ It became us against the world.”

Isaac and his Wolfpack teammates did not look back after that and won eight of their last nine games. The only loss came to Mississippi Gulf Coast, who Co-Lin got revenge on in the state championship Nov. 10.

Isaac said the bond his team created this season led to a championship.

“I think last year we just had individuals on the team, and everybody wanted to shine,” he said. “We were a team this year.”

The former Natchez High School standout made some big individual plays, however, including a key interception in the win over Mississippi Gulf Coast.

“They were a great team, and I think I changed the game when I made that interception,” Isaac said.

Isaac filled an important role in the Co-Lin defense with his versatility. He was used in a variety of different ways and was good in pass coverage as well as blitzing and stopping the run.

The state championship gave the Wolfpack the opportunity to compete against Garden City Community College (Kansas) in Biloxi at the Mississippi Bowl.

A last-second field goal pushed Garden City to a win, but Isaac said he was thrilled to have the chance to play in that game.

“It was exciting, and it was different,” Isaac said. “I think my teammates were overconfident going into the game thinking we would beat this team, but they had a pretty good quarterback. He was the best athlete on the team. It was the first time we faced a pretty athletic quarterback, and he was kind of different and brought a lot to the table.”

Isaac was also able to keep up with the quality season his high school team was having while he was winning games at Co-Lin.

“I made it back against Meridian,” he said. “I was excited, because that was the first time they won against Meridian in a long time. I was excited see Derrian Johnson play, because he was a freshman coming up when our class was seniors, and he had an impact then as a freshman.”

Isaac is set to graduate from Co-Lin Dec. 13 with an approximate GPA of 3.5 in general studies. He plans to play football next fall and is weighing his options on which school to attend.

Right now he is considering Jackson State, Delta State, Alcorn State, Tennessee-Martin, Southern Arkansas and Texas Southern.

But no matter where he ends up, Isaac said he will remember his time at Co-Lin.

“It’s been good at Co-Lin,” he said. “The teachers are great, and I thank coach Davis for giving me an opportunity to go play football for them. The whole coaching staff is great. I will miss being at Co-Lin.”