 The No. 2 EMCC Lions are set to begin defense of their MACJC North Division football title by playing host to Holmes Thursday on the Scooba campus (photo by Robbie Robertson).
Trailing only Blinn College of Texas in this week’s NJCAA/JCFootball.com Top 25, head coach Buddy Stephens’ EMCC squad is 2-0 on the year after a season-opening 27-13 triumph at Copiah-Lincoln and last week’s 28-17 home victory over Jones County. The No. 2 national ranking is the school’s highest since the first EMJC team guided by legendary Hall of Fame coach Bob “Bull” Sullivan earned a No. 2 rating in another poll during the 1950 campaign.
A year ago in Stephens’ first year at the EMCC helm, the 2008 Lions went undefeated (6-0) in MACJC North Division play en route to posting an 8-2 overall record and making the school’s first state playoff appearance since 1984.
Statistically, East Mississippi enters the Holmes contest averaging 424.5 yards of total offense per contest, while allowing 269 yards an outing on defense to rank second in the state behind Copiah-Lincoln. Individually, preseason all-America quarterback Randall Mackey is averaging 225.5 yards of total offense per game, including 300 total yards in last week’s win over Jones County. The reigning NJCAA Region 23 Offensive MVP is 30-of-47 passing on the year for 295 yards and four touchdowns, in addition to ranking as the Lions’ leading rusher with 156 yards on 21 carries through the first two games.
Starkville’s Pat Shed has rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries for the MACJC’s third-leading rushing offense (235 yards per game). The Lions also rate as the state’s No. 3 team against the run this year, giving up only 80 yards per game on the ground. In addition, EMCC has nine different players with two or more catches for the season, while each of Mackey’s four touchdown aerials to date have been thrown to different receivers.
The Holmes Bulldogs are winless in their first two contests of the 2009 campaign, having dropped home decisions to Pearl River (45-7) and East Central (27-24). Thursday will mark their first road outing of the season.
Including last year’s 52-14 road win over Holmes, the EMCC Lions have prevailed in each of the last three gridiron meetings with the Bulldogs. Two years ago in Scooba, East Mississippi claimed a 31-30 overtime victory over Holmes, while having also scored a 9-6 win at Goodman during the 2006 season.
Thursday’s EMCC-Holmes contest will be broadcast by WFCA-FM radio (107.9) with Jason Crowder set to describe the play-by-play action and Glen Beard slated to provide the color analysis. The game can be heard online via EMCC’s athletics website – http://athletics.eastms.edu – or by logging onto www.wfca108.com.
Following this week’s action, the Lions will conclude their three-game September home stand by playing host to defending MACJC state champion Mississippi Gulf Coast, currently ranked 11th nationally, next Thursday (Sept. 17) at EMCC’s Sullivan-Windham Field. A second straight ranked opponent will follow for East Mississippi, as the Lions venture to Senatobia to meet the 15th-ranked Rangers of Northwest Mississippi on Thursday, Sept. 24.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 09 September 2009 )
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 In the midst of a three-game home stand, head coach Buddy Stephens’ 2-0 EMCC Lions will sport a No. 2 national ranking during Thursday’s North Division opener against Holmes.
Following wins over Copiah-Lincoln (27-13) and Jones County (28-17) to kick off the 2009 campaign, head coach Buddy Stephens’ 2-0 EMCC club trails only Blinn College of Texas in the first NJCAA/JCFootball.com poll of the regular season. The Lions received 130 total poll points and one first-place vote, while Blinn garnered 139 poll points and the other six first-place votes.
Around the state of Mississippi, Pearl River jumped from 11th to fifth in this week’s NJCAA poll. Reigning MACJC state champion Mississippi Gulf Coast and North Division foe Northwest Mississippi – EMCC’s next two opponents following this week’s action – come in at 11th and 15th, respectively. Navarro College of Texas went from seventh to third, while Kansas’ Butler Community College slid from preseason No. 1 to fourth this week after falling to Blinn in the season opener.
In the midst of a three-game September home stand, the EMCC Lions play host to the 0-2 Bulldogs of Holmes Community College Thursday on the Scooba campus. Kickoff for the North Division contest is set for 7 p.m. at Sullivan-Windham Field.
East Mississippi’s current No. 2 national ranking marks the school’s highest rating ever in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s football poll. However, the first EMJC football team guided by legendary hall of fame coach Bob “Bull” Sullivan earned a No. 2 national ranking in a different poll during the 1950 campaign. The following decade under Sullivan’s direction, the Lions garnered No. 3 national rankings during back-to-back seasons in 1963 and 1964.
In Stephens’ first year at the EMCC helm, the 2008 Lions broke into the NJCAA/JCFootball.com Top 25 for the first time since 1996. During the team’s seven-game winning streak a year ago, East Mississippi went from a No. 20 national ranking during Week 6 to a No. 8 rating at regular season’s end after claiming the MACJC North Division title with a perfect 6-0 division record. Making their first MACJC state football playoff appearance since 1984, the 8-2 Lions were ranked 10th nationally in the final NJCAA poll of the 2008 campaign. This preseason, EMCC was tabbed sixth nationally in the NJCAA/JCFootball.com Top 25.
Additionally this week, the EMCC Lions are ranked fifth nationally in the J.C. Grid-Wire/JCFootball.com National Top 25 behind top-ranked Blinn College, El Camino, Navarro and Mt. San Antonio.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 08 September 2009 )
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.jpg "Image") Sophomore Bill Franks hauled in five passes for 55 yards, including a game-opening, 36-yard scoring grab from All-American Randall Mackey, in the Lions’ 28-17 home win over Jones County (photo by Robbie Robertson).
The reigning NJCAA Region 23 Offensive MVP, Mackey connected on 19-of-26 passing for 210 yards and a pair of touchdowns, along with picking up 90 rushing yards on 11 carries, in the 11-point triumph over the visiting Bobcats. The Louisiana native hooked up with nine different Lion receivers on the evening.
EMCC’s standout signal-caller got busy early for the home standing Lions by hitting three straight passes during the opening five-play, 72-yard scoring drive. Following 13-yard and 14-yard strikes to former Northeast Lauderdale product T.J. Ballou and ex-Meridian all-stater Marcus McQuarley, respectively, Mackey hit sophomore Bill Franks of State Line with a 36-yard touchdown reception that put the home team on top, 7-0, following Brett Spencer’s successful point-after-touchdown at the 12:58 mark of the opening quarter.
On a drive that began late in the first quarter, McQuarley and Franks came up big again in the Lions’ second scoring march. On the drive’s second play, McQuarley was on the receiving end of a 25-yard aerial from Mackey that moved the ball out from deep in enemy territory. In the midst of five straight subsequent running plays by EMCC, Franks, from Greene County High School, broke loose on a 28-yard scamper that set up a 10-yard scoring toss from Mackey to Utica’s Derrick Steele. Spencer’s PAT made it 14-0 with 12:34 remaining in the first half.
East Mississippi looked to be in cruise control after stopping Jones County on a three-and-out during the next series. However, EMCC sophomore Lance Lewis muffed the JCJC punt with an over-the-shoulder attempt, giving the ball back to the Bobcats on the 22-yard line. Ranked 14th nationally in the NJCAA/JC Football.com Top 25 preseason poll, Jones County immediately took advantage of the miscue, as freshman Bubba Brown sprinted 22 yards to pay dirt on the ensuing first play from scrimmage. Jacob Chancellor’s PAT cut the lead in half, 14-7, with 10:29 left until intermission.
EMCC’s improved defensive unit help set up the final score of the opening half. Following an interception thrown by backup quarterback Brad Henderson in the red zone, the Lion defenders stepped up to force another three-and-out possession and make the visitors punt deep within their side of the field. After Jones County’s punt went out of bounds at the 31-yard line following a 26-yard kick, the Lions took over in excellent field position with two minutes remaining in the half. With Henderson under center late in the drive, the Starkville native found Lewis in the left corner of the end zone with 49 seconds left to put the home team back up by a pair of touchdowns.
A scoreless third quarter was highlighted by some additional stellar defensive play from the Lions. With the Bobcats seemingly poised to cut into the two-touchdown EMCC lead following a 35-yard pass play from starting quarterback Brandon May to Tristan Purifoy, May was brought down two plays later on a 14-yard sack by the combined efforts of Dujuan Brown and Noxubee County’s Jimmy Roby. The next play, reserve JCJC quarterback Robert Ross was picked off by freshman linebacker Gabe Poe of West Oktibbeha High School.
Despite having a nine-play drive stalled in the red zone after third-string quarterback Brian Robinson recovered his own fumble on a third-and-two play, the visitors did manage to produce a 27-yard field goal by Chancellor with 11:25 left in the contest.
With Mackey back at the controls, the Lions responded with a 10-play scoring drive that chewed up four minutes of clock time. Mackey passed for 41 yards and ran for a dozen during the 88-yard drive, while sophomore running back Pat Shed of Starkville churned for the other 35 yards, including a 14-yard scoring burst right up the middle that all but sealed EMCC’s second victory in as many tries this season. Spencer’s PAT conversion made it a 28-10 contest with 7:13 remaining.
Dropping to 0-2 on the year, the visiting Bobcats rounded out the game’s scoring with a 5-yard touchdown run by Justin Gaines coming at the 3:12 mark.
Coach Buddy Stephens’ sixth-ranked EMCC Lions begin defense of their 2008 MACJC North Division championship next Thursday (Sept. 10) by playing host to the 0-2 Holmes Bulldogs. A week later on Thursday, Sept. 17, East Mississippi concludes its three-game September home stand by welcoming the reigning state champion and highly ranked Bulldogs of Mississippi Gulf Coast in one of the season’s most anticipated junior college gridiron battles. Upcoming kickoffs at Sullivan-Windham Field on the Scooba campus are set for 7 p.m.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 08 September 2009 )
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.jpg "Image") The sixth-ranked Lions limited Copiah-Lincoln to only 39 net yards rushing on the way to a 27-13 season-opening road triumph over the Wolves (photo by Jonathon Alford).
Thursday’s EMCC-JCJC contest will be broadcast by WFCA-FM radio (107.9) with Jason Crowder set to describe the play-by-play action and Glen Beard slated to provide the color analysis. The game can be heard online via EMCC’s athletics website – http://athletics.eastms.edu – or by logging onto www.wfca108.com.
Coach Buddy Stephens’ Lions are 1-0 on the young season after claiming a 27-13 road triumph over Copiah-Lincoln last Thursday in Wesson. Ranked 14th in the preseason in the NJCAA/ JC Football.com Top 25, the Bobcats of Jones County dropped a 21-7 decision at Itawamba a week ago.
Aiming for their first victory over a JCJC football team since earning a 41-33 road win over the Bobcats in the 1996 season opener, the Lions are also seeking revenge for last year’s 23-19 loss at Jones County. The four-point road setback to seventh-ranked Jones County a year ago marked EMCC’s lone defeat during an 8-1 regular season which resulted in an MACJC North Division championship and the school’s first state playoff appearance since 1984.
During last week’s season opener at Copiah-Lincoln, East Mississippi bolted to a 20-0 first-half lead en route to the two-touchdown victory. Preseason All-American Randall Mackey threw for a pair of touchdowns and 85 yards on 11-of-21 passing, while sophomore running back Pat Shed of Starkville registered his fourth career 100-yard rushing effort with 101 yards and two scores on 19 carries. The reigning NJCAA Region 23 Offensive MVP, Mackey completed passes to eight different Lion receivers on the evening.
Defensively to open the 2009 campaign, the Lions limited Co-Lin to just 39 net rushing yards on 25 attempts. The Wolves did manage to complete 21-of-36 passes for 218 yards and a pair of scoring strikes through the air.
No. 6 EMCC will continue its current three-game home stand next Thursday (Sept. 10) by beginning defense of its MACJC North Division title when the Holmes Bulldogs visit the Scooba campus. The following Thursday (Sept. 17), the defending state champion and second-ranked Bulldogs of Mississippi Gulf Coast come to town for one of the state’s most anticipated gridiron battles of the 2009 campaign. Game time for all three of EMCC’s upcoming home encounters is set for 7 p.m. at Sullivan-Windham Field.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 02 September 2009 )
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