 EMCC sophomores Jamar Hornsby (left) and Leon Berry have been named to the 2008 NJCAA All-American Second Team after helping lead the 8-2 Lions to a North Division championship and year-ending No. 10 national ranking.
A two-time NJCAA All-Region 23 performer for the Lions, Berry starred for EMCC as both a wide receiver and kick return specialist. The Griffin, Ga., native ranked 13th nationally for Region 23 Coach of the Year Buddy Stephens’ 8-2 Lions with 661 receiving yards on 39 catches for an average of 16.9 yards per grab, including five touchdowns. Having averaged 130.9 all-purpose yards per game in 2008, Berry led the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) in kickoff returns (25.5 yards per return) and ranked second in punt returns (12.9). For his accomplishments this past season, Berry was also named NJCAA All-Region 23 First Team as a wide receiver, along with earning MACJC All-State First Team/North Division honors as both a wide receiver and kick returner.
For his two-year career at East Mississippi, Berry had 59 career receptions for 1,003 yards (17.0 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns. The versatile 6-foot-1, 185-pound performer also returned 43 kickoffs for 1,125 yards for an average of 26.2 yards per runback during his two seasons on the Scooba campus.
A former transfer from the University of Florida, Hornsby ranked among the national defensive leaders with 111 total tackles on 64 solos and 47 assists this past year for EMCC’s North Division champions. The Jacksonville native was also selected to the 2008 NJCAA All-Region 23 Team, in addition to being honored as the most valuable player among the North Division’s defensive backs as a 2008 MACJC All-State First Team recipient.
A hard-hitting athlete who played free safety on EMCC’s Top 10-ranked pass defense unit, Hornsby tied for third on the club with two interceptions (for 47 total yards) this past year. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound defensive back was credited with double-digit tackles in five of his last seven games in 2008, including season-best, 16-tackle outings against Northwest Mississippi, Coahoma and Mississippi Delta.
Having led the nation in passing yards per game (281.8) and ranked second in total offense (330.4 yards per game), EMCC’s Mackey was among six quarterbacks nationally to garner honorable mention status by the NJCAA behind Blinn College’s Terrance Cain and Garrett Barnas of Harper College. A former standout performer at Bastrop (La.) High School, Mackey was named the 2008 NJCAA Region 23 Most Valuable Player after throwing for 2,818 yards and 24 touchdowns on 193-of-320 (60%) passing for the year. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound signal-caller also rushed for 486 yards and four scores on 80 carries.
Berry and Hornsby become the first East Mississippi players to earn first- or second-team all-America football honors as accorded by the NJCAA since seven-year NFL veteran Milford Brown earned second-team laurels as a center in 2000. A native of Montgomery, Ala., Brown most recently played for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars after previous stints with the St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans.
As a team, East Mississippi’s No. 10 national ranking in the final NJCAA / JC Football.com Poll marks the school’s highest season-ending national ranking since coach Bob (Bull) Sullivan’s 10-1-1 EMJC club finished the 1963 campaign ranked seventh in the J.C. Grid-Wire national rankings.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 10 December 2008 )
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.jpg "Image") Freshman Martika Hull had 21 points, six rebounds, four steals and two blocks Monday night in helping lead the 9-2 Lady Lions to an 84-65 home win over Northwest Mississippi. The 7-3 EMCC men’s team completed the doubleheader sweep with an 82-79 victory in the North Division opener for both teams.
Following home wins over Jones County (86-57) and Alabama Southern (62-42) last week, coach Sharon Thompson’s Lady Lions once again jumped out to an early double-digit lead against the Lady Rangers. With freshman Martika Hull of Meridian’s Southeast Lauderdale High School scoring nine of the team’s first 15 points, EMCC raced to a 19-6 margin by the 12:26 mark. As Northwest struggled with 27 percent first-half shooting (7-of-26 FGs), the Lady Lions built a 37-22 halftime advantage.
EMCC appeared to have the victory in hand early in the second stanza by scoring the first six points of the half to take a seemingly comfortable 43-22 lead by the 18:20 mark. However, the Lady Rangers tallied 15 unanswered points to cut the deficit to just six points (43-37) following a three-point basket and subsequent three-point play by freshman guard Tamara Wadlington. During that stretch, the Lady Lions went nearly six minutes without scoring until sophomore Angelique Burtts scored at the 12:37 mark. Burtts, who recently signed with Georgia State, and sophomore point guard Kottia White of Jackson Murrah High School helped push the lead back up to double figures midway through the half.
The Lady Rangers, now 8-3 overall and 0-1 in North play, would not go away easily, as Ciera Thomas connected on a 3-pointer with 8:10 remaining to trim the EMCC lead to five points at 58-53. En route to posting her second straight double-double, Burtts came through again for East Mississippi by answering Thomas’ trey with a triple of her own. The Conyers, Ga., native then hit a floating jumper and fed Hull in the post for an easy inside bucket to enable the Lady Lions to reclaim a double-digit cushion (67-57) they would not relinquish during the remaining six minutes.
Hull led a quartet of double-figure EMCC scorers with 21 points on 8-of-10 field-goal shooting and 5-of-7 from the line. Burtts finished with 19 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while White added 16 points for the winners. Wadlington and Thomas paced the visitors with 22 and 17 points, respectively.
During Monday’s nightcap in Scooba, coach Mark White’s Lions shot 52 percent from the field (17-of-33 FGs) in the opening half, while also taking advantage of 15 first-half Northwest turnovers and costly 2-of-12 free-throw shooting by the visitors, to maintain a slim 41-37 halftime margin. Keyed by the play of sophomore guard Kevin Harris, who hit four of his first five three-point attempts in the contest, the Rangers took the lead early in the second half of play.
The momentum of the game seemed to turn when Harris hurt his left ankle on a drive to the basket at the 13:10 mark. With the Douglas, Ga., native on the bench, the Lions scored six unanswered points to turn a one-point deficit into a five-point lead (61-56) by the 11:21 mark. After Harris returned to the game midway through the half, Northwest outscored the home team, 12-2, during a five-minute span to take a five-point lead (68-63) of its own with 6:26 left in the contest.
Capped by a put-back basket and a 3-pointer by Columbus’ Darian Donald, the Lions reclaimed the lead, 70-68, a minute later following an EMCC timeout. After a pair of ties and two lead changes, John Harris of Starkville hit both free throws after getting fouled with just under a minute left. Following a Northwest turnover, Donald stepped to the stripe with a chance to extend the Lions’ 76-74 lead. Donald missed both charity tosses, but Starkville’s Coco Ware saved the night for EMCC by collecting his fifth steal of the game on the subsequent rebound and converting the key layup under the basket. Ware would later hit two clutch free throws to give the Lions an 81-76 lead. Northwest’s Justin Gillard bombed in a trey and EMCC’s Cataurius Taylor hit a free throw in the waning seconds to result in the final three-point outcome.
Donald, formerly of Caledonia High School, registered his second straight double-double and third of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Ware finished with 15 points and five steals, while Taylor and Larry Foster added 11 points apiece in the winning effort. Falling to 7-2 overall in their North Division opener, the Rangers were led by Harris and Gillard with 16 points apiece.
The 9-2 Lady Lions won’t return to action until the new calendar year. Having also knocked off Jones County (94-91 in OT) and Bevill State-Jasper (95-77) during their recent successful home stand, the 7-3 Lions travel to Monroeville, Ala., to take on Alabama Southern on Saturday (Dec. 13).
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 10 December 2008 )
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.jpg "Image") Wide receiver Montrez Mosley (left) and defensive back Michael Ducksworth, along with Lion teammates Perry Trammell, KyMario Cannon and Kyle Roberts, are slated to represent EMCC at Saturday’s MACJC All-Star Football Classic in Booneville.
Slated to represent coach Buddy Stephens’ 8-2 EMCC Lions at this weekend’s MACJC all-star event at Northeast Mississippi are all-state wide receiver Montrez Mosley by way of Meridian High School, former North Panola quarterback Perry Trammell, and defensive backs KyMario Cannon (West Point HS), Michael Ducksworth (Collins HS) and Kyle Roberts (East Oktibbeha HS).
Named to the 2008 MACJC All-State First Team/North Division, Mosley ranked as EMCC’s second-leading receiver this year with 43 catches and 625 receiving yards as a sophomore. He averaged 14.5 yards per reception with five touchdowns on the year. Mosley also averaged 25.3 yards on 10 kickoff returns this season.
A native of Sardis, Trammell saw limited action in eight games for the Lions this season as the back-up quarterback to NJCAA Region 23 Offensive MVP Randall Mackey. The southpaw signal-caller completed 19-of-24 passes (79%) on the year for 244 yards, three touchdowns and only one interception. In his previous appearance at NEMCC’s Keenum Stadium during EMCC’s 49-0 road win over the Tigers on Oct. 9, Trammell completed 12-of-13 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown while playing the entire second half.
Ducksworth, Cannon and Roberts all played key roles in East Mississippi’s defensive secondary that ranked among the nation’s Top 10 in passing defense this season. From Collins, Ducksworth led the Lions with 11 pass break-ups in 2008, along with intercepting two passes and being credited with 66 total tackles on the year.
Fellow starting cornerback Cannon ranked just behind Ducksworth with nine pass break-ups. The former West Point High School standout also had an interception and two forced fumbles to go along with his 49 total tackles for the season.
Starkville’s Roberts, by way of East Oktibbeha High School, made a name for himself at EMCC with his special teams play in 2008. In addition to intercepting a pass and collecting four pass break-ups, Roberts blocked four field-goal attempts and a point-after-touchdown try this year, including a pair of blocked kicks in the Lions’ state playoff game against Pearl River and in the team’s comeback road victory over eventual state champion Mississippi Gulf Coast.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 05 December 2008 )
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.jpg "Image") The EMCC basketball teams close out their pre-Christmas home slate by tipping off North Division play Monday night against Northwest Mississippi at Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.
In their only competition against out-of-state opposition on the regular season, coach Sharon Thompson’s Lady Lions scored the game’s first nine points and held the visiting Lady Eagles to without a field goal until ASCC’s Tilya Raymond netted a basket at the 8:04 mark. Holding Alabama Southern to just four first-half field goals on 17 percent shooting, the EMCC women went up by 20 points (28-8) by the 4:45 mark and maintained the 20-point cushion (33-13) at halftime. The Lady Lions’ double-figure margin was never in jeopardy the remainder of the contest, though the visitors from Monroeville managed to cut the deficit to 16 points on a couple of occasions in the closing period.
Middle Tennessee State transfer Angelique Burtts, who recently signed with Georgia State during the fall signing period, helped secure East Mississippi’s fourth straight win with a complete all-around performance for the 8-2 Lady Lions. After putting up 16 points and eight rebounds by halftime, the Conyers, Ga., native finished the contest with a game-high 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting along with a season-best 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Meridian freshman Martika Hull from Southeast Lauderdale was the only other EMCC scorer in twin digits with a dozen points.
Coach Mark White’s Lions used aggressive full-court pressure defense and red-hot shooting to post the game’s first 13 points and jump out to a 17-2 advantage over Bevill State-Jasper by the 15:50 mark. Coco Ware’s 3-pointer capped a game-opening stretch in which EMCC hit its first eight shot attempts. The Lions didn’t misfire from the field until Darian Donald’s three-point attempt didn’t fall seven minutes into the game. The Bears’ first points of the game came on a Darren Saddler bucket at the 16:45 mark.
However, Bevill State weathered the initial East Mississippi blitz by steadily outscoring the home team, 23-9, during an 11-minute span to cut the deficit to a single digit (26-25) with 4:50 left in the opening half. The Lions responded quickly to go back up by five points (30-25) when Donald scored on a put-back basket and Ware followed immediately with another score after one of his six steals on the night. Shooting 57 percent from the field (17-30 FGs) through the opening 20 minutes, EMCC held a 40-31 lead at the half.
Just as they did to open the contest, the Lions came out of the intermission utilizing their relentless full-court defensive pressure to quickly push the lead back up to double figures. EMCC opened the second stanza with Donald hitting a 3-pointer while getting fouled and Charles Houston Jr., putting back the missed four-point play attempt. Ware followed with a layup to give East Mississippi a 47-31 cushion within the first few minutes of the period.
Moving to 6-3 on the year with their fifth consecutive victory, the Lions pushed their lead to 26 points (73-47) with Jackson Forest Hill product Ken Hoskins converting a three-point play with 11:00 remaining. Bevill State-Jasper managed to cut the deficit to 15 points (86-71) with 3:35 left in the game, but the visiting Bears would go on to drop their seventh decision in eight outings on the year, including last week’s 87-70 home setback to EMCC.
Coming off a season-best, 34-point outing in EMCC’s 94-91 overtime home win over previously unbeaten Jones County earlier in the week, Ware finished with a game-high 23 points to go along with his six steals and five rebounds. The former Starkville High School standout has raised his season’s scoring average to 19.8 points per game after averaging 25.3 points over his last six contests. Donald, of Columbus’ Caledonia High School, registered his second double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 boards against Bevill State. With all five Lion starters scoring in double figures, sophomore Larry Foster of York, Ala., tallied a season-high 17 points, while fellow sophomores Cataurius Taylor of Memphis and Columbus’ Houston added 14 and 12 points, respectively, to the winning cause.
The East Mississippi basketball teams close out their current three-game home stand by playing host to Northwest Mississippi on Monday (Dec. 8) to tip off North Division play. Game times at EMCC’s Currie Coliseum are slated for 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 05 December 2008 )
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.jpg "Image") Martika Hull (left) had a season-high 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Lady Lions, while Coco Ware pumped in a season-best 34 points for the EMCC men to help lead East Mississippi to a basketball doubleheader sweep over Jones County Tuesday night at Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.
In Tuesday’s opener, coach Sharon Thompson’s Lady Lions scored the game’s first eight points and managed to mount a 21-point cushion (28-7) midway through the opening period. EMCC’s margin continued to expand throughout the half and was capped by Kottia White’s banked 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the home team a comfortable 55-19 lead by the intermission. Former Southeast Lauderdale standout Martika Hull of Meridian tallied 18 of her season-high 21 points in the opening half of play for the Lady Lions.
The visiting Lady Bobcats, now 4-3 on the year, managed to cut the deficit to 29 points on a couple of occasions, but EMCC wasn’t seriously challenged during the second stanza en route to completing its season sweep of Jones County. A month ago in Ellisville, the Lady Lions opened the season with a 78-76 road win over JCJC. The 29-point home win over Jones County moved the EMCC women to 7-2 on the year with a current three-game winning streak.
Along with Hull recording her second double-double of the season with 21 points and 11 rebounds, sophomore guard Javitia Eades of Kemper County High School matched her career best with 16 points. Angelique Burtts, who recently signed with Georgia State during the fall signing period, had a dozen points, while White added 11 points and eight assists from her point guard position.
In the nightcap, coach Mark White’s 5-3 Lions jumped out to an early 19-7 lead six minutes into the contest, while Jones County’s preseason all-American Trenton Marshall picked up his third foul of the game at the 14:00 mark. With Marshall out of the game, EMCC built a 28-9 advantage midway through the half and took a 43-29 halftime lead into the locker room when Starkville’s Coco Ware hit a running 3-pointer at the buzzer to begin his game’s heroics on the night.
The visiting Bobcats, now 6-1 for the season, went on a 23-11 run to open the second stanza to cut the deficit to two points (54-52) by the 12:39 mark. With EMCC holding onto the lead for the majority of the half, Jones County climbed back to knot the contest at 74-74 on two Marshall free throws with 2:31 left in regulation. Marshall, the nation’s sixth-leading scorer who was limited to two made free throws and one shot attempt in the opening half because of early foul trouble, then knocked down a 3-pointer to give the visitors a 77-74 lead moments later. Jones County maintained the lead until Ware rattled home another 3-pointer on the move with time running out in regulation to tie the score at 82-82 heading into overtime.
The overtime session stayed to within a three-point margin the entire five minutes. JCJC’s Lakendrick McCullum hit a pair of charity tosses to make it 89-89 with 50 seconds remaining. Following an EMCC timeout, Ware once again hit a dramatic running 3-pointer with 23 seconds left to give the Lions a 92-89 lead. The Bobcats followed with a put-back basket by Todd McDonald after Corey Breland’s missed triple attempt to cut the deficit to a single point. Appropriately enough on the Lions’ next possession, Ware went to the line with three ticks left on the game clock and nailed both free throws to put the home team back up by three points. Fellow Starkville High School product Woodie Howard then intercepted Danny Bolton’s court-length pass to seal the Lions’ fourth straight victory on the year and avenge their season-opening 90-86 road setback to the Bobcats.
Averaging 25.8 points over his last five outings, Ware finished with a career-high 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting from the field, including 5-of-7 accuracy from behind the arc, and 5-of-6 from the charity stripe. Howard recorded his third consecutive double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Darian Donald of Columbus and Memphis’ Cataurius Taylor contributed 16 and 15 points, respectively, to the winning effort. Marshall led the Bobcats with 23 points, including 5-of-7 from three-point range before fouling out in overtime, while freshman standout Brandon Wilson had 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting before fouling out with 2:42 left in regulation.
The East Mississippi basketball teams continue their three-game home stand Thursday with the women taking on Alabama Southern and the men playing host to Bevill State-Jasper. Tip-off times are set for 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. at Currie Coliseum on the Scooba campus.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 03 December 2008 )
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