.jpg "Image") Columbus native and former Lion football standout Johnny Fisher became EMCC’s 2012 inductee into the Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame during Tuesday’s induction ceremonies on Hinds Community College’s Rankin campus.
Born and raised in Columbus, Fisher enjoyed a record-setting athletic career at R.E. Hunt High School. A first-team all-conference performer in both football and track, Fisher scored 25 touchdowns and was named MVP of the Elks Bowl during his senior season. Following his outstanding high school athletic career, he accepted a football scholarship to attend Jackson State University.
After spending the 1968 football season at Jackson State, Fisher transferred to East Mississippi Junior College for the 1969-70 academic year. As head coach A.J. Kilpatrick’s starting tailback, Fisher helped lead the 1969 EMJC Lions to a 9-1 record and runner-up finish among Mississippi’s junior college football ranks. For his sophomore year efforts, Fisher garnered National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-America honors and was named to the Mississippi Junior College Association’s All-State/North Division squad.
Following his banner year at EMJC, Fisher was awarded a football scholarship to the University of Maryland. While at Maryland, Fisher received his bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in criminal justice in 1973. He went on to earn his master’s degree in criminal justice in 1977 from Coppin State University in Baltimore, Md.
Upon graduating from college, Fisher began a distinguished career as a law enforcement officer in Washington, D.C. He then joined the Baltimore City Police Department, where he received commendations and awards from the Baltimore City Mayor, the Governor of Maryland and the Maryland State Senate. Subsequently, Fisher joined the United States Drug Enforcement Agency as a special agent for the Baltimore Division.
Fisher’s work with the DEA carried him all over the country, including undercover work in the Midwest. While serving in Philadelphia, Pa., Fisher was credited with dismantling a Jamaican drug gang that had terrorized the area for years. As a result of this work, the U.S. Attorney, along with other federal, state and local law enforcement officials, established the Violent Traffickers Project for Pennsylvania.
The recipient of Maryland gubernatorial and legislative awards, Fisher most notably received the DEA’s Administrator’s Award for initiating an Anti-Drug Prevention Program as well as for his outstanding contributions to the Drug Interdiction Program at the St. Louis (Mo.) Metropolitan Airport. Prior to retiring from his law enforcement career in 2005, Fisher was in charge of programs centering on asset forfeiture, financial investigation and organized crime drug enforcement task force.
A 2004 inductee of the EMCC Sports Hall of Fame, Fisher moved home to Columbus following his retirement from law enforcement. He presently serves as a criminal justice instructor at East Mississippi Community College’s Golden Triangle branch in Mayhew. He is married to the former Currie Jean Brewer of Columbus, and they have one son and one daughter and are proud grandparents to one granddaughter.
This year marks the sixth class of the Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame. Fisher joins previously elected EMCC inductees Joe Rowell (2011), Tom Scarborough (2010), Elbert “Lum” Wright (2009), Ken Waddell Sr. (2008), Don Edwards (2008), Clyde “Baby Doll” Pierce (2007), Bill Buckner (2007), and Bob “Bull” Sullivan (2007).
Other newly elected members honored during Tuesday’s Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies included: Earnest Killum (Coahoma CC); Gwyn Young (Copiah-Lincoln CC); Richard Harris (East Central CC); Rene’ Warren (Hinds CC); Donald Phillips (Holmes CC); Mike Eaton (Itawamba CC); Verl Dykes Sr. (Jones County JC); Wanda McPhail (Meridian CC); James “Wooky” Gray (deceased, Mississippi Delta CC); Earl King Jr. (Mississippi Gulf Coast CC); Ricky Ford (Northeast Mississippi CC); Mike Rowan (Northwest Mississippi CC); Mack Cochran (Pearl River CC); and Ernest Foy (Southwest Mississippi CC).
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 25 April 2012 )
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SALTILLO – Making their third regional golf appearance in the last four years, the East Mississippi Community College Lions placed fourth at this week’s NJCAA Region 23 Golf Championship held at Big Oaks Golf Club. The two-day tournament hosted by Northeast Mississippi Community College concluded Monday.
The Bulldogs of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College captured their fifth consecutive NJCAA Region 23 golf team title by carding a two-day total of 615 (299-316) to finish with a seven-stroke advantage. Copiah-Lincoln Community College edged Northwest Mississippi Community College by three shots, 622-625, to claim runner-up team honors. EMCC (319-330—649) and host Northeast Mississippi CC (323-341—664) followed in fourth and fifth, respectively.
All five EMCC golfers for head coach Dale Peay finished five strokes apart, though no one on the Lions’ roster finished among the top 14 individually. Two-time all-state selection Weston Wallace led the way for the Lions with a 15th-place tie after posting rounds of 79 and 83. Fellow EMCC sophomore Tyler Slocum followed close behind in 17th place with a two-round total of 163 (80-83). Right behind them were teammates Miles Respess (81-84—165; 19th place), Andrew Spiers (86-80—166; 20th), and Nick Davis (79-88—167; 21st).
Cameron Thomas of Northwest Mississippi Community College shot an even-par 72 Monday after Sunday’s 74 to collect individual medalist honors and earn a spot in next month’s NJCAA Division II National Golf Championship. Also garnering all-region accolades were Gulf Coast teammates Marcus Fox (75-76—151) and Brad Thornton (71-81—152) along with Alex Clark of Co-Lin (72-80—152) and Hinds’ David Shaw (74-79—153).
In addition to the Mississippi Gulf Coast team as well as Northwest’s Thomas and Clark of Co-Lin, other NJCAA Golf Championship qualifiers from Region 23 were Co-Lin’s Justin Danise (78-78—156) and Chad Cupples of Northwest (75-83—158).
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Last Updated ( Monday, 23 April 2012 )
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SENATOBIA – The East Mississippi Community College men’s rodeo team collected its third consecutive third-place team showing of the spring at the Landers-Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep Ranger Rodeo held this past weekend at the Northwest Mississippi Community College Multipurpose Arena. The three-day event concluded Saturday night on the NWCC campus.
Coach Morgan Goodrich’s EMCC Lions racked up all of their 370 team points in the calf roping and steer wrestling events to finish a distant third behind Missouri Valley College (668 pts) and Southern Arkansas University (640 pts) in the men’s team standings.
EMCC had four different cowboys place in the calf roping competition, led by freshmen Scooter Scarbrough and Ethan Bobo earning 80 and 60 points, respectively, to finish fourth and fifth. Fellow Lion freshmen Martin Walker and Monty McIlwain also placed in the event.
Individually, the Lions were led by sophomore Will Lummus, who won the steer wrestling event and earned 180 points for EMCC. The former Oak Hill Academy product posted times of 5.4 and 5.1 seconds in the long-go and short-go rounds, respectively, to claim the individual title. A year ago as a freshman, Lummus represented EMCC in the steer wrestling event at the prestigious College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo.
In the women’s competition, EMCC freshman cowgirl Kellie Hailey, of Macon’s Central Academy, claimed fourth-place honors in the goat tying event to account for the Lady Lions’ 80 points and sixth-place team finish.
Southern Arkansas edged Tennessee-Martin, 290-255, to capture the women’s team title.
The fifth and final regular-season rodeo on the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s Ozark Region schedule is set for this week (April 26-28) in another Northwest Mississippi Community College-hosted event to be held in Centerton, Ark.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 23 April 2012 )
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SCOOBA – Freshman right-hander Smokey Ethridge’s one-hit 1-0 shutout in game one helped East Mississippi Community College gain an MACJC North Division baseball doubleheader split with visiting Northeast Mississippi Community College Saturday afternoon at EMCC’s Gerald Poole Field.
In sharp contrast to their solid all-around team performance in the opener, the Lions committed nine errors in game two to drop a 13-0 run-rule decision to the Tigers in the six-inning nightcap.
In the classic first game pitcher’s duel between Ethridge and Northeast’s Daymon Eriksen, EMCC managed to load the bases in the opening frame but couldn’t push across a run. The Tigers’ biggest threat early in the contest came in the third when Chris Aichinger led off the inning with their lone hit of the contest and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Aichinger later advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Ethridge retired the next two batters to keep the game scoreless.
Meanwhile, Eriksen was tossing a one-hitter of his own heading into the bottom of the sixth. Tyler Bonaventure led things off by grounding to short, but Northeast shortstop Trae Allison double-clutched and his resulting throw across the diamond caused Aichinger to come off the bag at first base. A wild pitch sent Bonaventure to second and a subsequent ground out advanced him to third with two outs. Holden Watts then became EMCC’s hitting hero by blasting a run-scoring double off the base of the left-field wall through a brisk wind blowing across the playing field from left to right.
The dramatics were not over, however, as the Tigers threatened again in the top of the seventh. Lead-off batter Corey Smith reached on a throwing error by Bonaventure at second base and was moved over to second with a sacrifice bunt. After Ethridge got Josh Mills to bounce back to the mound for the second out, Smith advanced to third on a passed ball. With the potential tying run just 90 feet away, Ethridge closed out his pitching gem by getting Allison to ground out to Bonaventure at second.
In upping his pitching record to a club-best 6-2 on the season, Ethridge fanned three and walked two in going the distance. The former West Lauderdale product threw 91 pitches, 56 for strikes, and enticed Tiger batters to hit into 14 ground ball outs.
In the nightcap, the home-standing Lions couldn’t maintain the momentum generated by Ethridge’s masterful mound performance. Game two starting pitcher Blake Roberts was the victim of three unearned runs in the top of the first and another unearned tally in the third made it 4-0 in favor of the visitors. However, the floodgates would open in the fourth after the Tigers loaded the bases with three straight hits to start the inning. From that point, Northeast proceeded to bat around and, with the aid of four EMCC errors in the fourth inning alone, would extend the insurmountable lead to 9-0.
As the Tigers batted around again during their four-run sixth inning, aided by yet two more Lion miscues, they were benefitting from another complete-game pitching effort. Sophomore left-hander Eric Wilson limited EMCC to just four singles – two by former Columbus High School product Leroy Wilson - while striking out three and issuing just one walk.
Still battling for a possible postseason berth in next month’s MACJC State Playoffs, head coach Chris Rose’s EMCC Lions, now 16-23 overall and 7-12 in MACJC North Division play, close out their home slate by playing host to Coahoma Community College in a 4 p.m. Wednesday doubleheader on the Scooba campus. The Lions will conclude the regular season on Saturday in a road twin-bill against Mississippi Delta Community College in Moorhead.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 21 April 2012 )
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.jpg "Image") While honoring eight sophomore players and managers on the field during pre-game Sophomore Day festivities, the EMCC Lady Lions earned a home doubleheader split with Northwest Mississippi Friday afternoon on the Scooba campus. In earning their fourth straight state playoff berth, the Lady Lions will open next week’s (April 26-27) MACJC State Softball Tournament by taking on fifth-ranked Jones County Thursday at 2 p.m. in Fulton.
In the nightcap, the Northwest Rangers staged an impressive comeback of their own with nine runs in the sixth inning to turn a 5-1 deficit into a 10-5 victory and salvage the twin-bill split for the visitors.
Entering the day on a six-game winning streak down the stretch of the regular season, head coach Kate Neely’s EMCC Lady Lions also needed help from MACJC North Division champion Itawamba to lock up the fourth and final division seed in next week’s MACJC State Softball Tournament. With EMCC and Holmes deadlocked at 11-11 in division play at the start of the afternoon, the home-standing ICC Lady Indians obliged by sweeping the Lady Bulldogs, 1-0 and 5-1, in Fulton.
Hosted by Itawamba Community College, next week’s MACJC State Softball Tournament will take place Thursday and Friday (April 26-27) in Fulton. EMCC’s first-round opponent will be fifth-ranked Jones County Junior College, the MACJC’s South Division regular-season champion, in a 2 p.m. Thursday contest.
In game one of Friday’s regular-season finale, the visitors took a 3-0 lead in the third inning as EMCC starting pitcher Misty Richard ran into control problems. The freshman right-hander walked in back-to-back runs before giving way to fellow freshman Shelby Sheppard, who promptly fanned Codie Jones and Vicki Johnson to leave the bases loaded and give the Lady Lions some spark.
With renewed energy, EMCC began to chip away at the deficit by scoring a solo run in the bottom of the third when ICC starter Casey Baddley incurred some wildness of her own. After Baddley walked the bases full with two outs, Sheppard helped her own cause by drawing a bases-loaded walk.
The Lady Lions closed the gap to 3-2 two innings later when sophomore Cory Roberson delivered a clutch two-out single to right field to bring home Haley Tutor, who led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a delayed steal.
As Sheppard continued to hold the Rangers in check in her relief role, EMCC’s comeback was completed in the bottom of the sixth. Shelby Whitt got things started with an infield single that resulted in her advancing to second on a throwing error. After a sacrifice bunt by Alyssa Farr, Amber Spann lined a double down the left-field line to knot the score at 3-3. Following an infield out, Tutor’s routine fly ball was missed by the right fielder sending Spann around to score the eventual winning run.
Offensively in the opener, Whitt and freshman Alex Smith each had two singles to lead the way for the Lady Lions at the plate. In the circle, Sheppard, a former Kemper Academy product, improved to 8-5 on the year by allowing just three hits in 4.2 innings of shutout relief work with six strikeouts and no walks.
The Lady Lions, who completed the regular season at 18-23 overall and 12-12 in division play, seemed to carry the momentum into the early portion of the nightcap by jumping out to a 5-1 lead after five innings. With a two-out, two-run double by Tutor and run-scoring singles from Spann and Paige Sheppard during a four-run fifth inning, EMCC appeared to be in control with Shelby Sheppard seemingly in a groove during her game two starting assignment in the circle.
Sheppard entered the fateful sixth inning having retired 10 consecutive batters, but the bottom soon fell out for the home team. With their first four hitters reaching base, including a pair of doubles, the Rangers would send 14 batters to the plate in producing their game-changing nine-run frame. As a trio of Lady Lion pitchers worked through the inning, three EMCC miscues in the frame also contributed to the turnaround.
Stormy Lewis, a recent Delta State signee from Quitman, led EMCC’s nine-hit team effort in game two with a 2-for-3 outing at the plate.
As the MACJC North Division’s No 2 seed in next week’s MACJC State Softball Tournament, the Northwest Rangers completed their regular season at 29-9-1 overall and 18-6 within the division.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 20 April 2012 )
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