.jpg "Image") Coach Buddy Stephens’ 10th-ranked and North Division Champion Lions close out the regular season Saturday night at Mississippi Delta in advance of hosting Pearl River in the opening round of the state football playoffs next Saturday (Nov. 1) afternoon (2 p.m.) at EMCC’s Sullivan-Windham Field.
Riding the school’s longest in-season winning streak since 1969, coach Buddy Stephens’ Lions claimed their sixth consecutive victory with last Saturday’s 40-34 triumph over Itawamba in a contest played in West Point. Having moved up three places to 10th nationally in this week’s NJCAA/JC Football.com Top 20 rankings, East Mississippi’s lone setback of the campaign was a 23-19 road loss to now-No. 8 Jones County during the second week of the season on Sept. 6. EMCC’s most recent eight-win season on the field came in 1974 when coach Bill Buckner guided the Lions to an 8-2 overall record. Coach Tom Goode’s 1996 EMCC squad claimed an 8-2 overall mark, but one of those wins came by way of a forfeit after dropping a 28-21 home decision to Hinds during the third week of the season.
Along with ranking as one of the nation’s highest scoring teams in averaging 36.1 points per contest, East Mississippi continues to stand as the NJCAA’s team leader in passing offense and total offense at 313.4 and 480.9 yards per game, respectively. Defensively as a team, the Lions rate fourth nationally in team passing defense while allowing an average of only 115 passing yards an outing and giving up but seven passing touchdowns on the year. Nine EMCC defenders have also totaled 17 interceptions for the season.
Individually, EMCC’s potent offensive attack is ignited by national offensive player of the year candidate Randall Mackey, who continues to ascend the nation’s passing offense and total offense statistical categories by averaging 282.9 passing yards and 332 yards of total offense a game. The freshman signal-caller from Bastrop (La.) High School has thrown for 2,263 yards and 18 touchdowns on 63-percent accuracy, while also averaging nearly 50 rushing yards per contest.
Led by sophomores Montrez Mosley of Meridian and Starkville’s Mike Outlaw with 37 and 34 receptions, respectively, East Mississippi features five players with at least 20 catches on the year. Sophomore Leon Berry follows with 30 grabs, in addition to running back one kickoff return and one punt return for touchdowns this season. Freshman Pat Shed of Starkville anchors EMCC’s ground game by ranking third in the MACJC in both rushing (75.9 yards per game) and scoring by non-kickers with 60 points.
East Mississippi will be looking to snap a nine-game series losing skid against Mississippi Delta Saturday night in Moorhead. With EMCC’s most recent win over the Trojans coming in 1998 (12-6 in Scooba), the last two meetings have been decided by five total points. Delta prevailed, 24-20, in Moorhead last season and two years ago in Scooba by a 14-13 tally.
In addition to securing EMCC’s first-ever perfect season in North Division play, a win Saturday over Mississippi Delta would give the Lions their first outright North championship since the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges officially went to divisional play in 1970. Most recently, coach Randall Bradberry’s 1984 EMCC club shared a divisional title with Mississippi Delta, but earned the No. 2 seed in the state playoffs because Delta had the better overall record. Ten years earlier, coach Bill Buckner’s 1974 Lions tied Itawamba with identical 8-2 overall records and 5-1 division marks, but fell to the Indians, 29-9, during the season. In 1970, East Mississippi and East Central both finished 5-1 in North Division play, but ECCC earned the trip to the state championship contest by winning a coin toss.
Set to host their first-ever MACJC state football playoff game on Saturday, Nov. 1, against second-seeded Pearl River from the South Division, the Lions will be making their first playoff appearance since 1984, when they dropped a 50-7 road decision to eventual national champion Mississippi Gulf Coast at Biloxi’s Municipal Stadium. Kickoff time for next Saturday’s playoff contest at Sullivan-Windham Field on the Scooba campus is set for 2 p.m. Ticket prices will be $10 for adults and $5 for students. Tailgating for football fans is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. until game time at Aust Hall next Saturday. As a special attraction, student artwork, including those from EMCC student-athletes, will be on display inside Aust Hall as well as on the lawn in front of the building.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 24 October 2008 )
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.jpg "Image") Freshman middle linebacker Alvin Ellis has earned MACJC/Region 23 Defensive Player of the Week honors for the 10th-ranked Lions following his 24-tackle performance against Itawamba this past Saturday in West Point.
A former standout at Columbus High School, Ellis was credited with 16 solo tackles and eight assists, along with two quarterback hurries, against the Indians. Having now reached double figures in total tackles in four of his last five games, Ellis currently leads the Lions with 88 total tackles and 57 solo tackles on the season.
East Mississippi rates as the only school among the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges to have four different players earn MACJC/Region 23 Player of the Week honors this season. Previously this year, sophomore strong safety Alex Hill of West Point collected defensive honors during the opening week of the football campaign, while freshman quarterback Randall Mackey was selected as the NJCAA and MACJC Offensive Player of the Week during Week 4 following the Lions’ 27-23 come-from-behind road victory over defending national co-champion Mississippi Gulf Coast. A week later, EMCC sophomore punter Charlie Fall of Stringer garnered special teams’ accolades to give the Lions three league recipients through the first five weeks of the season.
Set to close out the regular season and attempt to remain undefeated in North Division play this Saturday night at Mississippi Delta, coach Buddy Stephens’ 7-1 Lions moved up three notches to No. 10 nationally in the NJCAA/JC Football.com Top 20 rankings released Tuesday afternoon. Owners of a current six-game winning streak for the first time since 1969, East Mississippi will make the school’s first state football playoff appearance since 1984 by playing host to the South Division’s No. 2 seed on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Sullivan-Windham Field on the Scooba campus. The state championship game will take place a week later on Saturday, Nov. 8 at a site to be determined.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 21 October 2008 )
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 Donning camouflage jerseys inspired by Mossy Oak, the 13th-ranked Lions secured the North Division’s top seed in the upcoming state playoffs with Saturday’s 40-34 win over Itawamba in West Point.
Despite six turnovers (three fumbles lost and three interceptions) in the contest, EMCC managed to move to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in division play by claiming its sixth consecutive victory on the year. The win guarantees coach Buddy Stephens’ Lions of the North Division’s No. 1 seed during the upcoming state football playoffs. East Mississippi will host the South’s No. 2 seed on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Sullivan-Windham Field in Scooba. EMCC will be making its first state playoff appearance since 1984.
Itawamba, the reigning North Division champions, took the opening drive 54 yards in nine plays to begin the scoring. After converting on a fourth-and-one effort to keep the drive alive, quarterback Kenard Springer found Jeremy Jones from 22 yards out to make the score 6-0 after a failed two-point conversion pass attempt.
Entering the contest ranked first nationally in passing offense and total offense, the EMCC offense got off to a shaky start as freshman quarterback Randall Mackey fumbled during the Lions’ first possession. East Mississippi’s fifth-ranked passing defense unit helped set up the team’s first score, as Michael Ducksworth picked off his second interception of the year and ran it back to ICC’s 22-yard line. Five plays later, Mackey connected with Meridian’s Montrez Mosley on a 4-yard touchdown pass at the 5:54 mark. The successful point-after-attempt gave the Lions a lead (7-6) they would never relinquish.
EMCC put together consecutive scoring drives of 71 and 90 yards with Mackey converting on a long pass during each of the drives to move along the respective possessions. Helped by a 39-yard, Mackey-to-Mosley hook-up to the 4-yard line, the Lions went up, 14-6, on a 3-yard touchdown pass to Meridian’s A.J. Brown. Five minutes later and highlighted by a 47-yard aerial to Leon Berry, running back Cedrick Blanks of Meridian capped a nine-play, 90-yard drive by punching it in from a yard out with 8:38 remaining in the half.
Following an 11-yard touchdown pass from ICC’s Springer to Jeremy Wood at the 1:22 mark, it looked like Itawamba would go into the intermission trailing by just a touchdown (21-14). However, Berry, EMCC’s kick return standout, ran back an ICC punt 65 yards for the Lions’ fourth touchdown of the half with just eight ticks left on the clock. The Griffin, Ga., native previously returned a kickoff 81 yards for a score against Holmes earlier this season.
Itawamba, now 2-6 overall and 2-3 in North Division action, opened the second-half scoring by converting a Mackey interception by Austin Thomas into a 4-yard touchdown run by Ty Hardin at the 12:15 mark. Following a penalty-filled, nine-play drive that resulted in a missed 25-yard field goal attempt by West Point’s Phillip Dimino, EMCC’s defense once again set up the team’s offense when nose tackle John Rice of Starkville intercepted a pass deep in ICC territory. Fellow Starkville native Pat Shed capitalized on the miscue by cashing in on his ninth rushing touchdown of the year from a yard out to put the Lions on top, 34-20, with 8:00 left in the third quarter. The Indians cut the deficit in half (34-27) toward the end of the period when Springer capped a nine-play drive with a 1-yard quarterback sneak.
After a scoreless 10 minutes of play to begin the fourth quarter, EMCC’s Alex Hill of West Point recovered a Springer fumble deep in the Lions’ territory on a fourth-and-one attempt. East Mississippi seemingly put the game away by marching the ball 90 yards on nine plays, aided by a 51-yard completion to Berry and capped by a 15-yard, Mackey-to-Mosley connection to make the score, 40-27, with 4:54 remaining in the contest.
However, the Indians would not go away quietly, as they pulled off a beautifully executed 73-yard hook and ladder scoring play from Springer to Word, who lateralled to Richard McFadden for the score with 3:07 left. ICC elected to try an on-side kick, but the Lions recovered on the 46-yard line. Four running plays by Shed and one by Mackey enabled EMCC to run out the clock and extend the school’s longest win streak since 1969.
Mackey, a 2007 PARADE All-American at Bastrop (La.) High School, finished the contest with 24-of-36 passing for around 325 yards and three touchdowns to give him 18 scoring passes for the year. Once again, Mackey was able to spread the ball around by hitting seven different receivers on the day. Mosley led EMCC’s talented receiving corps with eight catches, followed by Berry and Starkville’s Mike Outlaw with six and five grabs, respectively. On defense, the Lions picked off four ICC aerials to give them 17 interceptions on the season. In addition, reserve EMCC cornerback Kyle Roberts blocked his third field-goal attempt of the year on a 39-yard attempt by Itawamba’s Tre’ Kent in the first half.
Bidding for the school’s first-ever outright North Division football championship, the EMCC Lions close out their regular season next Saturday (Oct. 25) by taking on divisional foe Mississippi Delta in a 6:30 p.m. contest at Moorhead.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 18 October 2008 )
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 Former West Point High School standouts (L-R) Alex Hill, Avis Shelton, Quartney Cox, Chris McFarland, Phillip Dimino and KyMario Cannon will return to Hamblin Stadium wearing Mossy Oak-inspired camouflage jerseys during Saturday’s 1 p.m. contest against North Division rival Itawamba.
Tickets will be available beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday for $5 per adult and $3 per student. Saturday afternoon’s EMCC-ICC radio broadcast can be heard on WFCA-FM (107.9) – the Voice of French Camp Academy – with Brett Bouchillon and Jason Crowder calling the action. The broadcast can also be accessed via audio streaming through EMCC’s athletics website – athletics.eastms.edu.
With EMCC riding a current five-game winning streak for the first time since 1996, coach Buddy Stephens’ 2008 Lions are 6-1 overall and 4-0 in North Division play after shutting out Northeast Mississippi, 49-0, in Booneville last week. The most recent East Mississippi team to put together a six-game win string in one season was coach A.J. Kilpatrick’s 9-1 club in 1969. Following a 23-19 road loss to now-No. 8 Jones County on Sept. 6, the Lions have since reeled off consecutive victories over Holmes (52-14), then-No. 2 Mississippi Gulf Coast (27-23), Northwest Mississippi (27-19), Coahoma (47-20) and Northeast.
Directed by freshman quarterback Randall Mackey - the nation’s leader in passing offense (267.4 yards per game) and total offense (312.9 yards per game) - the Lions currently top the NJCAA’s team statistical leaders in both passing and total offense. With EMCC’s offense averaging a league-leading 35.6 points per outing on the year, including three contests with 47 points or more, Mackey, a 2007 PARADE All-American at Bastrop (La.) High School, has accounted for 1,872 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air on 62-percent passing (128-of-207) for the season.
Now ranked third among the MACJC team rushing leaders averaging 167.3 yards a game, the Lions are powered on the ground by Pat Shed of Starkville, who ranks as the league’s No. 3 ground-gainer with 518 yards and third-leading non-kicking scorer with 54 points. EMCC’s talented stable of receivers is paced by Meridian’s Montrez Mosley and Mike Outlaw of Starkville with 29 receptions each on the year. Leon Berry of Griffin, Ga., and Meridian’s A.J. Brown follow with 24 and 21 grabs, respectively, while sophomore Wayne Bonner of Milledgeville, Ga., ranks eighth in the conference averaging 56.9 receiving yards an outing in addition to standing tied for fifth with six touchdowns for the season.
Coming off the school’s first shutout victory since 2000 with last Thursday’s 49-0 blanking of Northeast, the Lions own the nation’s fourth-best team passing defense in allowing just an average of 113.4 passing yards per game. Last week in Booneville, EMCC limited the winless Tigers to just 161 yards of total offense on 92 passing yards and 69 rushing yards. Individually, defensive end Claude Davis is tied for second among MACJC leaders with seven sacks, while reserve free safety Anthony Hines of Starkville is tied for second with four interceptions.
Guided by head coach Jeff Terrill, Itawamba is 2-5 overall with both wins coming in North Division play against Northeast (12-9) and Holmes (33-29). Reigning as the defending North Division champions, the Indians own the MACJC’s second-best rushing defense (83.2 yards per game) and are ranked third in the league in total defense (286.4 yards per game).
During last year’s regular-season finale in Fulton, East Mississippi claimed a 31-28 overtime road victory over 12th-ranked Itawamba. In spoiling ICC’s 2007 homecoming, current University of Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount rushed for 174 yards to lead the Lions, while now-sophomore wide receiver Leon Berry ran back a 90-yard kickoff return for EMCC to tie the game at 28-28.
The EMCC Lions close out the 2008 regular season next Saturday (Oct. 25) with a 6:30 p.m. road encounter against divisional foe Mississippi Delta in Moorhead. The state football playoffs begin the following Saturday (Nov. 1) with the North and South Division winners hosting first-round contests. The 2008 state championship game will be held one week later (Nov. 8) at a site to be determined.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 17 October 2008 )
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 Coach Junior Noel’s Lion and Lady Lion soccer teams concluded the 2008 campaign Wednesday night at Northwest Mississippi.
Finishing the fall with three straight setbacks after closing out the month of September with a five-match unbeaten string, coach Junior Noel’s Lady Lions struck first against Northwest on freshman Nikeisha Noel’s unassisted tally in the opening half. Playing the match without second-leading scorer Alex Shelton and with Quashena Johnson sitting out most of the second half because of a knee injury, EMCC trailed, 2-1, at the intermission and would later succumb by a 6-2 outcome.
A member of Trinidad & Tobago’s Under 20 National Team, Noel added her team-leading 19th goal, also unassisted, in the second half of the Northwest match. With a total of 42 points on the season, including five multi-goal outings, Noel currently ranks among the NJCAA’s top 25 individual scorers. As a team, the Lady Lions concluded the fall with a 4-7-2 overall record and 1-5 mark in North Division action.
Finishing the season with a 1-12-1 mark and 0-8 in North Division action, the Lions traded goals with the Rangers in the opening half to earn a 2-2 deadlock by the halftime break. Sophomore Aaron Jenkins of Columbus netted his fourth and fifth goals of the season – all in the last five matches – for the visitors in the opening period. With the EMCC men hampered by a lack of depth once again, Northwest jumped on the Lions quickly in the second half en route to the 7-3 final. Freshman Leonardo Reyes of Trinidad & Tobago scored his fifth goal of the year in the final period to give him a team-leading 12 points on the season. Sophomore Josh Shields assisted on two of EMCC’s goals to give the Starkville High School product seven points (2 goals & 3 assists) in his last five matches of the year.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 17 October 2008 )
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