Lady Lion freshman Alex Shelton netted a pair of first-half goals and assisted on a third score Saturday afternoon to help lead the EMCC women’s soccer team to a 3-2 home victory over Judson College.

            A former standout at West Point High School, Shelton gave the Lady Lions a 2-1 halftime advantage with a pair of tallies in the opening half.  With Noel assisting on both first-half goals, Shelton raised her season total to five scores on the year.

            East Mississippi went up 3-1 in the second half, as Noel of Trinidad netted her team-leading ninth goal of the season on an assist by Shelton.  The two-goal advantage was cut in half by the visiting Lady Eagles from Marion, Ala., but a stellar effort by the EMCC defensive unit secured the 3-2 victory.

            “Based on our limited numbers, I am very pleased with our effort,” EMCC head soccer coach Junior Noel said.  “I am beginning to see better team chemistry on the field.  Plus, Miranda Minor and Erica Carter continue to provide yeoman’s work defensively in the back.”  

            The Lady Lions, now 2-4 overall on the season, return to North Division action by playing host to Northwest Mississippi Wednesday afternoon at the EMCC Soccer Field.  The women’s 2 p.m. match will precede the men’s 4 p.m. contest.  The East Mississippi soccer teams will conclude their 2008 home slate later in the week by welcoming Jones County Junior College to the Scooba campus on Friday (Sept. 19).  Match times are again set for 2 and 4 p.m.   

            SCOOBA, Miss. – The East Mississippi Community College men’s soccer team dropped a 3-0 home decision to Holmes Community College Friday in North Division action at the EMCC Soccer Field.

            The short-handed Lions, now 0-5-1 overall and 0-3 in division play, hung tough in the opening half against the Bulldogs and trailed 1-0 at the intermission.  EMCC played Friday without injured freshman LaDarius Johnson.  Second-year head coach Junior Noel also found out this week that Lady Lion freshman Raycine Clarke will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

            “Our men gave all they could today,” Noel noted.  “We had some good exchanges in the first half, but we got tired at the end because of our lack of numbers and gave up the two late goals.”

            Noel’s Lady Lions step out of division play by playing host to Judson College from Marion, Ala., Saturday afternoon.  Match time is set for 2 p.m. at the EMCC Soccer Field.

            The East Mississippi soccer teams will conclude the home portion of their 2008 slate next week by playing host to Northwest Mississippi on Wednesday (Sept. 17) and welcoming Jones County on Friday (Sept. 19).  On both home dates next week in Scooba, the women will begin at 2 p.m., followed by the men at 4 p.m.

Freshman running back Pat Shed of Starkville rushed for a game-high 150 yards on 15 carries, scoring on a 17-yard run and a 21-yard reception, to help lead the 2-1 Lions to a convincing 52-14 road win over Holmes in their North Division opener Thursday night in Goodman (Photo courtesy of MitchDeaver.com).

            In improving to 2-1 overall on the season and 1-0 in division play, coach Buddy Stephens’ squad rang up the most points scored by an EMCC team since a 57-28 home win over Coahoma during the 1995 campaign.  The Lions’ 38-point victory over Holmes marked their largest victory margin since shutting out Northeast Mississippi, 44-0, in Scooba during the 1999 season.

            The Bulldogs, now 1-2 overall and 0-1 in league play, got on the board first with Harry Collins scoring from three yards out with 5:43 left in the opening quarter.  East Mississippi responded less than two minutes later to knot the score at 7-7 when freshman quarterback Randall Mackey of Bastrop (La.) High School capped a four-play drive with a 29-yard scoring run.  A 21-point second quarter for the Lions began when Starkville’s Pat Shed scored from 17 yards out at the 14:44 mark to give the visitors a 14-7 lead.  Shed gained 91 of his game-high 145 rushing yards in the first half, in addition to being on the receiving end of a 21-yard scoring strike from Mackey with 3:00 minutes left in the half to put the Lions up by two touchdowns.

            EMCC took a 28-7 advantage into the intermission after Meridian’s Montrez Mosley blocked a Holmes punt and Jeremy Keys of Collins returned the miscue 15 yards into the end zone with less than two minutes left in the half.

            The Lions’ special teams came through once again at the start of the second half when All-Region 23 performer Leon Berry of Griffin, Ga., returned the opening kickoff 81 yards for a score to put EMCC on top by a 35-7 margin.  Holmes’ final score of the evening followed two minutes later with Collins going in from 12 yards out.  A 29-yard Phillip Dimino field goal and an eight-yard scoring toss from Mackey to Starkville’s Mike Outlaw made the score, 45-14, heading into the final quarter.  Entering the contest ranked second among the MACJC leaders in passing yards per game and third in passing efficiency, Mackey finished the night 15-of-21 with 167 yards through the air and two touchdown tosses.

            With their second unit on the field for much of the fourth quarter, the Lions capped their offensive outburst with a 43-yard touchdown pass from former North Panola High School standout Perry Trammell to Bill Franks of Greene County High School at the 14:45 mark. 

            Defensively, EMCC’s KyMario Cannon of West Point had his first interception of the year, while Starkville’s Anthony Hines picked off his second pass on the season to give the Lions six interceptions as a team in three games.  

            East Mississippi will play its third consecutive road contest next Thursday (Sept. 18) by venturing to Perkinston to meet the second-ranked and reigning co-national champion Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs.  Kickoff next Thursday at MGCCC is set for 7 p.m. at A.L. May Memorial Stadium.  The Lions then return to Sullivan-Windham Field on the EMCC campus to play two straight home divisional contests by playing host to Northwest Mississippi on Thursday, Sept. 25 and taking on Coahoma during Homecoming festivities on Saturday, Oct. 4.

Freshman quarterback Randall Mackey ranks second among the MACJC leaders in passing yards per game (230.5) and third in passing efficiency (148.4) for the 1-1 Lions as they head to Goodman for Thursday’s North Division battle with Holmes CC (Photo courtesy of MitchDeaver.com).

SCOOBA, Miss. – The Lions of East Mississippi Community College (1-1) open North Division play by traveling to Goodman to take on Holmes Community College (1-1) Thursday night in MACJC football action.  Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Ras Branch Field.

            Thursday’s EMCC-Holmes gridiron contest can be heard on WFCA-FM (107.9) – the Voice of French Camp Academy – with Jason Crowder handling the play-by-play duties.     

            Coach Buddy Stephens’ EMCC squad dropped a tough 23-19 road decision to seventh-ranked Jones County this past Saturday in Ellisville after opening the campaign with a 28-9 home triumph over Copiah-Lincoln on Aug. 28.  The Bulldogs of Holmes Community College are also 1-1 on the young season following their 37-21 road win over East Central.  Holmes opened 2008 with a 23-16 setback at Pearl River Community College.  Thursday’s game will mark the Bulldogs’ season home opener.

            As a team, the 1-1 Lions rank third among the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) statistical leaders in passing offense (230.5 yards/game) and fourth in total offense (340.0 yards/game) behind the play of freshman quarterback Randall Mackey of Bastrop (La.) High School.  Defensively, East Mississippi is tied for second in the league behind Mississippi Gulf Coast in turnover margin (+3), while ranking third in passing defense (145.0 yards/game) behind Pearl River and Holmes.

            Individually, Mackey presently ranks second among the MACJC leaders in passing yards per game (230.5) and third in passing efficiency with a 148.4 rating.  Three EMCC players currently rank among the top 13 receivers in the league, with eight different players having been on the receiving end of Mackey passes through the first two games.  Sophomore Mike Outlaw of Starkville sits third with 10 catches for a league-most 159 receiving yards, while fellow sophomores Leon Berry and Montrez Mosley follow with eight and seven receptions, respectively.  Sophomore strong safety Alex Hill of West Point is tied for second in the MACJC with a pair of interceptions on the year – both coming in EMCC’s season-opening home win over Copiah-Lincoln to earn him player of the week honors.           

            The Lions will be looking to make it three straight series wins over Holmes, having edged the Bulldogs, 31-30 in overtime, last year in Scooba and earning a narrow 9-6 road victory two seasons ago in Goodman.

            East Mississippi will play its third consecutive road contest next Thursday (Sept. 18) by venturing to Perkinston to meet the second-ranked and reigning co-national champion Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs.  Kickoff next Thursday at MGCCC is set for 7 p.m. at A.L. May Memorial Stadium.  The Lions then return to Sullivan-Windham Field on the EMCC campus to play two straight home divisional contests by playing host to Northwest Mississippi on Thursday, Sept. 25 and taking on Coahoma during Homecoming festivities on Saturday, Oct. 4.