Freshman quarterback Randall Mackey threw for a pair of touchdowns and run for another score to lead the EMCC Lions to a 28-9 season-opening home win over Copiah-Lincoln Thursday in Buddy Stephens’ coaching debut.

            SCOOBA, Miss. – The Lions of East Mississippi Community College ushered in the Buddy Stephens era on a positive note by tallying four second-half touchdowns to down visiting Copiah-Lincoln, 28-9, in their season opener at Sullivan-Windham Field.

            The only scoring in the opening half of play came on a 7-yard touchdown run by Co-Lin’s Ronnie McNulty at the 7:53 mark of the first period.  Tyler Fitzgerald failed to connect on the PAT to give the visiting Wolves a 6-0 halftime advantage.

            The Lions got their offense on track with help from 2008 Parade All-American quarterback Randall Mackey, who put the home team on the scoreboard for the first time with 12:08 remaining in the third quarter by hitting sophomore Wayne Bonner of Milledgeville, Ga., with a 60-yard scoring aerial.  Co-Lin briefly reclaimed the lead with a 31-yard field goal by Fitzgerald at the 7:40 mark.  A little more than a minute later, Mackey, a freshman signal-caller from Bastrop (La.) High School, found the end zone again by connecting with Meridian’s Montrez Mosley on a 22-yard scoring strike to put the Lions in front for good, 14-9.

            EMCC benefitted from the running game during the final period, as Starkville’s Pat Shed darted 55 yards for a score with 10:03 remaining.  A successful Mackey-to-Mosley, two-point conversion gave the Lions a 22-9 cushion.  Sophomore strong safety Alex Hill of West Point all but sealed EMCC’s first win in a season-opening contest since 2001 by picking off his second interception with 3:50 left on the game clock.  Mackey capped his collegiate debut and gave the Lions their first triumph over Copiah-Lincoln since 1993 by scampering 21 yards to the end zone at the 2:10 mark.    

Defensively, the Lions had three interceptions on the evening, with Starkville’s Anthony Hines picking off an errant pass with time running out in the contest.

            East Mississippi (1-0) will be on the road for the next three games, beginning with the team’s Sept. 6 contest at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville.