ELLISVILLE, Miss. – The Lions of East Mississippi Community College began a tough September stretch of three consecutive road games by dropping a hard-fought 23-19 decision to seventh-ranked Jones County Junior College Saturday night at Bobcat Stadium/Sim Cooley Field.

            The visiting Lions, now 1-1 on the year, scored on their first two possessions with freshman Phillip Dimino of West Point connecting on field goals of 42 and 30 yards.  Following a missed 35-yard field goal attempt by JCJC’s Jacob Chancellor, the Bobcats’ Derek Welch picked off a Randall Mackey aerial and returned it 24 yards to the 21-yard line.  Three plays later, JCJC quarterback Early James hit Darius Dear for a 16-yard scoring strike.  The homestanding Bobcats led, 7-6, following Chancellor’s PAT conversion at the 14:25 mark of the second quarter.  EMCC countered by going 67 yards in 11 plays to reclaim the advantage, 13-7, on a 2-yard touchdown plunge by Starkville’s Pat Shed and Dimino’s PAT.

            With the visitors on top, 13-7, at the intermission, the momentum started to swing the Bobcats’ way when EMCC’s Leon Berry mishandled a JCJC punt early in the third quarter.  Getting the ball at the 15-yard line after the fumbled punt, Jones County sophomore running back Daniel Borne cashed in on the miscue by scoring on a 5-yard run.  The kick conversion by Chancellor put the home team on top, 14-13, to stay at the 10:07 mark.  Following a three-and-out possession by East Mississippi, the Bobcats took nearly seven minutes off the clock with a 15-play, 85-yard scoring drive that was capped by Borne’s nifty 4-yard scoring scamper in which he was nearly stopped in the backfield before spinning away and going in for the score.  Borne, a sophomore from Avondale, La., finished the evening with 119 yards rushing on 20 carries.  Chancellor’s PAT attempt hit the left upright to give JCJC a 20-13 lead with a minute left in the third quarter.

            The Lions responded quickly as Mackey hit Starkville sophomore Mike Outlaw on consecutive passes of 23 and 38 yards – the latter coming with 14:52 remaining in the contest and making the score 20-19.  However, with a chance to tie the contest, Dimino failed to connect on the point-after attempt.  The Bobcats put some insurance on the board midway through the closing period when Chancellor sailed a 32-yard field goal through the uprights to give JCJC a 23-19 advantage with 7:59 on the clock.  Following a brief three-play series by the visitors, Jones County, now 2-0 on the season, recorded a pair of first downs before having to punt and giving EMCC one last chance with less than 40 seconds left in the game.  The Lions managed to quickly advance the ball 43 yards to Jones’ 41-yard line on a pair of Mackey passes, but the potential game-winning drive stalled with three ensuing incomplete aerials to seal the JCJC victory.  

            Following a short week of game preparation, coach Buddy Stephens’ East Mississippi Lions turn right around to hit the road again by venturing to Goodman to meet Holmes Community College in their North Division opener Thursday (Sept. 11).  Kickoff at Ras Branch Field is set for 7 p.m., and the contest can be heard on WFCA-FM (107.9) – the Voice of French Camp Academy – as well as via audio streaming on East Mississippi Community College’s athletics website - athletics.eastms.edu.