SCOOBA – The eighth-ranked Lions of East Mississippi Community College fell to fourth-ranked Northwest Mississippi Community College’s balanced offensive attack in a top-10 gridiron battle with possible postseason playoff implications, losing 38-21 to the visiting Rangers during Thursday’s MACCC North Division action at Sullivan-Windham Field.
Northwest outgained the home-standing Lions in total offensive yards, 519-289, for the fourth time in 56 games since their present football stadium was instructed in anticipation of the program’s first national title season (2011).
Along with 301 net running yards, including two 100-yard rushers in Jamarien Bracey (159) and Cayden Betts (102) on the night, the Rangers also had 218 throwing yards.
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In a top-10 MACCC duel, the No. 8 EMCC Lions are defeated by No. 4 Northwest.
The Lions responded on their following drive after the point-after-touchdown kick was missed. Mike McGowan capped a seven-play, 78-yard scoring drive with a 41-yard touchdown run on third-and-one, and Cole Arthur’s successful PAT placed EMCC ahead, 7-6, with 10:03 left in the half.
Northwest subsequently grabbed the lead at halftime thanks to an interception thrown late in the half within the red zone by two-time reigning NJCAA and MACCC Offensive Player of the Week Eli Anderson.
Following Rontavious Person’s interception and sua subsequent 28-yard interception return, and with the help of a pair of costly penalties levied on EMCC, the Rangers seized the lead (13-7) with 34 seconds left in the half on Ren Hefley’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Johnson.
Both teams scored two touchdowns in the high-scoring third quarter. Northwest opened the scoring with a seven-play, 75-yard drive that concluded in Hefley’s 31-yard scoring throw to D.T. Sheffield at 11:45 to make it a 20-7 game.
Following last week’s remarkable 48-45 comeback victory against Mississippi Gulf Coast from a 31-7 hole midway through the third quarter, the Lions answered against the Rangers by scoring twice in a four-minute stretch to grab a one-point lead late in the third quarter.
After facing a third-and-18 situation on its own 38-yard line, EMCC began the brief momentum swing with a couple of huge plays.
Anderson connected with Duke Miller on a 16-yard throw play, and the Lions’ rookie quarterback retained the ball on a fourth-and-two call, gaining 21 yards plus 13 yards on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty called on Northwest.
Three plays later, on third-and-seven, Anderson and Miller concluded a nine-play, 67-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown hookup at 8:02, cutting the deficit to 20-14.
The Lions’ defense then stepped up, apparently turning the tide in their favor. First, EMCC’s Laurence Sullivan Jr. intercepted a Hefley ball and returned it 58 yards to the end zone, his second of the season. With 4:19 remaining in the quarter, Arthur’s successful PAT placed the Lions up, 21-20.
Northwest’s following possession was maybe the game’s pivotal moment.
Hefley was intercepted by EMCC linebacker Rodney Groce, Jr., who returned the interception to midfield before being stripped by the Northwest defense and the Rangers recovering. Betts scored on a 9-yard run after the visitors advanced 45 yards in five plays. They promptly added
Northwest’s defense then made two important plays in the early portions of the fourth quarter to help the two-time MACCC winners maintain their advantage. The Rangers’ Jay Adams intercepted Anderson on the Lions’ following possession after halting EMCC’s Ethan Conner for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-one from the Northwest 26-yard line.
That fumble led to a touchdown when Betts gained 33 yards on four consecutive rushes before Bracey finished the job with an 8-yard scoring run at 10:17 to increase the advantage to 35-21.
Following the Lions’ fumble on downs, Northwest continued to shave seven minutes off the game clock by rushing the ball for 11 straight plays.
Does EMCC still have a football team?
Men’s sports at EMCC include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, football, golf, and rodeo. Women’s basketball, cheerleading, rodeo, and softball teams are available.
Is Buddy still at EMCC?
Buddy is also well-known for his several EMCC championships. He has won more games at EMCC than any other coach in history. The institution is planning to create a monument in his honor.
Who from EMCC is in the NFL?
Senior College EAST MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE PLAYERS IN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL
Alabama WR Quincy Jackson
RB James “J.J.” Johnson
Mississippi State University
North Alabama TE Bobby Collins
RB Antowain Smith
Houston
How many JUCO football conferences are there?
seven meetings
With 65 current teams spread over seven leagues, JUCO football is huge (including a couple of independents). There are hundreds of junior and community colleges around the country. The National Junior College Athletic Association is where they compete.
How do you get recruited for JUCO football?
You must make it happen for yourself if you want to get recruited as a junior college football player. Many JUCO universities just do not have the resources to run major recruitment efforts, pay recruiters, or provide scholarships to deserving candidates. To discuss recruitment, contact coaches personally.
No. 8 EMCC and No. 4 Northwest will meet in a top-10 conference matchup in Scooba.
SCOOBA – The eighth-ranked Lions of East Mississippi Community College return home to face the fourth-ranked Northwest Mississippi Rangers in a Thursday night gridiron clash of top-10 division adversaries on the Scooba campus at the midpoint of the MACCC regular season.
The game begins at 7 p.m. on Thursday at EMCC’s Sullivan-Windham Field, with probable postseason ramifications.
The EMCC Lions are 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the MACCC North Division after last week’s exciting 48-45 come-from-behind away triumph over Mississippi Gulf Coast.
They are playing at home for the first time since their season-opening 38-0 shutout win over Copiah-Lincoln to begin the month (Sept. 1). EMCC’s previous three weeks abroad produced a 45-9 division victory against Holmes at Ridgeland.
Individually, the Lions are led by Eli Anderson, the two-time reigning NJCAA and MACCC Offensive Player of the Week. The rookie quarterback from Neshoba Central High School has completed 67 of 90 passes (74%) for 793 yards and eight touchdowns in two games. Anderson threw 34-of-48 (71%) throws for 493 yards and four touchdowns a week ago versus Gulf Coast.
He spearheaded the Lions’ incredible second-half comeback, which saw them erase a 31-7 hole midway in the third quarter against the Bulldogs, by throwing for 357 yards and four touchdowns on 20-of-28 (71%) accuracy after halftime.
Anderson began this week’s play as the NJCAA Division I quarterback with the highest pass completion percentage (72.4%) and the sixth highest passing yards per game (72.4%).
The eighth-ranked EMCC Lions travel to Mississippi Gulf Coast for the NJCAA Game of the Week on ESPN+.
SCOOBA – The eighth-ranked Lions of East Mississippi Community College will finish a three-game road trip and cap off their interdivisional schedule on Thursday when they travel to Perkinston to face the Bulldogs of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at historic A.L. May Memorial Stadium, and the game will be live-streamed by ESPN+ as the NJCAA Game of the Week.
WFCA-FM (107.9) in French Camp will also carry live Thursday’s EMCC-Gulf Coast game, with Jason Crowder and Glen Beard providing play-by-play and color commentary, respectively.
The game’s live audio will also be broadcasted on Meridian’s SuperTalk Mississippi (WZKR-FM 103.3) and EMCC’s campus radio station, WGTC-FM.
Head coach Buddy Stephens’ 2-1 EMCC Lions are coming off a 45-9 division-opening victory against Holmes at Ridgeland High School last week, which took them up to No. 8 in this week’s NJCAA Division I rankings.
East Mississippi began the season with a 38-0 home shutout victory against Copiah-Lincoln on September 1 before falling 42-28 the following week at now-No. 5 Jones College.
Mississippi Gulf Coast, under by fifth-year head coach Jack Wright, is also 2-1 on the season following a 45-7 home win against Southwest Mississippi a week ago in the team’s division opener.
The Bulldogs, who received votes in this week’s NJCAA poll, began the season by rebounding from a tight 28-24 road loss.
No. 8 EMCC football stumbles late and falls to No. 4 Northwest.
SCOOBA — By the end of the third quarter, the tide had shifted in favor of East Mississippi Community College at Sullivan-Windham Field.
Ren Helvey, the quarterback of Northwest Community College, threw an interception to a wide-open Laurence Sullivan Jr., who returned it 58 yards for a pick-six.
In a highly contested top-10 battle, EMCC seized a late 21-20 lead with 4:19 remaining in the third quarter, but the Lions’ momentum ended there.
Northwest scored 18 straight points in the final 19 minutes of Thursday night’s game, flipping the score and dominating to the finish for a 38-21 triumph.
“We have a pick-six, then a high loft kick, and we kick it out of bounds, and they receive the ball on the 40,” EMCC head coach Buddy Stephens explained.
“Then we turn around and realize we’re not doing enough offensively.” In a game like this, we scored 14 points. We need to score more points.”
Northwest’s lengthy, sustained touchdown drives set up EMCC’s (3-2) offensive scores in the second and third quarters, respectively.
The first was a Mike McGowan 41-yard touchdown run, his first of the season, which put the Lions ahead, 7-6.
Northwest opened the second half with their second 70-yard touchdown drive of the game, which resulted in a 31-yard receiving score.
Meridian’s Fox has been inducted into the EMCC Hall of Fame.
Aaron Fox is a soft-spoken man, but he was a two-way force on the football field during his time at Meridian High School and East Mississippi Junior College, which is now known as East Mississippi Community College.
Randall Bradberry, who coached football at EMJC from 1976 to 1987, stated, “He’s always been rather quiet.” “He wasn’t raucous or noisy in any way. He wasn’t rude, but he didn’t say much.”
At Thursday’s football game versus Northwest Mississippi Community College, the silent but formidable Fox will be inducted into the EMCC Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2022.
In 1966, Fox was born in Meridian. He began participating in athletics in seventh grade, and by high school, he had joined Meridian’s track and field, basketball, and football teams.
While Fox was a well-rounded athlete, he was a football star. On offense, he was a receiver, and on defense, he was a defensive end who received all-state accolades in 1984. Fox owes his athletic achievements to his dedication.
“It was simply something I wanted to accomplish.” “I just adore football,” Fox explained. “All I wanted to accomplish was that.”
In 1985, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Fox attended EMJC on scholarship to pursue his football career. Because of his speed and power, Bradberry positioned Fox at the defensive end as a rookie.
No. 8 EMCC loses to No. 4 Northwest in the fourth quarter.
WTOK-TV in SCOOBA, Miss. On Thursday, East Mississippi hosted Northwest in a MACCC North Division top ten matchups.
The Lions came into the game rated eighth, while the Rangers were ranked fourth.
The game would begin slowly. Neither side would be able to put together a complete touchdown drive.
FINAL: EMCC falls to NWCC 38-21. pic.twitter.com/r4alDcUQAr
— syd (@sydney_wicker) September 30, 2022
Eli Anderson, a freshman quarterback from Neshoba Central, made his third start of the season for the Lions. With a handoff to Mike McGowan, he eventually got EMCC on the board. The Lions would go on to win 7-6.
Northwest would put together another scoring drive before the half ended. The Rangers would go on to win 13-7.
In the third, EMCC would try to generate some momentum. A pick-six would give the Lions the lead, but they would fail to connect offensively.
Northwest triumphs 38-21 against the Lions.
“We keep shooting ourselves in the foot offensively,” stated head coach Buddy Stephens after the game. We’re not protecting the quarterback, so he’s having to throw it off his back legs.