No. 1 EMCC completes unbeaten regular season with 34-9 road win over Itawamba
The top-ranked Lions of East Mississippi Community College completed their fifth unbeaten regular-season football slate since 2011 with a 34-9 road win over Itawamba during Thursday’s MACCC North Division action played at Eaton Field on the ICC campus.
FULTON – The top-ranked Lions of East Mississippi Community College completed their fifth unbeaten regular-season football slate since 2011 with a 34-9 road win over Itawamba during Thursday's MACCC North Division action played at Eaton Field on the ICC campus.
Joining previous undefeated regular seasons posted in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2018 that all resulted in eventual conference and national championships, EMCC's win over the Indians also secured the program's 10th MACCC North Division title outright during the Buddy Stephens coaching era.
With seven conference titles and five national championships also to their credit under Stephens' guidance, the EMCC Lions now collectively turn their attention to the 2021 postseason by playing host to 11th-ranked and MACCC South Division runner-up Hinds in the MACCC Football Semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 6. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at EMCC's Sullivan-Windham Field. In the other MACCC semifinal-round playoff contest to be played on Nov. 6, fourth-ranked and MACCC South champion Jones will play host to seventh-ranked and MACCC North runner-up Northwest Mississippi in Ellisville. The two winners will then battle for the 2021 MACCC Football Championship the following Saturday (Nov. 13) at a site to be determined by the semifinal-round results.
Thursday's EMCC-ICC regular-season finale got rolling five minutes into the game when the two teams exchanged pass interceptions on consecutive plays. After EMCC's Jamari Jones was intercepted by ICC's Peyton Rea, freshman strong safety Jeremy Mack Jr. returned the favor for the Lions by picking off his team-leading fourth interception of the year and running back Dylan Faulk's errant aerial 38 yards to ICC's 34-yard line. The visitors settled for a 23-yard field goal by Peyton Rodgers at the 6:10 mark that capped a 10-play EMCC drive.
Aided by a drive-opening, 54-yard run by Eric Watts on their next possession, the Indians answered with Shane Lasher's 37-yard field goal to knot the score with 4:48 remaining in the first quarter.
The Lions quickly responded with a long play of their own to set up the game's first touchdown. Beginning with a 39-yard catch and run from Jones to Zach Patterson, EMCC went 75 yards on seven plays to move back ahead, 10-3, on Jones' 9-yard touchdown toss to Zias Perryman coming out of the backfield at the 1:37 mark. The scoring strike to close out the first-quarter scoring marked Jones' 23rd touchdown pass of the season and Perryman's team-leading 10th overall touchdown scored.
EMCC then took advantage of a high punt snap from center following a three-and-out to gain ball possession at ICC's 27-yard line. Utilizing an 18-yard pass completion from Jones to Jontarius Henderson to begin the short scoring drive, the Lions extended the lead to 17-3 on Ethan Conner's 3-yard keeper into the end zone one minute into the second quarter.
Played in a blowing mist most of the evening, the game's scoring halted until late in the third quarter when the Lions capitalized on another ICC special teams miscue. Following another three-and-out forced by EMCC's vaunted defensive unit, punter Price Nixon mishandled a low snap from center and the Lions took over at their own 38-yard line. Eight plays later on the heels of five straight pass completions and Montae Spivey's 22-yard rush, Jones scrambled around before locating Patterson in the back left corner of the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown toss to make it a 24-3 contest. The scoring strike at the 6:23 mark of the third quarter marked Patterson's team-leading seventh touchdown reception of the season.
With the Indians down to their third-string quarterback (Tylan Carter) due to injury, EMCC got on the board again late in the third quarter. After the Lions forced another three-and-out, Patterson's subsequent 67-yard punt return set up a first-and-goal opportunity at the 2-yard line. Though kept out of the end zone, EMCC moved ahead, 27-3, on Rodgers' 20-yard field goal with four minutes remaining in the quarter.
The Lions then put together their longest drive of the night in closing out their game scoring. Highlighted by Jones' 31-yard keeper during the final seconds of the third quarter, EMCC stretched the advantage to 34-3 when Amariyon Howard bulled in from 2 yards out to cap an 11-play, 80-yard drive with 14:32 still remaining in the contest.
The margin remained at 31 points until the final seconds of the contest when ICC defensive back Ralph Dunn picked off Damon Stewart's pass in the end zone and ran the length of the field for the score with 20 seconds left to account for the game's final outcome.
Along with completing 18-of-29 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns, Jones was also EMCC's leading rusher in the game with 49 net yards on eight attempts. Perryman and Howard followed with 48 and 39 rushing yards, respectively.
Patterson, who also totaled 72 punt return yards and 32 kickoff return yards in the contest, was the Lions' top pass receiver on the night with four catches for 60 yards and a score. Henderson and Joshua Aka added three receptions apiece for the winners.