No. 11 EMCC Lions begin MACCC North action with convincing 56-3 win at Mississippi Delta

MOORHEAD – The 11^th-ranked East Mississippi Community College Lions opened MACCC North Division play with a convincing 56-3 road victory over a previously unbeaten Mississippi Delta squad during Thursday's conference football action played at Jim Randall Stadium.

In a well-balanced effort on both sides of the football, the Lions scored 28 points during each half on the way to their season-best scoring effort.  Now averaging 45.7 points per game for the year, they have now scored in all 12 quarters this season.  Each of EMCC's eight touchdowns on the evening was scored by a different player.  Defensively, the visitors held the Trojans under the century mark in total offense yards and have now limited the opposition to only one score during each of the team's first three contests on the year.

After coming up empty on their first two possessions in Moorhead, including fumbling into the end zone on the game's opening drive, the Lions' offense began to click with touchdowns on four consecutive possessions later in the half.  Their first touchdown of the night, and the game's only score in the first quarter, resulted in an 11-yard scoring pass play from Jamari Jones to Jontarius Henderson with two minutes left in the quarter.

Following one of Delta's six three-and-outs forced by EMCC's stingy defense, the Lions stayed mostly on the ground during an ensuing seven-play, 46-yard scoring drive that was capped by Amariyon Howard's 4-yard rumble into the end zone at the 13:34 mark of the second quarter.

Special teams play set up the Lions' next score, as Cameron Hines partially blocked a punt that gave the visitors ball possession at MDCC's 29-yard line.  Four plays later, Jones found Kevin Barnett in the back of the left-side end zone for a 12-yard touchdown toss to make it 21-0 with 11:03 remaining in the half.

The margin quickly grew to four touchdowns within the next minute thanks in large part to Jeremy Mack Jr.'s second pass interception in as many games.  EMCC promptly went 45 yards in three plays to lengthen its lead to 28-0 on Jones' 17-yard scoring strike to Zach Patterson at the 10:04 mark.

While the visitors' last two possessions of the half resulted in another fumble at the goal line and a missed 31-yard field goal attempt, the home-standing Trojans were able to put together their only drive of the night that consumed more than five plays and went longer than 12 yards.  Mason Caldwell's successful 36-yard field goal at the 3:19 mark capped a 13-play, 58-yard scoring drive that gave MDCC its only points of the game.

Following intermission, the Lions went back to work and managed to reach the MACCC's mandated 38-point, mercy-rule margin with six minutes remaining in the third quarter.  To open the second half, Joshua Short's 30-yard scoop and score of Jalon Jones' fumble extended EMCC's lead to 35-3 with 13:40 still left in the third quarter.

Later in the quarter, the Lions' longest scoring drive of the contest – 72 yards in nine plays – was capped at the 5:58 mark when Jones went 11 yards untouched into the end zone to stretch the margin to 42-3.

Even with a running clock, EMCC was able to produce two more touchdowns during the fast-paced fourth quarter.  At the start of the quarter, special teams struck again when the Lions took advantage of Jacob Partridge's block of Jarren Sanford's punt.  On the ensuing first play from scrimmage, Zias Perryman blasted in from 5 yards out at the 11:35 mark to make it 49-3.

With Ethan Conner running EMCC's offense to close out the lop-sided contest, the Lions benefitted from a Delta facemask penalty on their final possession to conclude the game's scoring with Conner's 9-yard keeper with just over four minutes remaining.

Offensively for EMCC despite the game's final 21 minutes being played with a running game clock, the Lions recorded 422 yards of total offense, including 309 of those yards coming in the first half alone.

Individually, Jones completed 16-of-22 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns while also running for a fourth score.

Nine different EMCC receivers caught passes in the game, with Henderson, Patterson, Perryman and Joshua Aka leading the way with three receptions apiece.  Perryman was the game's leading ground gainer with 80 rushing yards and one touchdown on 15 attempts.

Defensively for the winners, the Lions collectively had nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage along with two pass interceptions and three forced fumbles.

EMCC's special teams featured a 90-yard kickoff return from Alabama transfer Kadarius Calloway along with blocked punts by Hines and Partridge.

Coach Buddy Stephens' 3-0 EMCC Lions return home to play host to the Holmes Bulldogs on Thursday (Sept. 23).  With kickoff set for 7 p.m. at Sullivan-Windham Field on the Scooba campus, the 10 newest members of EMCC's Sports Hall of Fame will be recognized at halftime.

EMCC's newest Sports Hall of Fame inductees are: brothers Tony and Brad Montgomery (New Hope HS alums); brothers Ike and Ronald Clay (West Lauderdale HS alums); retired NFL defensive lineman Quinton Dial; current Columbus High School women's basketball coach Yvonne [Davis] Hairston; baseball player Alan Page (Starkville HS alum and owner of Page Place at Dodson Farm in Starkville); women's basketball standouts Martika [Hull] Leopold (Southeast Lauderdale HS alum) and Angelique Burtts; and former quarterback Greg Griffith.