No. 9 EMCC Lions reach midpoint of regular season by hosting Mississippi Delta Thursday in Scooba

SCOOBA – Hitting the midway point of the MACJC regular season, the ninth-ranked Lions of East Mississippi Community College are set to play host to Mississippi Delta Community College Thursday evening on the Scooba campus.  Kickoff for the MACJC North Division contest is set for 7 p.m. at EMCC's Sullivan-Windham Field.

Having won 55 of their last 59 games dating back to the start of the team's 2011 national championship season, the EMCC Lions are 3-1 overall this season and 2-0 within the MACJC North Division after outlasting then-No. 15 Itawamba, 44-42, last Thursday on the road.  A week ago in Fulton, EMCC and ICC combined to produce more than 1,500 yards of total offense between them on the way to ringing up 86 points on the scoreboard.  Following a hard-fought 27-25 road loss to now-No. 14 Jones County in their season opener, the Lions' current three-game winning streak also includes a decisive 45-7 win at then-No. 17 Mississippi Gulf Coast and a 54-10 home triumph over previously unbeaten Northeast Mississippi during Weeks 2 and 3, respectively.

Led by reigning NJCAA National Offensive Player of the Week De'Andre Johnson, the Lions most recently accumulated 802 yards (433 passing & 369 rushing) of total offense during last week's two-point road win over Itawamba to mark the highest single-game offensive output during Buddy Stephens' nine seasons at the EMCC helm.  The previous high had been 786 yards of total offense gained at Southwest Mississippi in 2012.       

Following last week's individual performance of 588 yards of total offense, including 417 yards on 34-of-49 passing and 171 rushing yards on 23 carries, Johnson currently ranks fourth nationally in passing yards per game (312.7) as well as pass completion percentage (66.1%).  Through his first three collegiate outings, Johnson has completed 80-of-121 passes for 938 yards and six touchdowns.  The Florida State transfer from Jacksonville also ranks as EMCC's leading rusher on the year with 264 yards and two rushing touchdowns in earning back-to-back MACJC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

For the season through the air, a dozen different Lion receivers have caught four or more passes.  Sophomores Mario Lanier and Damion Willis lead the way with 17 and 16 receptions, respectively, while Florida Atlantic transfer Raphael Leonard tops the team with an average of 16.5 yards per catch and four touchdown grabs.    

Sporting a nine-year overall head coaching mark of 79-12 (.868), EMCC's Stephens will be seeking career win No. 80 this week against Delta.  With seven regular-season MACJC North Division titles to their credit over the past eight years, the Lions have posted a 47-3 (.940) composite record against division opponents dating back to the 2008 campaign.  EMCC will enter Thursday's game having won 20 consecutive division contests since dropping a 24-23 decision at Itawamba to close out the 2012 regular season.        

Owners of a career home mark of 39-6 (.867) under Stephens' guidance, the Lions are 28-1 at Sullivan-Windham Field since EMCC's 5,000-seat facility opened prior to their 2011 national championship season.  Since falling, 47-46, at home to Copiah-Lincoln in the 2012 MACJC state semifinals, East Mississippi has put together a streak of 18 consecutive wins at Sullivan-Windham Field.

Along with being 24-1 in division road games since 2008, EMCC is 22-2 in division play at home (not including a 40-34 win over Itawamba played at West Point in 2008) under Stephens' direction.  The Lions own a current streak of 17 consecutive MACJC North Division home wins spanning back to the 2010 season when they dropped home division decisions to Northwest Mississippi and Northeast Mississippi.  Since those home losses six years ago, EMCC has won 25 consecutive regular-season home contests.    

Guided by head football coach and interim athletic director Jeff Tatum, Mississippi Delta is officially 1-3 on the season after retroactively gaining a forfeited victory in their season opener at Copiah-Lincoln.  Since then, the Trojans have fallen at home to Jones County (51-3), at Holmes (41-0) and last week at home to second-ranked Northwest Mississippi (38-7). 

EMCC's Stephens is undefeated in eight prior meetings against Mississippi Delta with the last five games all resulting in shutouts by the Lions.  Last season in Moorhead (Oct. 22), EMCC's 2015 season came to an abrupt end following an on-the-field altercation between the two teams late in the first half (with EMCC leading 48-0) that resulted in a two-game suspension for both teams.  Two years ago (Oct. 23, 2014) in Scooba, the Lions blanked visiting Delta, 65-0.       

Thursday's EMCC-Delta gridiron contest will be broadcast live by WFCA-FM (107.9), out of French Camp, with Jason Crowder and Charlie Winfield slated to provide the play-by-play and color commentary, respectively, and Glen Beard set to serve as the Lions' sideline reporter.  EMCC's 2016 football radio broadcasts will also be carried live by SuperTalk Mississippi (WZKR-FM 103.3) out of Meridian as well as through EMCC's campus radio station, WGTC-FM (92.7), originating from the Golden Triangle campus in Mayhew.

In addition, EMCC's weekly live video-streamed football broadcasts will be available in HD at www.EMCCAthletics.com/live.  Alternate audio streams of the radio broadcasts are also available at www.wfca.fm.  Fans are also encouraged to follow EMCC Athletics through the college's athletics website, www.EMCCAthletics.com, and on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@EMCCAthletics) via the school's social media hub at www.EMCCAthletics.com/Social-Media-Hub.