Long-awaited Scooba showdown to pit No. 4 EMCC against top-ranked Northwest Mississippi

SCOOBA – In what likely ranks as one of the most eagerly anticipated regular season junior college football games in recent memory, the fourth-ranked and three-time national champion Lions of East Mississippi Community College are set to play host to the top-ranked and reigning national champion Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers Saturday afternoon on the Scooba campus.  Slated for a 2 p.m. kickoff at Sullivan-Windham Field with major postseason implications possibly on the line, Saturday's MACJC showdown will cap EMCC's homecoming weekend festivities.

Along with the introduction of EMCC's 2016 homecoming queen and her court, halftime festivities of the Lions' homecoming contest against the Northwest Rangers will also feature the recognition of the school's 2016 Alumnus of the Year recipient (Randy Galloway) and Distinguished Service Award winner (Ike Hopper).  Also to be recognized at halftime will be EMCC's 2016 Sports Hall of Fame induction class comprised of James William "Billy" Bounds Sr., James William Bounds Jr., Willie Gillespie, Clint Hill, William "Gert" Hill, Terry James "Pete" McCleskey, John Santa Cruz, Edward Staten, and James Watson.

With a six-year composite overall record of 57-4 (.934) dating back to their 2011 national championship season, ninth-year head coach Buddy Stephens' EMCC Lions are 5-1 overall and 4-0 in division play this season after claiming a 63-49 road victory over now-No. 15 Holmes last Thursday in Goodman.  Since dropping its season opener, 27-25, at Jones County, EMCC has reeled off consecutive victories over Mississippi Gulf Coast (45-7), now-No. 9 Northeast Mississippi (54-10), Itawamba (44-42), Mississippi Delta (73-7) and Holmes.

For their efforts in last week's offensive showcase at Holmes that featured 112 total points scored, nearly 1,200 yards of combined total offense and 54 first downs between the two teams, EMCC linebacker Dakota Allen and kicker/punter Taylor Crabtree garnered MACJC Defensive and Special Teams Player of the Week honors, respectively.  Allen, a Texas Tech transfer, ranks among the Top 10 nationally averaging an MACJC-best 11.8 tackles per game on the year.  Crabtree, a freshman out of Vancleave High School, is tied for third nationally among NJCAA kickers with a team-leading 50 total points scored.

Entering the week ranked third among NJCAA team leaders in scoring offense with an average of 50.7 points per game and fifth in total offense at 527.8 yards per contest, East Mississippi is powered by two-time MACJC Offensive Player of the Week De'Andre Johnson.  The dual-threat transfer quarterback from Florida State ranks fifth nationally in passing yards per game (286.6), while doubling as the Lions' leading rusher with 355 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.  Johnson is also connecting on 63 percent of his passes for the year with a dozen touchdowns thrown and four pass interceptions.

Coming off last week's performance of 241 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns at Holmes, sophomore running back Isaiah Wright has rushed for 315 yards and three touchdowns this season while averaging 8.3 yards per carry.  The Florence product ran for a career-high 139 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown scamper, on just 12 attempts last Thursday against the Bulldogs and added a 90-yard kickoff return for another score.

Featuring eight different receivers who have caught at least one touchdown pass this season, EMCC's deep receiving corps is led by sophomores Mario Lanier and Damion Willis with 21 and 20 catches, respectively.  Freshman Calvin Keys Jr. follows with 19 receptions on the year after hauling in a game-high five passes for 111 yards a week ago at Holmes.

Guided by first-year head coach Benjy Parker, who also serves as the team's defensive coordinator, the Rangers of Northwest Mississippi have won 10 straight games dating back to their 49-16 road loss to EMCC one year ago (Oct. 15, 2015) in Scooba.  Last year's national champions are undefeated in six outings this season with victories over Hinds (40-17), Pearl River (31-14), Itawamba (27-13), Mississippi Delta (38-7), Holmes (27-12) and Coahoma (34-0).  Touting the nation's fourth-best defense in allowing an average of only 10.5 points per game, this year's Northwest club hasn't surrendered more than 17 points in a contest to date.  

Now 81-12 (.871) overall and 49-3 (.942) in division play since taking over EMCC's head coaching duties prior to the 2008 campaign, Stephens is 7-1 versus Northwest Mississippi with a current streak of five consecutive wins over the Rangers.  In addition, he is 14-2 during his EMCC career against Top 5 teams, including a 3-0 mark in games versus Top 5-ranked Northwest squads.  Stephens is also 2-0 in contests against top-ranked opponents, having previously knocked off Arizona Western (55-47) and Georgia Military (52-32) as the Lions captured the 2011 and 2013 national titles, respectively.

East Mississippi enters Saturday's contest pitting the two most recent national junior college football champions with a 22-game winning streak against MACJC North Division foes that spans back to the 2012 regular-season finale.  Additionally, the Lions are 29-1 at Sullivan-Windham Field since EMCC's 5,000-seat facility opened in time for their 2011 national championship season, including a current streak of 19 consecutive home victories over the last four years.