No. 14 EMCC advances to MACCC Championship Game with 38-27 road win over No. 12 Gulf Coast

PERKINSTON – The 14^th-ranked Lions of East Mississippi Community College advanced to their eighth conference championship football game in 14 years by posting a 38-27 road win over No. 12 Mississippi Gulf Coast during Saturday's MACCC Semifinals played at A.L. May Memorial Stadium on the MGCCC campus.

Coach Buddy Stephens' 7-3 EMCC Lions will take on the third-ranked and two-time reigning conference champion Northwest Mississippi Rangers (10-0) in Saturday's (Nov. 12) MACCC Championship Game to be played at Ranger Stadium at Bobby Franklin Field in Senatobia. Northwest earned a hard-fought 38-35 home victory over No. 7 Jones College during Saturday's other MACCC Semifinal game.

As the No. 2 seed in the MACCC's North Division behind Northwest, the visiting Lions earned the opening kickoff against MACCC South Division champion Gulf Coast and marched 75 yards on seven plays to go on top, 7-0, on Amariyon Howard's 3-yard scoring run at the 13:09 mark of the opening quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Bulldogs had an opportunity to get on the scoreboard later in the quarter, but Gabe Showalter's 36-yard field goal attempt missed.

After a lengthy 16-play drive used up the final 4:46 of the quarter before the Lions turned the ball over on downs, Gulf Coast took its only lead of the game by scoring two touchdowns less than a minute apart on consecutive scoring tosses from Pat McQuaide to Ramone Bradley. On the heels of the Bulldogs' 10-play, 77-yard scoring drive that was capped by a 3-yard connection at the 11:13 mark, the tandem took advantage of an interception thrown by Eli Anderson and converted it into a 31-yard scoring strike on the next play from scrimmage to give the home team a short-lived 14-7 advantage with 10:36 remaining in the half.

Kadarius Calloway immediately answered for the Lions by returning the ensuing kickoff 65 yards to the 30-yard line. Five plays later, Ethan Conner barreled in from 4 yards out to knot the score at 14-14 with 8:48 left.

The Bulldogs had one more opportunity to put some points on the board during the final seconds of the opening half, but McQuaide's pass attempt was picked off by Laurence Sullivan Jr. in the corner of the end zone.

Following the halftime break, EMCC seized control of the contest by scoring on four consecutive possessions, beginning with Conner's 40-yard keeper to the end zone on a third-and-2 play to put the Lions on top (21-14) for good.

EMCC's special teams continued to play a factor when Marc Britt II returned a punt 66 yards following a three-and-out by Gulf Coast to set up Cole Arthur's 26-yard field goal to make it a two-possession game (24-14) with 3:36 remaining in the third quarter.

After forcing a third three-and-out in the quarter, the Lions then utilized Calloway's 41-yard run to help pave the way for Howard's second score of the game from 3 yards out to extend their margin to 31-14 as the third quarter expired.

Fourth-quarter action began and ended with pass interceptions by EMCC's Reggie Neely to increase his team-leading total to five picks on the season. The former Tulane University transfer's first interception of the night came in the end zone on a first-and-10 play from the 15-yard line immediately following a 56-yard pass play by the Bulldogs. Ignited by a clutch 19-yard pass completion from Anderson to Duke Miller on a third-and-10 play from their own 20-yard line, the Lions continued on their 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive that was capped by Anderson's 4-yard keeper into the end zone. Arthur's fifth successful point-after-touchdown attempt in as many tries on the night lengthened the lead to 38-14 with 8:39 remaining in the contest.

Over the game's final six minutes, the Bulldogs battled back to add a pair of touchdowns to keep things interesting down the stretch. Following a long punt return by Gulf Coast, McQuaide then punched it in from a yard out to make it a 38-20 game after the two-point conversion pass attempt failed.

MGCCC then forced a turnover on downs and went 67 yards on eight plays to cut the deficit to 38-27 on McQuaide's 11-yard touchdown toss to Keymari Odum at the 1:05 mark after the two had connected on a 43-yard pass play earlier in the drive.

After the Bulldogs recovered the ensuing onside kick, McQuaide threw his fourth interception of the evening and second of the quarter picked off by Neely.

EMCC's Anderson completed 23-of-33 passes for 194 yards and had an interception. The Lions' leading receivers were Carl Robinson and Kobe Chambers with five catches each for 31 and 24 yards, respectively.

Along with his timely 65-yard kickoff return in the opening half, Calloway rushed for a season-high 96 yards on a dozen attempts, including a 41-yard carry in the second half.