EMCC’s Steven Cattledge Jr. selected MACCC Defensive Player of the Week
East Mississippi Community College sophomore linebacker Steven Cattledge Jr. has been chosen the MACCC’s Defensive Player of the Week for his standout performance in the Lions’ 38-27 road win over Mississippi Gulf Coast during Saturday’s MACCC Semifinals. The announcement was made Tuesday by the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference office.
JACKSON – East Mississippi Community College sophomore linebacker Steven Cattledge Jr. has been chosen the MACCC's Defensive Player of the Week for his standout performance in the Lions' 38-27 road win over Mississippi Gulf Coast during Saturday's MACCC Semifinals. The announcement was made Tuesday by the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference office.
Cattledge, from Columbus, notched his eighth double-digit tackle effort of the season by totaling 13 stops, including 2.5 quarterback sacks (-5 yards), a pass interception and three QB hurries against the Bulldogs in Perkinston.
As the leading tackler in NJCAA Division I football with 109 total tackles on the year, Cattledge will help lead the 12th-ranked EMCC Lions (7-3) into Saturday's MACCC Football Championship Game against nationally second-ranked and two-time reigning conference champion Northwest Mississippi (10-0). Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Ranger Stadium at Bobby Franklin Field in Senatobia. For the season, Cattledge has also recorded team-high totals of 18 tackles for loss (-61 yards) and eight quarterback sacks (-42 yards).
This marks the fourth MACCC Player of the Week recognition earned by EMCC football players this season, with the other three honors having been claimed by Lion quarterbacks. Freshman signal-caller Eli Anderson, out of Neshoba Central High School, garnered back-to-back national (NJCAA Division I) and conference (MACCC) accolades following the Lions' September road wins over Holmes and Mississippi Gulf Coast. Sophomore Peter Parrish, a transfer from the University of Memphis, capped the regular season by winning the conference's weekly offensive honor on the heels of EMCC's victory at Mississippi Delta.
Making their 13th conference playoff appearance in 15 seasons under the guidance of head football coach Buddy Stephens, EMCC's Lions will bid for their eighth conference championship on Saturday. Under Stephens' direction since 2008, the Lions own a 15-5 composite conference playoff record with seven championships (2009, '11, '13-14 & '16-18) and five semifinal-round finishes (2008, '10, '12, '19 & '21). In addition, East Mississippi is currently unbeaten in football championship contests, owning a 7-0 record in conference (MACCC/MACJC) title games and a 5-0 mark in national (NJCAA) championship contests dating back to the 2009 season.