EMCC claims ninth conference title with 27-20 home win over No. 4 Co-Lin in MACCC Championship

SCOOBA – The reigning MACCC champion Lions of East Mississippi Community College claimed their ninth conference championship in the past 15 years under head coach Buddy Stephens by earning a 27-20 home victory over No. 4 Copiah-Lincoln during Saturday's MACCC Football Championship Game played at EMCC's Sullivan-Windham Field.

While avenging their 23-20 season-opening setback at Co-Lin, the Lions improved their composite record to 14-0 in championship game contests (9-0 in conference title games and 5-0 in national championship contests) as well as having repeated as conference champions four times under Stephens' guidance. EMCC first claimed back-to-back league title in 2013 and 2014 en route to also earning national championships. The Lions then came back to collect three consecutive conference crowns in 2016, 2017 and 2018, with the latter two years also resulting in national titles. East Mississippi's initial pair of conference championships occurred within a three-year span in 2009 and then again in 2011 when the Lions captured their first of five NJCAA titles within an eight-year stretch.

Having closed out the regular season and conference playoffs on a seven-game winning streak, including back-to-back playoff victories over top-10 MACCC foes (Co-Lin & Gulf Coast), the 9-2 EMCC Lions will now await Monday's (Nov. 20) 2023 NJCAA Football Division I Playoffs Selection Show. To be aired at njcaa.org/network beginning at 3:00 p.m. CT, the show will announce the final NJCAA Division I Football poll and DI Football Playoff selections.  

In a rematch of this year's season opener played in Wesson back on Sept. 7, the visiting Wolves got on the scoreboard first by capping a 14-play, 91-yard scoring drive that consumed over nine minutes on the game clock with Tray Minor's 6-yard touchdown run. Brandon Gilliam's successful PAT gave Co-Lin a 7-0 lead with 18 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.

Featuring a trio of field goals, the second quarter got started with the visitors taking advantage of a misdirected Ty Keyes pass that was intercepted by Co-Lin's Kaden Dukes. The Wolves converted the turnover into points by increasing their lead to 10-0 on Gilliam's 22-yard field goal at the 10:15 mark.

The Lions answered with a three-pointer of their own when Cole Arthur finished off a seven-play, 51-yard drive with a 21-yard field goal to put the home team on the board with 6:52 remaining in the quarter. On EMCC's next offensive possession after a Co-Lin drive stalled following an errant snap from center, Arthur closed out the first-half scoring with a 29-yard field goal to make it a 10-6 contest heading into halftime.

The third quarter featured a battle of field possession with five combined punts, as the Lions began two offensive drives around midfield while the Wolves were twice pinned inside their own 10-yard line. EMCC grabbed its first lead of the contest during the final drive of the quarter when Jaylen Jennings' 4-yard touchdown run completed a seven-play, 49-yard drive that put the Lions on top, 13-10, heading into the decisive fourth quarter.

Taking advantage of Zyrian Jackson's 47-yard return on the ensuing kickoff, Copiah-Lincoln forced the game's first tie (13-13) on Gilliam's 33-yard field goal at the 12:23 mark of the fourth quarter.

The final dozen minutes of the contest were highlighted by three touchdowns scored on consecutive offensive possessions, beginning with the Lions' eight-play, 75-yard drive that was finished off by Raymon Blackmon's 42-yard catch-and-run scoring pass from Keyes on a third-down play at the 9:36 mark.

The Wolves responded on their next offensive possession by marching 65 yards on 11 plays in just over seven minutes on the game clock to knot the score. DeVon Todd's 7-yard touchdown toss to Johnnie Daniels evened the score at 20-20 with 2:26 left in regulation.

One minute later, though, Keyes and Blackmon connected again on another third-down play when EMCC's three-time MACCC Offensive Player of the Week found the freshman receiver from Dothan, Alabama on a 79-yard catch and run that put the Lions back in front, 27-20, with 1:27 remaining in the championship contest.

Co-Lin wasn't finished yet, however, as Todd hit Daniels coming out of the backfield on a potential game-tying play. As the Wolves' reigning MACCC Offensive Player of the Week was racing down the left sideline, EMCC linebacker Tyrese Hopkins forced a fumble from behind that was recovered by Jalyn Durgan at the Lions' 16-yard line to secure the victory.  

Offensively for East Mississippi, Keyes completed 17-of-32 passes for 246 yards and the two touchdown passes to Blackmon that covered 121 combined yards. Marcus Harris had a game-high six receptions for 46 yards for the Lions.

On the ground, Jennings rushed for a team-best 82 yards and a score on 11 attempts for EMCC.