East Mississippi CC sophomore Rodney Davis earns MACJC Star of the Week football honor

SCOOBA – For the second time in three weeks, an East Mississippi Community College football player has been recognized among the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges for an outstanding performance in a key EMCC victory over a nationally ranked Top 5 opponent.

EMCC sophomore wide receiver/kick returner Rodney Davis is one of two Mississippi junior college performers recognized as MACJC Stars of the Week in the Sunday Blitz section of The Clarion-Ledger newspaper, in conjunction with the jucoweekly.org website.  Sophomore quarterback Ryan Mossakowski of Northwest Mississippi is the other player honored in Sunday's issue of the newspaper.

Davis, a former prep standout at Stanhope Elmore High School in Millbrook, Ala., accounted for 322 yards of all-purpose running and two touchdowns in eighth-ranked EMCC's 45-42 road win over No. 4 Northwest Mississippi last Thursday in Senatobia.  In addition to his rare 100-yard touchdown return of a missed field-goal attempt at the end of the third quarter, Davis had two receptions for 113 yards, including a 62-yard scoring grab in the second quarter.  He also ran back two kickoffs for the Lions that totaled 104 return yards in the contest.

Davis, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound performer, amassed his 322 yards of all-purpose running on just nine touches of the football on offense and special teams play combined.  He also had two end-around running plays for five total yards and fielded a pair of punts that netted zero return yards.

For the season, Davis presently leads the NJCAA individual statistical leaders with a total of 292 yards on just nine kickoff returns for an average of 32.4 yards per runback.  Davis also has 10 receptions on the year for 242 yards and a pair of touchdown catches.  A year ago as an EMCC freshman, Davis led the Lions in receptions (29), receiving yards (456) and touchdown receptions (6).  Along with averaging 22.2 yards on 28 kickoff returns last season, Davis also handled EMCC's punting chores in 2010.

Earlier this season, EMCC freshman quarterback Bo Wallace was selected as an MACJC Star of the Week by The Clarion-Ledger/jucoweekly.org, as well as being tabbed the NJCAA's Offensive Player of the Week, for his efforts in the Lions' 34-30 season-opening home win over then-No. 2 Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Head coach Buddy Stephens' 3-0 Lions of East Mississippi Community College, ranked eighth in last week's NJCAA national poll, return home to their New Sullivan-Windham Field to begin a two-game home stand by playing host to MACJC North Division rival Itawamba CC on Thursday (Sept. 22).  EMCC will stay at home to welcome Coahoma Community College the following Thursday (Sept. 29).  Both upcoming home divisional contests are set for 7 p.m. kickoffs on the Scooba campus.