Top-rated EMCC Lions shoot for school-record 21st straight win in regular-season finale against Mississippi Delta

SCOOBA – Having already secured their fourth straight MACJC North Division football championship and sixth division title in seven years, the top-ranked Lions of East Mississippi Community College will be going after their school-record 21^st consecutive victory Thursday night at home against Mississippi Delta Community College.  Kickoff for EMCC's regular-season finale is set for 7 p.m. at Sullivan-Windham Field on the Scooba campus.

Winners of 40 of their last 42 contests spanning back to the school's first NJCAA national championship in 2011, the Lions' current 20-game winning streak dates back to the start of last year's national championship season and matches their previous 20-game win string that encompassed the 2011 and 2012 campaigns.  EMCC's prior winning streak came to an end by virtue of a 24-23 road setback to Itawamba during the 2012 regular-season finale, Oct. 27, in Fulton.

Most recently, head coach Buddy Stephens' 8-0 EMCC Lions registered their fourth straight shutout with last Thursday's 49-0 blanking of Northwest Mississippi in Senatobia.  Having outscored the opposition 204-0 over the last four games and 450-38 collectively on the season, EMCC previously shut out Holmes (49-0), Jones County (55-0) and Itawamba (51-0). 

Additionally, East Mississippi has yet to trail on the scoreboard this season while having only been tied (7-7 at Southwest Mississippi) for a four-minute span during the team's season opener, Aug. 28, in Summit.  Having held their opponents scoreless in 26 of the 32 quarters played thus far this season, the Lions' current defensive streak of 18 consecutive scoreless quarters spans back to the final minute of the first half against Northeast Mississippi on Sept. 18.          

With nine shutouts during their current 20-game win streak, the Lions have outscored their opposition by an average margin of 52.1 points per outing dating back to last season, including an average scoring margin of 56.9 points per regular-season contest.  In addition, EMCC has scored 45 or more points in all 20 games, which includes 15 efforts of 50-plus points.

In further showcasing East Mississippi's dominance on both sides of the football this season, the Lions have surrendered but five touchdowns (none on the ground) and a field goal for a total of just 38 points all season to lead the nation in scoring defense at a stingy clip of only 4.8 points an outing.  In comparison, EMCC's vaunted defensive and special teams units have accounted for an NJCAA-leading six pick-six pass interceptions, a fumble recovery for a touchdown and a blocked punt recovered in the end zone for a score. 

Offensively this season, EMCC ranks fourth nationally in scoring offense with an average of 56.3 points per game.  Individually, five different Lion players – Drew White (68), Camion Patrick (54), Todd Mays (42), Preston Baker (42) and DJ Law (42) – have all scored more points on the year than EMCC's eight opponents have managed to score collectively all season.

Guided by second-year head coach and former Trojan quarterback Jeff Tatum, Mississippi Delta is 3-4 overall on the year and 2-3 in division play after dropping a 52-48 decision at home to Itawamba this past Saturday.  The Trojans' pair of division wins this season have come against Coahoma (41-19) and Northeast Mississippi (14-7).

In his seventh season as EMCC's head football coach, Stephens owns a career record of 64-10 (.865) and division mark of 38-3 (.927).  He is undefeated in six attempts against Mississippi Delta, including shutout wins over the Trojans during each of the last three meetings.  Prior to the Lions' 70-0 triumph in Moorhead last year, they previously recorded home shutouts over Delta in 2012 (56-0) and 2011 (54-0). 

With a 32-6 composite home record since arriving on the Scooba campus prior to the 2008 football season, Stephens' EMCC squads are 21-1 at home since the school's new Sullivan-Windham Field opened in time for the Lions' 2011 national championship season.

By securing their fourth consecutive MACJC North Division regular-season title, the EMCC Lions will play host to the No. 2-seeded team from the MACJC's South Division in the semifinals of the state playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 1.  The MACJC state championship game will be played the following Saturday (Nov. 8) at a site to be determined.         

EMCC's football games are broadcast live by WFCA-FM (107.9), out of French Camp, with Jason Crowder and Glen Beard calling the play-by-play action and John Lyle Briggs serving as the Lions' sideline reporter.  EMCC's 2014 football radio broadcasts are also carried live by SuperTalk Mississippi (WZKR-FM 103.3) and WMOX-AM (1010) out of Meridian. 

In addition, EMCC's weekly live video-streamed football broadcasts (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/emcc-football) are available in HD by accessing EMCC's athletics website, www.EMCCAthletics.com.  Alternate audio streams of the radio broadcasts are also be available at www.wfcafm108.com.