EMCC Lions honored for 2014 NJCAA football championship with ring presentation ceremony on GT campus

MAYHEW – East Mississippi Community College's third national football championship season in four years was celebrated during Saturday night's ring presentation banquet held in the Lyceum auditorium on EMCC's Golden Triangle campus.

EMCC players and coaches as well as administrative and support staff personnel from last year's second straight national championship team were recognized during the two-hour ceremony in which they were presented separate rings honoring the 2014 NJCAA National Championship team members as well as the program's fourth MACJC State/NJCAA Region 23 Championship in six years.  Players in attendance, including some of whom have already started their senior college careers, also received gift bags which included a championship ring display case and an autographed football along with other souvenir items from the 2014 season.

With WCBI-TV sports director Robby Donoho serving as the master of ceremonies, banquet attendees were also treated to a season highlight video presentation prepared by EMCC's digital media staff comprised of Matt Pellegrin and Matt Milner.  Along with speeches from EMCC Executive Vice President Dr. Paul Miller and EMCC Vice President/Director of Athletics Mickey Stokes, eighth-year EMCC head football coach Buddy Stephens introduced a special video tribute to EMCC President Dr. Rick Young as well as presenting the retiring administrator with a specially designed ring to commemorate his support during the Lions' recent championship run. 

In addition to becoming just the third school (joining Blinn College and Butler Community College) to have claimed back-to-back NJCAA National Championships in football through the years, East Mississippi also earned the school's sixth MACJC North Division regular-season crown during Stephens' seven-year head coaching stint in Scooba by going unbeaten in division play for the fifth time since 2008.  

With a composite seven-year overall record of 68-10 (.872) to rank first nationally among all active NJCAA football coaches since taking over EMCC's football coaching duties beginning with the 2008 season, Stephens has elevated East Mississippi Community College's football program to rate as the second-winningest NJCAA member school (behind Butler's 69-12 mark) over the past seven seasons.  The Lions own a 44-2 composite four-year record, including three undefeated national championship campaigns, dating back to their 2011 NJCAA National Championship season.

EMCC's most recent unblemished (12-0) football season was capped last December with the team's 34-17 Mississippi Bowl VII victory over Iowa Western Community College in Biloxi.  In advancing to their third NJCAA National Championship Game in four years, the Lions claimed wins over Top 10 foes Mississippi Gulf Coast (42-21) and Copiah-Lincoln (54-15) during the 2014 MACJC State Playoffs.

Having now been ranked either first or second nationally among the NJCAA Top 20 in 19 consecutive polls, including preseason and final rankings, the 2014 EMCC Lions cruised through their nine-game, regular-season schedule outscoring opponents, 515-38 and without allowing a rushing touchdown, while closing out the regular-season slate with five consecutive shutouts.

Individually last fall, EMCC's Stephens became the first two-time winner of the American Community College Football Coaches Association (ACCFCA) Coach of the Year award, having also previously earned the honor in 2011.  The four-time NJCAA Region 23 Coach of the Year recipient also earned the 2014 Spalding NJCAA Football Coach of the Year honor as presented by the NJCAA Football Coaches Association.

Headlined on the field by four NJCAA All-Americans, seven NJCAA All-Region 23 recipients and 11 MACJC All-North Division selections, the EMCC Lions have had as many as 27 players from their 2014 NJCAA National Championship team either sign or walk on with four-year schools following the season.