EMCC quarterback De’Andre Johnson earns third MACJC Offensive Player of the Week honor

SCOOBA – On the heels of Saturday's 51-32 homecoming win over previously top-ranked Northwest Mississippi, East Mississippi Community College quarterback De'Andre Johnson has been named MACJC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season.

Johnson, a transfer from Florida State University, compiled 422 yards of total offense against the Rangers by completing 26-of-40 passes for 334 yards and a season-high five touchdowns without an interception.  He also netted a game-high 88 rushing yards on 20 attempts.

Johnson, who previously garnered state-wide weekly recognition following back-to-back wins over Northeast Mississippi and Itawamba, ranks fifth nationally with an average of 294.5 passing yards per game on the year.  The Jacksonville, Florida product has completed 64 percent of his passes with 17 touchdowns thrown and just four interceptions.  Averaging 368.3 yards of total offense an outing for the season, Johnson also continues to rank as EMCC's rushing leader with a team-most 443 yards on the ground. 

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Johnson will again be nominated for national honors from the National Junior College Athletic Association after previously earning NJCAA Offensive Player of the Week recognition following the Lions' 44-42 road win over Itawamba during Week 4.

Now with six MACJC Players of the Week this football season, East Mississippi has twice as many honorees as any other team in the state through the season's first seven weeks.  EMCC sophomore linebacker Dakota Allen, a Texas Tech transfer, has collected two MACJC defensive honors and freshman kicker/punter Taylor Crabtree, out of Vancleave High School, earned the state's special teams award a week ago.   

East Central defensive back Torran Davis and Mississippi Gulf Coast kicker Joshua Rowland collected this week's MACJC Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week accolades, respectively.    

Coach Buddy Stephens' third-ranked EMCC Lions, 6-1 overall and 5-0 in division play on the year, will look to outright claim their sixth straight MACJC North Division football title and eighth in nine years by closing out their regular-season division slate Thursday evening at Coahoma Community College.  Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at James E. Miller Stadium in Clarksdale.