EMCC Lions post second straight decisive division win with 49-21 road victory over Northeast
The visiting Lions of East Mississippi Community College jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead four minutes into Thursday’s MACCC North Division football contest at Northeast Mississippi on the way to claiming a solid 49-21 road win at Tiger Stadium.
BOONEVILLE – The visiting Lions of East Mississippi Community College jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead four minutes into Thursday's MACCC North Division football contest at Northeast Mississippi on the way to claiming a solid 49-21 road win at Tiger Stadium.
The 28-point victory over NEMCC gave the Lions their first back-to-back wins of the season after previously snapping a two-game losing skid during their 62-14 homecoming triumph over Coahoma on Sept. 28. In addition to evening the team's records to 3-3 overall and 2-2 in division play on the year, the collective 111 points scored in their most recent wins mark the highest total scoring output in consecutive games since the Lions posted back-to-back home wins over Jones (47-23) and Holmes (65-17) last season.
Thursday's opening four minutes of play at Northeast essentially set the tone for EMCC's dominant first-half performance. After the Lions capped the game's opening 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive with Ty Keyes' 11-yard keeper at the 11:25 mark, the Tigers muffed Hayden Houpt's sky kick on the subsequent kickoff and EMCC reclaimed ball possession at Northeast's 19-yard line. Freshman running back Gavin Griffin then reached the end zone on the next play from scrimmage to give the visitors an early two-touchdown advantage by the 11:05 mark.
Following an initial defensive stand by EMCC on the Tigers' first offensive possession of the game that included back-to-back tackles for loss, the Lions made it 21-0 by the 6:02 mark of the first quarter. A drive-opening, 37-yard pass connection from Keyes to Jaylon York led the way for a 24-yard touchdown toss from EMCC reserve quarterback Cole McCarty to Michael Johnson Jr.
After Northeast got on the scoreboard at the 1:51 mark when Jeremiah Harrell's 4-yard scoring run completed an eight-play, 71-yard drive, the Lions answered right back and made it a three-touchdown margin again early in the second quarter. Aided by Keyes' 42-yard pass completion to Chasden Collins, EMCC's seven-play, 67-yard scoring drive was capped by the reigning NJCAA Division I Offensive Player of the Year's 17-yard scoring strike to Brendan Brown on a fourth-and-nine play at the 14:01 mark.
The Lions maintained their offensive spark by scoring two more touchdowns while producing another 21-point quarter that enabled the visitors to approach the MACCC's mandated 38-point, mercy-rule margin by halftime. Following a nine-play, 80-yard EMCC drive that was capped by Keyes' 18-yard scoring pass to Raymon Blackmon at the 6:12 mark, the Lions' defense stood strong on a fourth-and-five pass attempt by Northeast to get the ball back near midfield. Jaylen Jennings' 4-yard touchdown run and Houpt's resulting PAT conversion at the 1:24 mark extended the margin to 35 points (42-7) heading into intermission.
EMCC's first-half domination was evident in the halftime stats, with the Lions owning a commanding 397-140 advantage in total offense yards, including a 287-91 margin in passing yardage. The visitors also held a significant 23-7 lead in first downs during the opening half.
Individually for the Lions before he sat out the entire second half, Keyes produced 285 yards of total offense and three touchdowns by halftime on 17-of-24 passing for 263 yards and two touchdowns through the air along with 22 rushing yards and a score on three attempts.
After the Tigers scored the only points of the third quarter on Keion Mays' 14-yard touchdown run at the 2:36 mark, the two teams traded fourth-quarter scores to produce the game's final 28-point margin.
On EMCC's final scoring drive of the contest, Griffin helped cap his 103-yard, two-touchdown rushing effort with a season-best, 30-yard run that led to his 1-yard scoring burst early in the fourth quarter. Last year's MHSAA Class 1A Mr. Football recipient, out of Velma Jackson High School, previously reached the century mark on the ground with 101 rushing yards during EMCC's 43-3 win at Hinds back on Sept. 5.
The final touchdown of the evening in Booneville came at the 5:41 mark when the Tigers' Carlous Robinson stripped EMCC reserve quarterback Carter Hankins of the football deep within Northeast territory and ran it back 95 yards the other way for the score.
Head coach Buddy Stephens' EMCC Lions travel to Poplarville to take on the Wildcats of Pearl River Community College on Thursday, Oct. 17. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at PRCC's Dobie Holden Stadium.