East Mississippi’s reinstated soccer programs set to debut this weekend on Scooba campus

SCOOBA – Set for the school's first soccer action since 2009, East Mississippi Community College's reinstated soccer program will kick off the 2023 campaign this weekend on the Scooba campus.

Guided by former Hinds Community College assistant soccer coach Chris Rash, the EMCC men's soccer team will begin the season with Friday's (Aug. 18) home match against MUW. Game time for the Lions' season opener is set for 6 p.m. at Sullivan-Windham Field. EMCC will then conclude the season-opening weekend with a Sunday (Aug. 20) women's-men's home doubleheader against Tougaloo College out of Jackson. Sunday's soccer action will begin with a 3 p.m. women's match followed by a 5 p.m. men's nightcap.

"We are pumped about our season openers this weekend as we bring back soccer to EMCC and Scooba," Rash said. "Our men and women are focused on the process of showing up daily to put in the work and grow as a team."

East Mississippi is scheduled to close out its August soccer slate with a non-MACCC home men's match versus Holmes on Friday, Aug. 25, prior to hitting the road for a women's-men's twin bill (4:30 & 6:30 p.m.) at Belhaven University in Jackson on Tuesday, Aug. 29.

EMCC's 22-player men's soccer team is comprised of 16 Mississippi natives and six out-of-state members, including two international players. The Lions' in-state men's roster personnel includes Henry Cutrer (Purvis), Logan Fragale (Hernando), Gavin Garza (Pearl River Central HS), Kevin Hernandez (New Albany), Kaler Hill (Germantown HS), brothers Aison Jim and Andre'as Jim (Choctaw Central HS), Ernesto Morales (Hancock HS), Keylan Payne (Columbus), William Slay (Brandon), Cobie Spencer (Neshoba Central HS), Brandon Thompson (Caledonia), Eduardo Vasquez (Byhalia), Noah Verweij (Pearl River Central HS), Maxwell Washington III (St. Joseph Catholic School), and Conner West (South Panola HS).

The Lions' half-dozen, out-of-state men's players include Jose Bosmediano (Ecuador), Carlos De La Guardia (Mexico), twin brothers Alejandro Hernandez-Tadeo and Eusebio Hernandez-Tadeo (Pelham [AL] HS), Bernardo Martinez (El Paso, TX), and Kaspian Thomas (Houma, LA).

EMCC's 14-player women's soccer team is comprised of 12 Mississippi natives and two out-of-state members, including an international player. In-state roster personnel on the EMCC women's team includes Karsyn Boston (Northeast Lauderdale HS), Maryanna Boyte (Brookhaven), Anna Claire Brewer (Enterprise), Lyna Driouche (Starkville), Skylar Flores (Starkville), Aja Jones (West Point), Jaelyn Lust (Purvis), Cindy Mendoza (Hazlehurst), Emma Mize (Biloxi), Daniela Pinzon (Starkville), Airam Segura (Lake Cormorant HS), and Kaylee Taylor (Southeast Lauderdale HS).

The Lions' out-of-state women's players are Motunrayo Adesanya from Nigeria and Alabama native Kiana Nielsen (Foley).