Six Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference football games kicked off Thursday night, and the biggest name on the marquee needed every second of it. No. 5 East Mississippi stayed unbeaten only after a touchdown with 47 seconds left in Decatur, Holmes erased a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun winless Coahoma, and Northwest and Itawamba turned in matching shutouts on a 90-plus-degree night across the state.
Here is the full rundown of the Sept. 17 MACCC slate.
No. 5 East Mississippi 25, East Central 20
Decatur — Bailey Stadium/Warrior Field
The fifth-ranked Lions (4-0) needed a 3-yard touchdown run from Marcus Flowers Jr. with 47 seconds remaining to survive a wild interdivisional test at East Central (2-2), a game that opened with one of the strangest plays of the MACCC season.
East Central struck first when Christian Langford hit Dawson Simmons for a 64-yard touchdown just 1:40 into the game. The extra point never made it through — and EMCC’s Ja’Quarius Harrell scooped it up and raced 97 yards the other way for a two-point defensive conversion, making it 6-2 before the Lions had run an offensive play.
Trey Irving answered with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Christian Thomas for a 9-6 lead, but King White and Waymond Jenerette Jr. connected on a 65-yard strike late in the first for a 13-9 Warriors edge. Flowers’ 3-yard plunge early in the second put EMCC back in front 16-13, and Rhett Griffith’s 35-yard field goal made it 19-13 in the third.
East Central looked like it had the upset when Langford found Jenerette again — this time for 70 yards with 5:30 to play — for a 20-19 lead. The Lions responded with the game-winning drive, capped by Flowers’ second short touchdown.
Marcus Flowers Jr. (EMCC): 30 carries, 179 yards, 2 TD
Waymond Jenerette Jr. (ECCC): 7 catches, 193 yards, 2 TD
Christian Langford (ECCC): 18-of-25, 283 yards, 2 TD
Trey Irving (EMCC): 17-of-27, 215 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Devan Whitsett (EMCC): 5 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 TFL
The Warriors actually outgained EMCC through the air 393-215 and finished with 456 total yards to the Lions’ 463. East Mississippi won it on the ground, rushing 45 times for 248 yards, and overcame 12 penalties for 117 yards.
Holmes 36, Coahoma 33
Goodman — Ras Branch Stadium
Coahoma led 33-21 in the fourth quarter and still left Goodman without its first win of the season. Holmes (1-3, 1-0 MACCC) scored the final 15 points, taking the lead on RJ Evans II’s 7-yard touchdown and a two-point conversion with 2:24 remaining.
The Tigers (0-4, 0-1) had controlled most of the night behind 304 rushing yards. Jacob Clopton capped an eight-play, 77-yard opening drive with a 1-yard score, and Issac Day ripped off an 83-yard touchdown run on the final play of the first quarter to pull Coahoma within 14-13.
Andrew Harrison’s 40-yard field goal put Coahoma back ahead in the second, and after George Wilcox found Tyran Mosley for a 13-yard Holmes touchdown, Clopton hit Jaden Moses for a 5-yard score to take a 23-21 lead into the break. Clopton’s 11-yard run and a 31-yard field goal stretched it to 33-21 early in the fourth before Tristan Colenberg’s 2-yard run started the Bulldogs’ rally.
Issac Day (Coahoma): 18 carries, 184 yards, TD
Prentavis Madison (Coahoma): 15 carries, 117 yards
Jacob Clopton (Coahoma): 8-of-18, 67 yards, TD; 2 rushing TD
Deshaun Brooks, Xaylen Henderson (Coahoma): 6 tackles each
Coahoma finished with 371 total yards, 21 first downs and 5.9 yards per play, and the defense added three sacks and six tackles for loss. It wasn’t enough.
Northwest 42, Mississippi Delta 0
Senatobia — Ranger Stadium at Bobby Franklin Field
Northwest (2-2, 1-0) got right in its MACCC opener, scoring in every quarter and holding Mississippi Delta (1-3, 0-1) to minus-18 rushing yards in front of 1,796 fans on a 98-degree evening.
Neko Fann threw touchdown passes of 13 yards to Zavion Carman and 22 yards to Quincy Phillips Jr., then added a 2-yard scoring run to cap a 16-play, 70-yard drive that ate 8:45 of the third quarter. Backup Noah Gillon added a 19-yard touchdown to Dagarrious Clifton, and Macaleb Taylor and Zach Benedict ran for scores.
The Rangers piled up 407 total yards and 261 on the ground while the defense sacked Armon Vinson six times for 35 yards. Delta managed 140 total yards, went 0-for-2 in the red zone and punted eight times. Northwest converted 5 of 6 red-zone trips and won time of possession 34:48 to 25:12.
Itawamba 31, Northeast Mississippi 0
Fulton — Eaton Field
Itawamba (3-1, 1-0) sits alone atop the North Division after a clinical shutout of rival Northeast (1-3, 0-1) in 91-degree heat.
Brayden Trusty was nearly perfect, completing 22 of 26 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns — an 11-yarder to Tyreke Darden just before halftime and a 23-yard strike to Caleb Groce in the third. Tydarion Grier and Caiden Holliday added short touchdown runs, and Wade Hansford was 4-for-4 on extra points with a 32-yard field goal.
Brayden Trusty (ICC): 22-of-26, 223 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Allen Dobbs (ICC): 2 sacks, 2.5 TFL
Silas Jones (ICC): 72-yard fumble return
Jerone Baskin (Northeast): 12 tackles
The Indians’ defense was the story: seven sacks for 40 yards, two interceptions and a Northeast offense limited to 221 yards and 57 rushing yards. Itawamba also went a perfect 5-for-5 on fourth down. Northeast punter Daniel Sherman averaged 56.3 yards on three punts, with three downed inside the 20.
Jones 20, Pearl River 13
Ellisville — Bobcat Stadium at Sim Cooley Field
The 96th meeting in one of the state’s oldest rivalries went to Jones again. The Bobcats (3-1, 1-0) have now beaten Pearl River (2-2, 0-1) 10 straight times.
Jevarion Glover accounted for all three Jones touchdowns — a 20-yard pass to Tyree Barnett to cap an 83-yard drive, then scoring runs of 12 and 1 yards. The 12-yarder came with 32 seconds left in the half after Delarrius Hayes forced a fumble that Malachi Henderson recovered at the Pearl River 26.
Jackson Firmin tied it at 7-7 with a 2-yard run and later hit DK Wallace for a 45-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 20-13, but the failed two-point try loomed large. Jones’ defense held Pearl River scoreless over the final 21 minutes.
Delarrius Hayes (Jones): 10 tackles, 3 TFL, sack, forced fumble
Jet Henderson (Jones): 73 receiving yards
Hinds 17, Southwest Mississippi 10
Summit — John I. Hurst Stadium
Hinds (2-2, 1-0) built a 17-0 halftime lead and then hung on, opening South Division play with a win at Southwest (1-3, 0-1).
Braylen Spann’s 36-yard field goal got the Eagles started, and Jaylon Ruffin threw two touchdown passes before the break — a 35-yarder to Kelton Young and a 1-yard fourth-down completion to Kiandre Terry.
Southwest got within a touchdown in the fourth on Simon Naylor’s 32-yard field goal and Jakari Williams’ 45-yard touchdown pass to Tajh Williby, but the Hinds defense closed it out.
Jaylon Ruffin (Hinds): 19-of-33, 177 yards, 2 TD
Makari Bodiford (Hinds): 15 carries, 68 yards
DJ Miller (Hinds): 5 catches, 68 yards
Elijah Hunter, Jvaris Walden (Hinds): 1 INT each
Hinds finished with seven tackles for loss and two interceptions. Punter Wyatt Long averaged 38.9 yards on seven kicks with three inside the 20.
Idle Thursday: Gulf Coast and Co-Lin Meet Saturday
The MACCC’s two highest-ranked teams sat out the Thursday slate. No. 3 Mississippi Gulf Coast (3-0) hosts No. 10 Copiah-Lincoln (2-1) on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Perkinston for the Bulldogs’ homecoming — the best game on the league’s weekend board and the conference opener for both.
MACCC Standings
North Division
Team
MACCC
Overall
Itawamba
1-0
3-1
Northwest
1-0
2-2
Holmes
1-0
1-3
East Mississippi
0-0
4-0
Mississippi Delta
0-1
1-3
Northeast Mississippi
0-1
1-3
Coahoma
0-1
0-4
South Division
Team
MACCC
Overall
Jones
1-0
3-1
Hinds
1-0
2-2
Mississippi Gulf Coast
0-0
3-0
Copiah-Lincoln
0-0
2-1
East Central
0-0
2-2
Pearl River
0-1
2-2
Southwest Mississippi
0-1
1-3
Mississippi in the NJCAA Division I Poll
Six MACCC programs appeared in the NJCAA Division I Week 4 poll released Sept. 14: No. 3 Mississippi Gulf Coast, No. 5 East Mississippi, No. 10 Copiah-Lincoln and No. 14 Northwest, with Itawamba and Jones receiving votes.
Next Up: Thursday, Sept. 24
East Mississippi at Mississippi Delta, 7 p.m.
Itawamba at Coahoma, 6:30 p.m.
Northwest at Northeast Mississippi, 7 p.m.
Mississippi Gulf Coast at Holmes, 6:30 p.m.
East Central at Hinds, 6:30 p.m.
Jones at Copiah-Lincoln, 6:30 p.m.
Scores and statistics compiled from official box scores and game releases published by the member colleges and the MACCC. Photo courtesy of Coahoma Community College Athletics.
