It was a warm sendoff for the East Mississippi Community College football team.
Head Coach Buddy Stephens only hopes it isn’t the biggest celebration the team has.
“We hope that there’s a bigger party when we come back,” Stephens said. “And we’ll be happy if that happens.”
Fans, parents, students and alumni gave the team a goodbye and good luck at the EMCC campus and at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport Thursday morning as the coaches, players and cheerleaders headed 1,700 miles to Yuma, Ariz., for the 2011 NJCAA National Championship. No. 2-ranked EMCC (11-0) will face No. 1-ranked Arizona Western College (11-0) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Central time at El Toro Bowl at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
“It was a great sendoff, and it was good to see a lot of parents and our alumni and our supporters here to greet us,” Stephens said.
This is EMCC’s first chance at the national crown, while Arizona Western College won the title in 1972. Stephens said the team was excited but he is hoping it is a “tempered excitement” and the players stay focused amid the local hype and attention from media, family and friends.
“You can’t get too excited right now with the game coming up. It’s still a couple of days away, but they are excited to get on the plane ride and excited for the trip,” he said. “That’s the big thing that we’re working toward right now is making sure everyone stays focused.”
“This is something that could be very special for our community,” Stephens added.
EMCC’s secondary coach, Cliff Collins, is excited for the opportunity and said the team has “a good chance of bringing this thing back.”
“Coming in at the (airport) it was a good crowd. They were waving and cheering us off. They are excited; it’s a good opportunity for East Mississippi. We just want to try and get the national recognition that we deserve,” he said.
One of the fans and mother of an EMCC cheerleader, Tammy Forrester, said the crowd at the EMCC campus was even bigger than the one at the airport.
“They all got on the charter buses, and when they pulled out they all got in a line and cheered them on as they left,” said Forrester, who lives in Columbus.
Tammy’s daughter, Hillari Forrester, is a junior at EMCC and was excited, but this was her first trip without her family coming along.
Hillari’s aunt, Hilda Breland of Jena, La., made a seven-hour drive to Columbus just to watch her niece leave.
“It was well worth watching her and being with her while she boarded the plane,” Breland said.
But at the end of the day, the excitement rests on the team’s chances to bring home a national championship, and the optimism, to say the least, is high.
“Oh, we know we’re going to win. There’s no doubt about it. We’re No. 1, and we’re going to stay No. 1,” Linda Parker of Starkville said.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.