FULTON — East Mississippi Community College sophomore defensive back Quan Latham wasn’t signed to score touchdowns.
However, the former Columbus High School standout is making weekly trips to the end zone.
Latham’s interception and 95-yard return for a touchdown Thursday night was the back-breaking blow in the top-ranked East Mississippi Community College football team’s 51-0 victory against Itawamba C.C. in a Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges North Division game at Eaton Field.
“Only through the grace of God have I scored three touchdowns,” Latham said. “I never would have imagined anything quite like this. Scoring three touchdowns though is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?”
EMCC improved to 5-0 and 3-0 in division play. The Lions have won 17-straight games dating back to the 2012 season. In that season, EMCC saw a 20-game win streak snapped with a 24-23 regular-season loss to ICC at Eaton Field.
“This trip was way more fun than the last time we came here I can tell you that,” EMCC coach Buddy Stephens said.
EMCC scored three first-quarter touchdowns — and much like the previous four wins this season — the game was never in doubt. The Lions have won nine-straight division games by an average margin of 63.3 points.
The shutout was EMCC’s first of the season. The Lions had a school-record five shutouts last season in their run to the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship.
“It is always a great night when you have a shutout,” EMCC sophomore linebacker Defond Bester said. “That means you have hard work and focus every day during the week in practice. We watch extra film and we know exactly what they are going to do. We knew everything we were going to see.”
Latham knew what he saw when he snagged a D’Andre Belton pass midway through the third quarter.
“I saw it when it came down,” Latham said. “My main priority was taking the ball in and making sure I had it. After that, I looked around to see where my teammates were and there was a whole lot of open grass. Then the speed just kicks in. I knew I had to go a long way, but I was going do my best to get it there.”
Latham has scored in three consecutive games. Against Coahoma C.C., Latham blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone. Against Northeast Mississippi C.C., Latham returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown.
Camion Patrick also had a 75-yard punt return touchdown. Through five games, EMCC has seven non-offensive touchdowns — five interception returns, a blocked punt for a score, and a punt return for a score.
“It was an opportunistic win,” Stephens said. “We didn’t play our best, but we took advantage of what was given to us. You have to be pleased with a dominating performance in this setting.”
EMCC scored on its opening possession — moving 71 yards on nine plays. Chad Kelly hit 5 of 6 passes and found Brandon Acker for a 10-yard touchdown. Acker had two scores and dropped a potential third score in the end zone.
Patrick then fielded the punt and raced 75 yards for the touchdown after ICC’s first possession. The Knoxville, Tennessee, freshman also had a 55-yard return and a 39-yard touchdown catch from Kelly.
“It was all about the speed tonight,” Patrick said. “If I can make the first man miss, I can break it for a touchdown. I was kind of surprised to keep being in that position, but I was out there doing what I could to help the team win.”
EMCC ran the lead to 21-0 in the first quarter when Kelly found Acker for a 36-yard scoring play. Drew White drilled a 27-yard field goal as the first half expired to give EMCC a 24-0 lead.
“That is probably the lowest-scoring half we’ve had in a very long time,” Stephens said. “We had some adversity, but we kept battling.”
EMCC increased the lead when Kelly hit Patrick on the first possession of the second half. Kelly’s fourth touchdown (19th of the season) was an 11-yard pass to Kameron Myers.
Myers finished with a game-high four receptions for 107 yards. Kelly was 24 of 41 for 383 yards with his third interception of the season on a splendid play by lineman Naquez Pringle.
Leading 37-0, EMCC took a knee on the extra-point attempt to prevent the score from reaching the 38-point threshold for the running the clock by the mercy rule. Latham helped EMCC eclipse that mark when he snuffed ICC’s best drive with his interception return for a score.
By then, only suspense would be whether EMCC would get the shutout. ICC (1-4, 1-2 division) missed a 35-yard field goal in the first half and moved to the EMCC 4-yard line before Latham’s theft in the second half.
“We have a really young defense,” Bester said. “But the guys are stepping up. We are rotating guys in and out, and that is making everybody better.”
Marco Montgomery and Ronald Ollie had two sacks. Dante Sawyer and Caleb Grant had big tackles for loss. Zavia Forshee had a big hit on a fourth-down stop, and Demetrius Cain had a pair of pass breakups.
It is the type of defensive pressure coordinator Jordan Lesley envisioned when the season started. Bester said last season’s national championship is firmly in the rearview mirror and this year’s defense wants to see how great it can become.
“We have some really smart coaches,” Bester said. “At the beginning of the season, they told us what this team was capable of doing. We had to simply forget about last season. I have seen the progress each week. I could see (this success) coming.”
EMCC allowed 9.8 points per game last season. This season, EMCC has held three-straight opponents to less than 200 yards of total offense. EMCC finished with a 500-191 advantage in total yards Thursday night.
Then there is the defensive scoring machine that is Latham.
“I dropped an interception a couple of weeks ago, so that probably ended my chance to play wide receiver,” said Latham, as he was chided by teammates for his point-producing efforts. “Now I am making do with where I am at.”
Follow Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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