It is official.
Fresh off a victory against Arizona Western College, the East Mississippi Community College football team claimed the No. 1 spot in the final NJCAA top 20 released Monday.
The Lions completed the season with a 55-47 upset of the previously top-ranked Matadors on Saturday in the El Toro Bowl in Yuma, Ariz. Having won two of the past three state titles, EMCC, which set a school record for wins in a season, earned its first national championship in program history.
“The kids really deserve this for such an outstanding season,” EMCC coach Buddy Stephens said. “It is a reward for their hard work and sacrifice to finish No. 1 in the nation for the first time. It is a credit to the type of kids we have in our program. Not only are they great football players, but they are also great people, as well.”
EMCC (12-0), ranked second in the final regular-season poll, secured all seven first-place votes and finished with the maximum poll total of 140 points.
Against Arizona Western, freshman quarterback Bo Wallace was 31 of 43 for 460 yards for seven touchdowns. It was the fourth time this season he threw for seven scores in a game. He finishes the season with three NJCAA national records.
The Arkansas State transfer from Pulaski, Tenn., entered the game with 4,118 passing yards and 4,374 yards total offense — both new single-season NJCAA records. His 53 total touchdowns is a new national standard.
The Lions scored the first four touchdowns and built a 34-13 halftime lead. AWC scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns and got the football back in a one-possession game.
“We showed the heart of a champion,” Stephens said. “We were so focused and played so well, we weren’t going to let this one get away. It is a credit to our kids for believing in what we were trying to do. They bought it in August and had a great year.”
Now, the challenge is an encore. Stephen has owned the North Division in four seasons at EMCC. The Lions have won 22 of 24 division games and three division titles. EMCC won state titles in 2009 and 2011. The Lions have had three top-10 finishes, including this season’s No. 1.
The ability to maintain an elite program could have become a little easier recently after additional changes were made to the MACJC rules for the fall of 2012.
The 14 MACJC institutions will be able to offer scholarship aid to eight out-of-state football players. The MACJC Executive Committee had reduced that number had been reduced to four earlier this fall. Citing enormous pressure from coaches, the committee rescinded that rule change.
Football coaches will be able to divide five full scholarships for eight out-of-state players. While the number of out-of-state scholarships varies from sport to sport, the original number of scholarships for each sport has been reinstated.
“That is a tremendous relief for the coaches,” Stephens said. “The concern was for the smaller sports. It would be difficult for the minor sports to fill rosters with in-state players. For football, this is a huge benefit for us. We are fortunate that the powers that be saw it our way.”
Schools located along state lines didn’t receive any additional relief. Presently, schools along a state line can offer 18 out-of-state scholarships. Now only able to sign eight as well, these schools didn’t get their extra grants back and will have to focus on in-state recruiting to fill their needs.
The other rule change for next year remains in effect. After 20 years, the MACJC is eliminating recruiting districts. Previously, coaches could protect a certain percentage of players in their recruiting district. If protected, those players had to play athletics at their hometown junior college.
The elimination of the recruiting districts means any player will be able to sign with any junior college in any sport in the state. Schools with better facilities and established programs, like EMCC, especially its football program, could earn an advantage.
“The new season is now under way,” Stephen said. “We want the best players in the state to know that wherever they are, we are coming to see them.”
Elsewhere in the rankings, Butler C.C. of Kansas (11-1) grabbed second in the final poll, while Arizona Western (11-1) slipped to third. Mississippi South Division champion Gulf Coast (10-2) finished sixth.
Gulf Coast defeated No. 10 Blinn College 46-17 in the Mississippi Bowl on Sunday in Biloxi. The Bulldogs have won the Mississippi Bowl in three of the past four seasons.
No. 15 Hinds (7-3) was the other Mississippi team in the final rankings. Both of Gulf Coast’s losses were to EMCC, while Hinds also lost twice to EMCC and once to Gulf Coast.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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