The Lions sleep tonight.
However in two months time, the noise will be overwhelming as a second football season gets underway at East Mississippi Community College’s new Sullivan-Windham Field.
A sparse four-game home slate highlights a nine-game 2012 regular-season schedule, released Friday by the school.
“We are really excited about another football season,” EMCC athletic director Mickey Stokes said. “Obviously, you would like to play another home game. However, we will definitely take full advantage of the opportunities ahead of us.”
EMCC also played four home games last season. The 2011 season marked the end of one schedule rotation and this season is the beginning of the next, placing EMCC in the unique position of back-to-back four-home game schedules.
Wherever the Lions played a year ago, they proved a handful. EMCC won all 12 games it played to garner the school’s second football state championship in three seasons and first-ever national championship.
“We have a solid group of returning players and our goal is to really build on this momentum,” Stokes said. “The community was real excited a year ago and we had a lot of interest from so many different areas.
“(EMCC Coach) Buddy (Stephens) has done such a tremendous job of putting a really great product on the field. Not only are they winners on the field, they are winners in life, as well.”
Stephens has taken the EMCC program to an entirely different level. In his first four seasons as head coach, the Lions have made four straight playoff appearances — after having not been since 1984.
EMCC has also won three North Division championships, while posting an incredible 22-2 mark inside division play.
“The program is about the players and not about the coaches,” Stephens said. “Our job is to put them in a position to be successful.
“What we have here are winners. Kids who will sacrifice and do what it takes to compete with the best.”
After finishing fourth in the nation in 2009 and first in 2011, EMCC should again be in that rarified air when this season’s preseason rankings come out in early August.
A year ago, EMCC defeated Hinds CC and Mississippi Gulf Coast CC to win the state championship. The Lions beat each squad in the regular season by a combined total of seven points. The same duo were whipped by a combined 61 points in the postseason.
Ironically, neither Hinds nor Gulf Coast appear on the 2012 schedule. The South Division opponents rotate on cycles of two and four years.
“It is going to be really strange not playing Gulf Coast in the regular season, it has turned into quite the rivalry,” Stokes said. “We had them for the past four seasons and what a rivalry that had turned into.”
EMCC and Gulf Coast had met six times in those four seasons. Gulf Coast won 27-23 in 2008. The teams split in 2009, with Gulf Coast winning 43-26 in the regular season, before losing 75-71 in the state championship. Gulf Coast won 40-21 in the 2010 regular season. EMCC won 34-30 in the regular season and 47-17 in the state title match last year.
“Fortunately for us, we do open at home,” Stokes said. “I think that is very big, because you can really generate some positive momentum on that opening night. We also open with Pearl River CC, and you are talking a team with a lot of tradition there. So we are excited about this matchup.”
EMCC hosts Pearl River at 7 p.m., Aug. 30. The Lions will actually finish their non-division schedule the first three weeks as road trips to East Central CC and Southwest Mississippi CC follow.
That South Division trio finished 9-18 last season.
Inside the North Division, the Lions host Mississippi Delta CC, Holmes CC and Northwest Mississippi CC. EMCC travels to Coahoma CC, Northeast Mississippi CC and Itawamba CC.
Homecoming is a 2 p.m. Oct. 6 start against Holmes. Ironically, Holmes and Itawamba are the only two Saturday games, with the other seven falling on Thursdays.
“Thursday games are very beneficial because it allows a larger part of the student body to take part in the activities,” Stokes said. “Homecoming is a special event in and of itself. We really did a great job of making our football games a big social event last season and we want that to continue this year.”
Moving into a new 4,000-seat stadium prior to last season, the Lions saw success both on the field and off.
“Tailgating was something that really took off last season,” Stokes said. “We really pushed it and marketed it. The fans really responded. We have ideal setup now for fans to come early, enjoy a meal and some fellowship, before the game.
“We are hoping we can continue that and make it even better this season.”
While no major structural changes are slated for Sullivan-Windham, fans will see some slight tweaks to enhance the game-day experience.
“We have some plans in the making,” Stokes said. “We have an outstanding video board and we want to use it more. We will have more videos and more advertising.
“There were so many bells and whistles with a new stadium. We were working the kinks out ourselves last year. This year the goal is to make a lot of little things that much better.”
The stadium will open this season’s slate Aug. 11 when the New Hope High School-hosted fall jamboree moves from Mississippi State University’s Davis Wade Stadium to EMCC, thanks to renovations taking place in Starkville.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.