GOODMAN — East Mississippi Community College freshman running back Jacquez Horsley and the rest of his teammates were ready to get the preliminaries out of the way Thursday night.
Returning to the lineup after missing a game due to an injury, Horsley sparked the running game, quarterback Wyatt Roberts ignited the passing game, and the defense did enough to get a victory.
No. 6 EMCC set up next week’s dream matchup with No. 3 Northwest Mississippi C.C. for the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges North Division regular-season title by defeating division rival Holmes C.C. 44-28 at Ras Branch Field.
EMCC (6-1, 4-0 division) won its 16th-straight division game dating back to the 2012 season. Northwest (6-0, 3-0) will face Mississippi Delta C.C. on Saturday. If Northwest wins that game, next Thursday’s matchup in Scooba will decide the North Division champion.
EMCC has won six of the previous seven division titles under eighth-year coach Buddy Stephens.
“We are really ready for Northwest,” said Horsley, a former Starkville High standout. “We know they are really good. You come here to win championships. We have a chance to do that next week, so I think everybody on whole team will be excited. We did what we had to do here tonight.
“It felt good to be back out there with my teammates. I felt good and the offense felt good, too. We played well as a unit.”
EMCC racked up 596 yards of offense and didn’t commit a turnover. The Lions also found balance with 384 passing yards and 212 rushing yards. Two quarterback threw passes. Eight receivers caught passes. Four backs ran the ball for a team that played without leading rusher D.J. Law for a second-straight week.
It was enough to give acting head coach and offensive coordinator Marcus Wood a big smile after the game. Wood served as head coach for a second-straight game as Stephens completed a two-game school-issued suspension for an on-field altercation with an official during a home game with Itawamba C.C.
“I thought both units (offense and defense) really stood up at critical times,” Wood said. “On offense, we really played well. We had one personal-foul penalty, which probably cost us a touchdown but other than that, no turnovers, limited penalties and again we were playing some people out of position because of injury.
“On defense, we made some stops when we really had to have them.”
Holmes (2-5, 1-3) runs an option-oriented veer attack. The Bulldogs typically run the ball with numerous backs getting touches. In a pass-friendly MACJC, Holmes is usually at the top in rushing carries, rushing yards, total offensive plays, and time of possession.
That formula hadn’t worked well against EMCC in recent years. The Lions had shut out the Bulldogs in three-straight series meetings. On this night, though, Holmes cranked out 453 yards and scored the most points allowed by EMCC in regulation this season.
“We really had a tough night getting some stops,” said EMCC freshman defensive back Alexander Lipscomb, who played at Columbus High School. “They have some really fast guys and we lost containment a couple of times. We will watch the film and get all that fixed for Northwest. The guys are excited. We are playing the biggest game of the season at home. We don’t lose at home.”
EMCC scored the final three touchdowns of the first half to ease to a 34-21 halftime advantage. After punting on the first two possessions, EMCC scored on five of the next six possessions and missed a field goal on the other.
Roberts was 27 of 38 for 346 yards. He threw touchdowns to Dario Robinson and Corey Davis. Reserve quarterback John Franklin III had two rushing touchdowns, including a nifty 65-yard score on a draw play that changed the complexion of the game midway through the second quarter.
Franklin scored again minutes later to bring EMCC within 21-20. After a punt, Roberts hit Davis for a 2-yard touchdown for the go-ahead score to cap a five-play, 66-yard drive. Roberts also had a rushing touchdown. Horsley had a team-high 70 rushing yards, including an 8-yard touchdown run to ice the game in the fourth quarter.
“In the last couple of weeks, the offense has really found its identity,” Horsley said. “I think we just had to get everybody on the same page playing together as one. There is a lot of pressure and the expectations are real high around here. You either melt under those expectations or you rise up to meet them.
“That is why (the Northwest game) is so exciting. This is what we came here to do.”
EMCC President Dr. Thomas Huebner addressed the players after the game and told them they have the type of work ethic to be successful anytime they step on the field. He also jokingly fired Wood from his head coaching position, despite the 2-0 record.
The players laughed and then responded by giving Wood a standing ovation. While his time as the head man was successful, Wood is ready to have Stephens back in charge Thursday night for clearly the biggest game of the season.
“There is no look-ahead in football,” Wood said. “And this is not meant disparagingly to Holmes or anyone else in the division. Tonight was a ‘get-it-out-of-the-way’ game. Holmes has the players capable of beating you. You just hope you have enough in the tank to get it done. It was not our best, but it was a win.
“Everyone knows how great Thursday is going to be. Two top-10 teams playing on our field for the championship. It’s a special opportunity. We were really hopeful it would play out this way.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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