When Netflix unveiled the “Last Chance U” series chronicling the East Mississippi Community College football program last summer, many were not sure what to expect.
Former Starkville High standout Preston Baker played at EMCC in 2013 and 2014 and watched the entire series with breathless anticipation.
“It was a lot of fun,” Baker said. “There were some positives and some negatives. Overall, it was a fair representation of the program. It showed a lot of the good things that make the program successful.”
The six-hour documentary looked back at the 2015 football season for the Lions. It was a season which ended prematurely when a regular season-ending brawl against Mississippi Delta Community College led to the Lions being banned from postseason play.
After receiving more than 82 million views in the first week, Netflix announced plans to renew the series. This year’s installment looks back on the 2016 season and will be available online beginning Friday.
A preview screening of the first episode of will be shown at 7 Thursday night on the Scooba campus. Free and open to the public, the screening will be shown at EMCC’s Stennis Hall.
Former Aberdeen standout Justin Lucas played with Baker and was a standout linebacker on the EMCC national championship teams in 2013 and 2014. He looks forward to seeing his former team return to the big screen.
“Netflix really gave some great exposure to the program,” Lucas said. “Last year was fun. It showed some of the difficult times. It also showed perseverance. It showed what it takes to play on that level. I think it highlighted just how good junior college football is in the state. I know the program got a lot of notoriety and more interest because of the documentary.”
The 2015 EMCC squad finished 8-1. The Lions lost early in the season but had fought back up the national rankings to third. EMCC was set to enter the state playoffs with a chance to play for a third straight national championship. However, the brawl which took place in the final minute of the second quarter of a 48-0 win at Delta ended the season.
The documentary featured highlights from seven of nine games played that season and also had extensive coverage of the brawl. Following the fight, 10th-year head coach Buddy Stephens admitted to doing a lot of soul searching. The Lions took the field with a new attitude in 2016 and in some ways, played a different brand of ball.
After dropping the season opener to Jones Junior College with only 32 eligible players due to suspensions, EMCC won its final 11 games to capture a fifth Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) state championship.
Thus, redemption is expected to be the theme for this year’s series.
“This series is going to really open some eyes,” said former EMCC wide receiver Mario Lanier, who played on the two teams featured. “I think you see a team that grows up a little bit. You see a program that plays with a lot of pride and determination. Our spirit was wounded a little bit. It has been a long road back and I think people will see that and hopefully understand things a little bit better.”
EMCC has already earned a top three ranking in four different national publications for this sesaon. That campaign opens Aug. 31 when Jones comes to Sullivan-Windham Field. The Lions will start with a fresh slate, a full roster and a goal to win the program’s fourth national championship this decade. The program will also have another strengthening of its national brand after the documentary goes viral.
“Really can’t wait to see it,” Baker said. “EMCC will also have a special place with me, especially since we won two championships.
“They are going to go back to winning big-time. When you have been there (at the top) and then fallen from there, you can’t wait to get back on top.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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