ELLISVILLE — East Mississippi Community College quarterbacks coach Dontreal Pruitt always has remained tight with the football program at his alma mater, Laurel High School.
That is why Pruitt grew fond of watching Dontario Drummond and TyQuan Ulmer team up to score touchdowns for the Golden Tornadoes.
Now, Pruitt is mentoring Ulmer after his transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. Drummond is in his second year at EMCC. The duo has reunited, and the connection remains as strong as ever.
Ulmer hit Drummond for two touchdowns to help the No. 1 EMCC football team rally past No. 4 Jones College 19-14 on Saturday afternoon to win the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) State championship before a capacity crowd at Bobcat Stadium.
After claiming its seventh MACJC State championship, EMCC (11-0) will play in its fifth National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national championship game Nov. 29 in Pittsburg, Kansas.
“They have done this for a long time together,” Pruitt said. “You can tell that chemistry on the field. As a quarterback, you have to have confidence in your receivers. If you played with someone for six, seven, eight years, it helps. It gives you an incredible feeling. You know you can throw the ball in his direction and the play is going to be made.”
Ulmer replaced Messiah deWeaver with the team scoreless entering its sixth possession. Results came immediately when Ulmer hit Drummond for a 28-yard touchdown and an eventual 7-0 halftime lead.
“We have been doing this together since seventh grade,” Drummond said. “We have the unspoken bond. I know if I get some separation, the ball is coming my way. We just click. It’s smooth and different. We have been making plays together for a long time. There may be a little eye contact — just that little gesture that something big is going to happen.”
Ulmer said the movements between the two aren’t physical. Instead, Drummond gets his number called frequently because of his ability to change the game.
“It’s not something we plan before a play or anything like that,” Ulmer said. “It’s like a best friend. You know them and trust them. If I see any type of opening, the ball is gone. In practice, in games, in backyards, we have done this forever together. Unbelievable confidence.”
A Michigan State transfer, deWeaver was the opening-day starter. The team received a lift when former quarterback Vijay Miller returned to the program after playing professional baseball during the summer. That meant the odds of playing time at quarterback weren’t high for Ulmer, who began working mainly at wide receiver.
When Miller went down with injury midway through the season, Ulmer returned to reps at quarterback.
Pruitt quarterbacked EMCC to a national championship in 2013. He knew Ulmer’s hard work was going to pay off.
“Everything he does, he is the No. 1,” Pruitt said. “The way he carries himself, it’s like a veteran quarterback. You would never know he has fought up the depth chart. Every day in practice, he has remained humble and worked so hard to make us a better team. That’s why he is special.”
Later in the third quarter with the team down 14-7, Ulmer and Drummond hooked up again on 73-yard touchdown pass. The try for two failed, so the championship wasn’t secured until Deon McIntosh broke loose on a 71-yard run with 8 minutes, 27 seconds remaining.
“The thing is to stay humble and trust God,” Ulmer said. “That is what I have always believed. Throughout a season, a lot of different players are going to make plays. Fortunately, today was my turn.”
Ulmer was 2-for-5 for those 101 yards to his former high school teammate. However, without either catch, there might not be another trophy coming home.
“TyQuan always has a high motor,” EMCC coach Buddy Stephens said. “We were struggling when he came in. We had to have some kind of spark. You don’t tell a player that. He knows this is his chance to come in and shine.”
McIntosh had his sixth 100-yard rushing game and the Lions came out on top in large part due to six turnovers forced by the defense.
In the end, two Jones County boys posed with the state championship trophy and received hugs from hundreds of family members, all about 10 miles from their former high school.
“This was special,” Drummond said. “This is where I would want to win a championship. So many family members, friends, it was a great chance to show out for them.”
In 2016, Ulmer threw 41 touchdowns. Drummond caught 17.
Laurel saw that season end with a loss to West Point in the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 5A State championship game.
“Finally won a state championship,” Ulmer said. “It took a little longer than we wanted, but it finally happened.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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