No. 3 EMCC looks to clinch another division title by hosting Mississippi Delta during homecoming

SCOOBA – Looking to clinch their third MACJC North Division football title in four years, the third-ranked Lions of East Mississippi Community College play host to the Mississippi Delta Community College Trojans Saturday afternoon as part of 2011 Homecoming Weekend on the Scooba campus.  Kickoff for the divisional contest is slated for 2 p.m. at EMCC's New Sullivan-Windham Field.

As part of this weekend's homecoming festivities, East Mississippi is set to recognize the school's 11-member 2011 Sports Hall of Fame induction class at midfield during pre-game activities.  In addition, the school's 2011 Alumnus of the Year recipient and Distinguished Service Award winner will be honored, along with the presentation of EMCC's 2011 Homecoming Court taking place during halftime of Saturday's EMCC-MDCC football contest.

Now 31-8 overall and 20-2 in division play under fourth-year head coach Buddy Stephens, the EMCC Lions claimed back-to-back MACJC North Division regular-season championships in 2008 and 2009 with consecutive 6-0 division marks.  With a division-clinching victory over visiting Mississippi Delta on Saturday, East Mississippi would also secure a first-round hosting opportunity against the MACJC South Division's No. 2-seeded team in next month's state football playoffs.  The state semifinals take place Saturday, Nov. 5, at the sites of the respective divisional champions.  The state championship contest will be played the following Saturday, Nov. 12.

Bidding for their fourth consecutive state playoff appearance, the EMCC Lions are holding at the No. 3 position for the third straight week in the NJCAA's Top 20 national poll behind top-ranked Blinn College (Texas) and second-ranked Arizona Western College.  However, East Mississippi, with 127 voting points, did collect one of seven first-place votes this week.  In addition, the gap between the nation's top three teams is narrowing, with a total of only 10 voting points separating No. 1 Blinn (137 points with four first-place votes) from EMCC.  AWC compiled 133 total voting points with two first-place votes this week.  Butler Community College (Kansas) and Snow College (Utah) round out the nation's top five teams in the current NJCAA poll at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

Aiming to record the first-ever undefeated regular season in the school's football history, this year's 7-0 East Mississippi squad owns five wins over teams that are either still currently ranked in the NJCAA Top 20 or have been ranked at some point during the season.  Most recently, EMCC claimed a 41-17 road victory over previously ranked Pearl River last Saturday in Poplarville.  Earlier in the year, the Lions posted wins over reigning state champion Mississippi Gulf Coast (34-30 on Sept. 1 in Scooba) and defending MACJC North Division champion Northwest Mississippi (45-42 on Sept. 15 in Senatobia) when the two foes were ranked second and fourth, respectively, in the country.  During that same three-week span at the start of the season, EMCC handed Hinds, currently ranked 12^th nationally, its lone defeat of the year to date by a final tally of 20-17, Sept. 8 in Raymond.  Two weeks ago (Oct. 8) in Booneville, the Lions also knocked off then-No. 12 Northeast Mississippi with a decisive 63-35 road triumph over the Tigers. 

Guided by veteran coach Jay Miller, who is retiring at the conclusion of the current football season, the Trojans of Mississippi Delta are winless in seven tries on the campaign.  Miller, a native of Noxubee County, played for the EMCC Lions during the 1969 and 1970 football seasons and later served as an assistant football coach during the 1986 and 1987 seasons at East Mississippi CC. 

The Lions have prevailed in the last three EMCC-MDCC gridiron contests dating back to Stephens' first season in Scooba.  Last year in Moorhead, the visiting Lions rallied from a 27-point, first-half deficit to score 42 unanswered points en route to claiming a 42-27 road win over the Trojans.  Two years ago during their state championship season, the Lions earned a 28-10 home triumph over Delta.  In 2008, EMCC knocked off the Trojans, 35-15, in Moorhead. 

Saturday's EMCC homecoming contest against Mississippi Delta will be broadcast live on WLSM-FM Radio, 107.1 out of Louisville, with Jason Crowder and Glen Beard calling the play-by-play action along with John Lyle Briggs handling the sideline reporting duties.  The live video-streamed broadcast will be available at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/emcc-football and can be accessed through EMCC's athletics website - http://athletics.eastms.edu.  An alternate audio stream of the radio broadcast will also be available by logging onto www.wfcafm108.com.