EMCC Lions aim to rebound from season-opening loss by hosting Hinds in 2025 home lid-lifter

SCOOBA – Looking to rebound from last week's season-opening 41-21 setback at preseason 10^th-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast, the Lions of East Mississippi Community College are set to play host to the Hinds Eagles Thursday evening on the Scooba campus. EMCC's home opener is slated for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Sullivan-Windham Field.

With EMCC being in the process of converting to digital athletic ticketing for home sporting events, general admission seating for the Lions' football season opener against Hinds will be $10 and chairback seating will be $25 to be paid at the stadium ticket office located at the main entrance.

While absorbing just their 29^th overall defeat (in 177 total games played) in 16-plus seasons of competition under head coach Buddy Stephens' guidance, the Lions will be looking to improve upon their 17-5 bounce-back record in contests played following in-season losses dating back to 2008.

Having entered the new season with only 13 players who saw action during last year's 5-4 campaign, the Lions fell in their third straight season-opening contest with last week's 20-point loss to now-No. 9 MGCCC. Statistically, Gulf Coast outgained EMCC, 547-398, in total offensive yardage a week ago.

Making his collegiate debut for the Lions in Perkinston, Georgia State bounce-back quarterback Rodge Waldrop completed 24-of-36 passes for 240 passing yards and a touchdown. His top target was Ole Miss bounce-back receiver Noreel White, whose game-high 11 receptions (for 101 yards) marked the most pass receptions in a game by an EMCC player since 2019 NJCAA All-American and current Kansas City Chiefs receiver Jason Brownlee posted three straight efforts of double-digit grabs for the Lions six years ago.

The Chris Jones coaching era of Hinds football got off to a fast start last Thursday with the Eagles' solid 34-7 road win over Itawamba in Fulton. Receiving votes in this week's NJCAA Division I poll, Hinds outgained ICC in total offensive yards, 507-232, with 283 passing yards and 224 rushing yards. Freshman quarterback Jaylon Ruffin, out of Starkville High School, completed 18-of-23 passes for 270 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, while adding a game-high 79 net rushing yards in seven attempts, in his collegiate debut for the Eagles.

Jones, a Shuqualak native and 2000 graduate of Noxubee County High School, compiled a 12-year head coaching record of 129-37 (.777) at the prep level while guiding the Starkville Yellowjackets to three MHSAA state championship game appearances (2023, '22 & '17). The former Jackson State University standout wide receiver had previously guided Kemper County High School to the 2016 MHSAA Class 3A state title.

In his 18^th year as EMCC's head football coach, Stephens, a 2024 NJCAA Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame honoree, owns a 6-3 head coaching career record (3-1 in Raymond & 3-2 in Scooba) against Hinds through the years, including last year's convincing 43-3 road victory over the Eagles at Gene Murphy Field/Renfroe Stadium. A season ago in Raymond, the visiting 10^th-ranked Lions outgained Hinds, 403-88, in total offense yards and managed to run 24 more offensive plays (72-48) than the Eagles on the evening. EMCC's balanced offensive attack featured 210 rushing yards and 193 passing yards. EMCC running back Gavin Griffin, the 2023 Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC) Class 1A Mr. Football for Velma Jackson High School, earned the start for the Lions in his second collegiate game and finished with 101 rushing yards on 11 attempts while also scoring two touchdowns in the contest.

Hinds' most recent visit to the Scooba campus for football (Nov. 6, 2021) resulted in a 42-41 overtime victory for the 10^th-ranked Eagles over the No. 1 Lions in the conference playoff semifinals played at Sullivan-Windham Field. EMCC's two-point conversion pass attempt was intercepted on the game's final play to end the Lions' 2021 season following an unbeaten regular season.

Thursday's EMCC-Hinds contest will be broadcast live by WFCA-FM (107.9), out of French Camp, with Jason Crowder and Glen Beard slated to provide the play-by-play and color commentary, respectively. Jay Perry is also set to handle sideline reporting duties. The game's live-streamed audio will also be carried by EMCC's campus radio station, WGTC-FM (92.7), originating from the Golden Triangle campus in Mayhew. Along with EMCC's weekly live video-streamed football broadcasts being available in HD at emcclive.com, alternate audio streams of the Lions' radio broadcasts throughout the football season will also be accessible via wfca.fm.