EMCC’s Gavin Griffin earns second MACCC Offensive Player of the Week honor of the season

JACKSON – For the second time this season, East Mississippi Community College sophomore running back Gavin Griffin has been chosen the MACCC Offensive Player of the Week. The announcement was made Tuesday by the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference office on the heels of Griffin's career-best rushing performance during last Thursday's 49-27 EMCC home win over Pearl River.

Having previously garnered the conference's weekly offensive honor following EMCC's 34-28 Week 3 victory over then-No. 3 Northwest Mississippi, Griffin surpassed his prior career-best numbers by rushing for 220 yards and four touchdowns in 22 attempts during the Lions' 22-point victory over PRCC. He had 175 rushing yards, including runs of 50, 44 and 37 yards, and three scores by halftime. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound back also had four pass receptions against the Wildcats.

With five 100-yard rushing efforts on the year and at least one rushing touchdown in each game, including four multi-TD games this season, Griffin currently leads NJCAA Division I football with 14 rushing touchdowns on the year in addition to ranking third nationally with an average of 121.1 rushing yards per game. His 220 rushing yards against Pearl River rank second on EMCC's single-game list during the Buddy Stephens coaching era, while Griffin's four rushing touchdowns against the Wildcats are the most by an EMCC player in a game since 2017.

Earlier this season, Griffin claimed his first MACCC Offensive Player of the Week honor of the year, while also grabbing NJCAA laurels, by helping lead the Lions to their home win over the reigning MACCC champion Northwest Rangers. In that contest, he rushed for 189 yards and three touchdowns in 23 carries along with catching four passes for 36 receiving yards to total 225 all-purpose yards. After rushing for 29 yards in his first carry of the game versus NWCC, Griffin went on to average 8.2 yards per attempt on the night. Along with touchdown runs of 53, 1 and 2 yards, the Canton native also had other double-digit runs of 20, 19 and 18 yards against the Rangers.  

For the season, Griffin enters Thursday's division road contest at Mississippi Delta 152 rushing yards shy of the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Averaging 6.1 yards per rushing attempt (848 yds in 139 att.) this season, Griffin's other 100-yard rushing efforts this year have come during EMCC victories over Hinds (104 yds & 1 TD), Coahoma (100 yds & 2 TDs) and Northeast Mississippi (115 yds & 2 TDs).

After earning 2023 MHSAA Class 1A Mr. Football honors as a prep senior at Velma Jackson High School, Griffin rushed for a team-high 554 yards and eight touchdowns, while averaging 7.1 yards per carry, as an EMCC freshman to collect second-team, all-division honors a season ago.

The 5-2 EMCC Lions, 3-1 in MACCC North Division play, now turn their collective attention this week to the Trojans of Mississippi Delta (0-7, 0-4 in MACCC North). Thursday's (Oct. 23) kickoff in Moorhead is set for 7 p.m. at Sandy Wilson Field/Jim Randall Stadium on the MDCC campus.