SCOOBA —     In a game that featured 105 points and 1,302 yards of total offense, it was a trio of defensive plays that made the difference in East Mississippi's key 56-49 MACJC North Division win against visiting Northwest Mississippi Community College on Thursday night.

    The Lions, now winners of 20 consecutive games, trailed 21-7 in the first quarter but fought back to take the win to clinch its fourth North Division title in the past five years.

    "We were just relentless, relentless," said EMCC head coach Buddy Stephens. "We just kept getting after it. We made a defensive play when we had to and we got an offensive drive when we had. I'm so proud of them. Whatever they had to do, they did it."

    The win moves EMCC to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in North Division play and is guaranteed to be the top seed out of the North, no matter what the Lions do at Itawamba in the regular-season ender on Saturday, Oct. 27.

    "We're the North Division champs," Stephens said. "That locked it up for us. That's something we are very proud of."

    While EMCC sophomore quarterback Quez Johnson passed for 404 yards and four scores and rushed for 102 yards and three more touchdowns, it was some key interceptions that got the Lions back in the game.

    With the Lions trailing 21-14 and Northwest in possession of the ball early in the second quarter, former Meridian High School defensive back Shaquille Fluker picked off a pass at the Northwest 31-yard line that eventually led to Johnson scoring on a 1-yard run to tie the game.

    "We knew if we kept working the defense would make a play," Fluker said. "We were just trying not to get down and to keep on playing hard."

    The Lions picked off four more passes in the second half, with another ex MHS standout — cornerback Jason Yarbor — getting two and Justin Cox added another pair.

    It was Yarbor's two interceptions that helped EMCC rebound from a 42-35 deficit in the third quarter.

    The Rangers, now 6-1 overall and 4-1 in North Division play, tried to take a two-score lead, but Yarbor ran down a deep pass by NWCC quarterback Dominique Harris to pick it off and set up Johnson's 14-yard touchdown to tie the game at 42-42. His next interception led to EMCC's go-ahead score.

    "I was really trying to bait them into making that throw, and he did," Yarbor said. "They thought I was in cover two, but I was in cover three."

    The Lions rushed for 296 yards and passed for 404 for a total of 700 yards of offense, while Northwest had 602 yards of total offense with Harris passing for 422 yards and Damian Baker rushing for 141 on 24 carries.

    Rodriguez Moore led EMCC in rushing with 153 yards on 19 attempts while Johnson had 102 yards on 19 carries and hit on 32-of-45 passes for 404 yards.

    "I just try to stay level-headed," Johnson said. "No matter what happened, I tried to keep my head in the game and kept working hard."

    EMCC took a 7-0 lead on a 29-yard pass from Johnson to Corey Smith just 57 seconds in the game, before Northwest went up 21-7 on touchdown runs of 6 and 4 yards by Damian Baker and a 65-yard pass from Harris to Darreall Joyner.

    The Lions countered with an 8-yard scoring pass from Johnson to Smith and a 1-yard run by Johnson to tie the game at 21-21, before the Rangers retook the lead 28-21 on a 3-yard pass from Harris to Taylor Rotenberry.

    Johnson scored on a 1-yard run on fourth down and then hit Nick Brassell with a 10-yard scoring pass to put the winners up 35-28 at the half.

    Northwest used a 35-yard scoring pass from Harris to Joyner and an 80-yard interception return to go up 42-35 for what would be its last lead of the game.

    Johnson scored on a 14-yard run to tie the game at 42-42 after three quarters of play, before Xavier Hogan scored on a 2-yard run and Johnson hit Martay Mattox with a 23-yard touchdown pass to put the winners up by 14 points. Northwest added a late touchdown on a 4-yard pass from Harris to Cedrick Jackson to make the final score 56-49.