Lions roll past Trojans

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East Mississippi Community College quarterback, Quez Johnson carries the ball for a gain before being corralled by the Mississippi Delta Community College defense Thursday night in Scooba. Paula Merritt
East Mississippi Community College's Rodriguez Moore tries to cut across the middle as Mississippi Delta Community College defenders attempt to tackle him Thursday night in Scooba. Paula Merritt
East Mississippi Community College's Nick Brassell tries to get around the end after a pass reception against Mississippi Delta Community College Thursday night in Scooba. Paula Merritt

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September 21, 2012

Lions roll past Trojans

By Jamie Wachter / Sports Editor The Meridian Star The Meridian Star Fri Sep 21, 2012, 06:30 AM CDT

SCOOBA —     As if there weren't enough weapons on the East Mississippi Community College offense, the Lions added another Thursday night.

   Adding another dimension to the attack, freshman quarterback Quez Johnson hurt the Mississippi Delta defense running the ball in addition to passing at Sullivan-Windham Field and the No. 4 Lions rolled 56-0 in their MACJC North Division opener to stay unbeaten at 4-0.

   “That's something that we planned,” EMCC coach Buddy Stephens said. “Early in the season we didn't want him running, we were trying to work on fundamentals and taking one thing at a time. This week was the time to add in letting him read that end, and it was part of the offense that we decided to add and he does it very well.”

   And one week after setting a new Stephens era total offense record with 786 yards against Southwest Mississippi, the Lions managed just 521 yards but did score on their first five possessions as they pulled away early.

   Johnson, who was leading the state with 885 yards passing, hit his first four passes, including a 22-yarder to Rodriguez Moore on third down, as the Lions quickly marched down the field on the game's initial drive. The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder then finished the drive with a 4-yard scoring run with 11:55 remaining in the quarter.

   He wasn't done. Picking up where he left off on the first drive, Johnson hit four of five passes on the next possession, including a 21-yard toss to Billy Shed on a third down and EMCC again quickly ripped through the Delta (0-4) defense. Facing a third-and-5 from the Trojans 22, Johnson broke free for a 13-yard run on a quarterback draw. Three plays later, he found Nick Brassell on a 9-yard score.

   “It was part of the gameplan but they also were playing a lot of man coverage and that opened up some holes and I was just trying to get what I could,” Johnson said.

   The Lions continued the early assault as they scored again with 2:29 remaining in the first quarter as Johnson added his second touchdown run, this time from 4 yards out. He finished with 55 yards on six carries. And after Meridian product and Georgia commit Shaquille Fluker intercepted a Delta pass at the Trojans 35, EMCC added one more score before the quarter ended as Lakenderic Thomas ran in untouched from 2 yards away.

   Armed with the early lead that continued to bulge, the Lions defense swarmed Delta. The Trojans managed just five first downs in the first half – one coming on a fake punt – and 117 yards of offense. For the game, Delta ended with 195 yards of offense and eight first downs.

   “When you're able to be consistent early, and score three, four, five times, that puts a lot of pressure on the other team,” Stephens said. “If we can make sure that we put that kind of pressure on them each week, it does a really good job of making them be impatient.

   “Our defense played really, really well. Having a great defense, and I really think our defense is great, allows you to be stupid sometimes on offense.”

   Added Johnson: “It's a whole lot easier with them dominating, but it'd be a whole lot more fun if we'd get to play a little longer. But that's the downside a little bit to being good.”

   It was the first shutout for EMCC - which barely missed the past two weeks against East Central and Southwest Mississippi, both games allowing scores in the fourth quarter – since routing Delta 54-0 last season on homecoming. The Lions also shutout Northeast Mississippi in 2008, Stephens' first season at EMCC.

   Even in pitching the shutout, though, EMCC's defense wasn't flawless. The Lions were unable to hang on to a handful of passes that were nearly intercepted and that is something Stephens said EMCC must clean up.

   “That's something we thought we may get them a little velcro this weekend,” he said. “I don't know what's going to happen, but we've got to do a good job of getting those guys (to hang on). In big games, you have to make those and in big games, those are gamechangers.”

   Moore added the Lions' final touchdown in the first half as the sophomore running back that led the team with 68 yards on nine carries, scored from 10 yards out. Johnson then hit Shed for a 7-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter before his day ended as he completed 21 of 38 passes for 226 yards. Backup Dontreall Pruitt finished 5 of 11 for 75 yards and a touchdown as the two completed passes to nine different receivers. Southeast Lauderdale product LeDarious Clark also scored on a 1-yard run.

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