SCOOBA – Readying for their school-first state championship game appearance, several members of East Mississippi’s North Division championship team have been accorded 2009 NJCAA All-Region 23 and MACJC All-North State football honors.
Highlighted by preseason NJCAA All-America quarterback Randall Mackey repeating as the NJCAA’s Region 23 Most Valuable Player, a total of 14 EMCC players garnered either All-Region 23 or All-North State accolades from a collective vote of the state’s head junior college football coaches.
Along with EMCC’s Mackey collecting a second straight Region 23 MVP award, sophomore offensive tackle Quartney Cox also repeated as an NJCAA All-Region 23 performer, as well as being tabbed by the state’s head coaches as the MVP among the North Division’s offensive linemen. This year, the veteran tandem has been joined on the all-region squad by sophomore wide receiver Lance Lewis and freshman return specialist British Footman.
A sophomore from Port Sulphur, La., Mackey presently leads the NJCAA in pass completion percentage (174-of-258 for 67.4%) for the season, along with ranking third nationally in passing yards per game (266.4), tied for fourth with 22 touchdown passes, and third in total offense with an average of 311.4 yards per contest. The 6-foot, 185-pound signal-caller has thrown for 5,216 yards and 46 touchdowns during his two-year EMCC career.
One of nine different Lion players with at least 14 receptions on the year, Lewis currently ranks sixth nationally with 737 receiving yards and is tied for third with 11 touchdown receptions.
Footman, a freshman speedster, was named to this year’s NJCAA All-Region 23 contingent as a kick return specialist after averaging 15.3 yards per punt return in 2009, including two touchdowns, as well as 30.6 yards per kickoff return.
Defensively, EMCC put preseason NJCAA All-Americans Claude Davis and Alvin Ellis on this year’s MACJC All-North State First Team. Davis has registered a team-high 10.5 sacks and 10 other tackles for loss on the year. Ellis leads all EMCC tacklers with 88 total stops as a repeat first-team all-state selection at linebacker.
EMCC also had a total of eight players — four on offense and four on defense — earn second-team status on the MACJC’s 2009 All-North State squad. Offensively, sophomore wide receivers Bill Franks and Stephon Johnson rank first and third on the EMCC team with 40 and 31 catches, respectively. Sophomore running back Pat Shed garnered second-team honors for the second straight year in leading the Lions in rushing again this season (765 yards in 2009 and 772 in 2008). Freshman center Billy Autrey was also voted to the North’s second team.
On the other side of the ball, sophomore defensive end Jermayne Lett was named to the North’s second-team unit after ranking second on the EMCC club with 80 total tackles, including 9.5 sacks and 18 other tackles for loss. Freshman linebacker Dujuan Brown was joined on the second team by Lion defensive backs Anthony Hines and Izauea Lanier who top East Mississippi with six and three interceptions, respectively, on the year.
Sports
EMCC reels in state, region honors
Mackey repeats as Region 23 MVP
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Neel leaving champion War Eagles for Panthers
Eric Neel spent three seasons coach at East Central. The Hornets played in three state championship games.
Neel then coached the past three years at Wayne County, leading the War Eagles to three straight Class 5A fast-pitch state crowns.
And now, he doesn’t see why the same can’t occur at Quitman. After guiding Wayne County to its third straight championship Saturday, Neel resigned his position in Waynesboro on Thursday to replace Kacie Roberson at Quitman. -
Unexpected Honor
Winning a state championship, that Blake McMullen expected.
To be named the Player of the Year in Class 3A by the Mississippi Association of Coaches, that caught the Southeast Lauderdale senior off guard. -
RCA’s Lee and pair of Generals chosen for All-Star tilt
Russell Christian Academy senior Camryn Lee and Newton County Academy duo Clay Upton and Dillon Williams will wrap up their senior seasons today.
The local trio will play in the MAIS All-Star Class A game at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson at 2 p.m. The Class AA-AAA game will follow. -
McFarland named first-team All-American for Jones County
The honors continue to come in for the Jones County Junior College softball program.
Pitcher Ginger Lonergan and centerfielder Relanda McFarland were both named to the NJCAA Division II All-American first-team on Thursday. -
A Family Affair
Five days. Two state titles. One family.
It’d be hard to find a family that had a better week than the one Robbi and Shay Cooper just experienced. -
Roundup — Stephens receives Sekul Award
Adding to his impressive collection of coaching hardware, East Mississippi Community College head football coach Buddy Stephens was presented with the 2011 George Sekul Award during the All-American Football Foundation’s Banquet of Champions held earlier this month at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
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The Drought Is Over
All Mason Irby was hoping for was to find a way on base.
The Southeast Lauderdale sophomore did that and so much more. Irby's single with two outs in the seventh inning broke a tie, lifting the Tigers to a 6-3 MHSAA Class 3A state championship win at Smith-Wills Stadium on Wednesday, and handing Southeast (32-7) its first title since 1966. -
Ramey shines again, hurls Tigers to MHSAA Class 3A crown
The bar was set pretty high.
After all, Southeast Lauderdale senior right-hander Colby Ramey needed just 65 pitches to beat Kossuth in Game 1 of the MHSAA Class 3A state championship game Thursday.
However, according to fellow senior Blake McMullen, Ramey cleared the hurdle Wednesday when he scattered eight hits on 104 pitches to finish off the Aggies in a 6-3 state championship-clinching win at Smith-Wills Stadium on Wednesday. -
Southeast wins MHSAA Class 3A Championsip
Slideshow from the MHSAA Class 3A state championship game between Southeast Lauderdale and Kossuth.
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Briarwood to host Emerald Coast Golf Tour in June
Professional golf is coming to Meridian.
The Emerald Coast Golf Tour will be holding the Meridian Pro-Am Classic at Briarwood Country Club June 26-29. - More Sports Headlines
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