East Central Community College freshman linebacker Pat Walker out of North Forrest High School in Hattiesburg smothers a Pearl River Community College running back during first-half action Thursday.

POPLARVILLE — The East Central Community College Warriors converted three turnovers into 13 points en route to a 20-3 road win over the Pearl River Community College Wildcats Thursday.

The win earned the Warriors their first appearance in the state playoffs since 2001. ECCC finished second in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges South Division and qualifies for the state playoffs.

As the No. 2 seed from the South, the Warriors will travel to Scooba Saturday, Oct. 31, to face the MACJC North Division champion East Mississippi Community College Lions. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. from Sullivan-Windham Field.

ECCC’s last playoff appearance was in 2001, a 10-7 loss to Mississippi Delta Community College. The Warriors finished the regular season 7-2 overall, the best win-loss record for the Warriors since 1999. The Warriors finished 4-2 in MACJC South Division play. Pearl River finished 2-7 overall and 1-5 in the South Division.

EMCC has won the last two state and National Junior College Athletic Association national championships.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, the No. 1 seed from the South Division, will host Northwest Mississippi Community College, the No. 2 seed from the North, in the other semifinal game.

The Warriors got the scoring started against Pearl River with a 51-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Jesse Hosket to a wide-open Henri Murphy. The freshman wide receiver out of Dollarway High School in Pine Bluff, Ark., caught the ball on the run at the 10-yard line and coasted in for the score. The point after kick by sophomore Aaron Garrett out of Meridian High School was good, and ECCC led 7-0 with 3:29 to go in the first quarter. The drive covered 86 yards in eight plays.

Pearl River pulled to within 7-3 midway through the second quarter with a 22-yard field goal.

ECCC extended its lead moments later when sophomore linebacker Demetrius Gooden out of Newton County High School recovered a Wildcat fumble on the Pearl River 7-yard line. The next play, Hosket, a product of French Camp Academy, tossed a seven-yard touchdown to sophomore wide receiver Kabion Ento, also out of Dollarway High School. Garrett’s kick put the Warriors up 14-3 late in the second quarter.

The Warriors took advantage of another Pearl River turnover late in the third quarter. Freshman cornerback Torran Davis, a product of Red Bank High School in Chattanooga, Tenn., recovered a Wildcat fumble at the Pearl River 13. Four plays later, Garrett converted a 23-yard field goal, and ECCC led 17-3.

Garrett added another field goal on the second play of the fourth quarter, this time from 36-yards out, and the Warriors’ lead was extended to 20-3. An interception by sophomore defensive back Jaylon Lofton out of Forest High School set up the kick.

It was the Warriors’ first win over Pearl River since 2008.

Hosket finished the game 19 of 34 passing for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman running back Tredarian Gamble, a product of Oxford High School (Ala.), had 130 yards rushing on 23 carries. Gamble was the MACJC Football Offensive Player of the Week for his play last week.