EMCC’s season over after team disqualified

Published 4:04 am Saturday, October 24, 2015

By From staff reports

The East Mississippi Community College football team has been disqualified from postseason games following a benches-clearing brawl during Thursday night’s game at Mississippi Delta Community College.

Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges Commissioner Jim Southward released a statement Friday announcing EMCC’s disqualification following the incident that took place just before halftime of Thursday’s game. The Lions were leading 48-0 at the time, and the game was called immediately following the brawl. The altercation occurred with just 59 seconds remaining in the second quarter and lasted several minutes.

“Both schools will have to adhere to the NJCAA ejection policy which states ‘mandatory ejection and removal from the venue for any bench personnel other than the head coach who leaves the bench or designated warm up area when a fight may break out or has brown out,’” the statement reads.

It goes on to say the penalty is a two-game suspension “to be served during the next two regularly schedule or postseason contests. Suspension of a coach or player at the end of a season of play shall carry over to the next season.”

EMCC President Thomas M. Huebner Jr. issued a statement Friday afternoon saying the suspension would affect the scheduled playoff matchup with East Central Community College Oct. 31, as well as the 2016 season opener for all returning players. It also effectively ends the Lions’ quest for an NJCAA championship, of which it has won three of the past four.

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“We are currently considering all of our options for appealing this decision,” Huebner’s statement said.

With EMCC now disqualified, ECCC will travel to Northwest Mississippi Community College for the opening round of the MACJC playoffs Oct. 31. Northwest was named the new No. 1 seed from the North Division, replacing EMCC. ECCC is the No. 2 seed from the South Division.

The Lions were 7-1 entering Friday’s shortened contest against Mississippi Delta.

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