SCOOBA — Looking to avenge their lone regular-season setback of the 2008 football campaign, the sixth-ranked Lions of East Mississippi begin a three-game home stand Thursday by playing host to No. 14 Jones County at 7 p.m. at Sullivan-Windham Field.

  Coach Buddy Stephens’ Lions are 1-0 on the season after claiming a 27-13 road triumph against Copiah-Lincoln last Thursday in Wesson. Ranked 14th in the preseason in the NJCAA/ JC Football.com Top 25, the Bobcats of Jones County dropped a 21-7 decision at Itawamba a week ago.

  Aiming for their first victory over a JCJC football team since earning a 41-33 road win against the Bobcats in the 1996 season opener, the Lions are also seeking revenge for last year’s 23-19 loss at Jones County. The four-point road setback to seventh-ranked Jones County a year ago marked EMCC’s lone defeat during an 8-1 regular season which resulted in an MACJC North Division championship and the school’s first state playoff appearance since 1984.

  During last week’s season opener at Copiah-Lincoln, East Mississippi bolted to a 20-0 first-half lead en route to the two-touchdown victory. Preseason All-American Randall Mackey threw for a pair of touchdowns and 85 yards on 11-of-21 passing, while sophomore running back Pat Shed of Starkville registered his fourth career 100-yard rushing effort with 101 yards and two scores on 19 carries. The reigning NJCAA Region 23 Offensive MVP, Mackey completed passes to eight different Lion receivers on the evening.

Defensively to open the 2009 campaign, the Lions limited Co-Lin to just 39 net rushing yards on 25 attempts. The Wolves did manage to complete 21-of-36 passes for 218 yards and a pair of scoring strikes through the air.  

Thursday’s EMCC-JCJC contest will be broadcast by WFCA-FM radio (107.9) with Jason Crowder set to describe the play-by-play action and Glen Beard slated to provide the color analysis. The game can be heard online at EMCC’s Web site — http://athletics.eastms.edu — or by logging onto www.wfca108.com.