East Central quarterback Holman Edwards breaks through the middle on a keeper during the Warriors' 23-20 overtime loss to Hinds on Oct. 17, 2020 in Decatur.

The East Central Community College football team is still planning on playing a season this fall, athletic director Paul Nixon confirmed.

The presidents of the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference voted July 24 to continue with a shortened football season after the NJCAA decided to move football and the majority of its fall sports to the spring. Last week, East Mississippi Community College announced it was withdrawing from the season due to safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

East Central, however, is still slated to join the 13 other conference schools in competing this semester.

“Of all the years for this to happen, going into this season I really felt really good about our football team. That hasn’t changed,” Warriors head coach Ken Karcher said during MACCC Media Day on Monday. “Obviously there’s going to be some obstacles to work through and challenges, but I think we’ve got a really good nucleus coming back.”

The fall season is set to begin Oct. 1 and consist of a six-game, division-only schedule, followed by a postseason. Schools that take part in the season will become ineligible for bowl games and national championship contention. 

“I think a great challenge is going to be, all the backups have to be ready, because you never know who could come down with the (corona)virus,” Karcher said. “All of a sudden you have four starters out, now you have to have multiple guys ready.”

Nixon said schedules are expected to be released next week.