BOONEVILLE — The suspense in Saturday’s heavyweight showdown between East Mississippi Community College and Northeast Mississippi C.C. lasted about three plays.
No. 3 EMCC recorded three straight tackles for loss on the opening defensive series of the game. No. 12 Northeast then punted to quarterback Bo Wallace and the Lions.
Game over.
Wallace threw for 543 yards and seven touchdowns to help EMCC earn a 63-35 victory before a standing-room only Homecoming crowd at Tiger Stadium.
With the victory, EMCC (6-0, 4-0 MACJC North Division) moved one division win from clinching its third division title in the past four seasons. With a non-division game Saturday, the Lions can clinch a playoff berth with the proper results around the league.
Northeast falls to 5-1 and 3-1.
“We are the No. 3 team in the country,” EMCC sophomore wide receiver Hamp Glover said. “We knew Northeast had a great defense, but we also knew they hadn’t played anybody like us. They really weren’t ready for anything we tried to do.”
In the first quarter, Wallace was 13 of 18 for 316 yards and four touchdowns. The Lions scored on their first six possessions and led 49-14 at halftime.
“I thought we came out ready to play,” EMCC coach Buddy Stephens said. “Our guys had a really great week of preparation. The coaching staff did a tremendous job of putting a plan together to win this game. Credit goes to (assistant) coach (Marcus) Wood and our offensive staff and to coach (William) Jones) and our defensive staff.
“Both staffs did a great job of preparation this week. It really showed when the game started. Everybody knew the importance of this game.”
The three consecutive tackles for loss started Northeast down the wrong path. The Tigers punted out of their end zone and set EMCC up with a short field.
Wallace needed two plays to cover those 44 yards. After a 3-yard rushing loss, Wallace’s first touchdown was a 47-yard strike to Glover.
One possession later, EMCC moved 90 yards on six plays. Wallace had three completions on that march, including a 23-yard scoring strike to JJ Harbin.
Northeast’s third punt of the quarter preceded an 80-yard EMCC scoring drive. This time, Wallace hit Lacoltan Bester on a fly pattern for a 55-yard touchdown. After Northeast punt No. 4, EMCC enjoyed the first of three 74-yard drives. The scoreboard moved again when Wallace hit former Noxubee County standout Termarcus Conner on a 27-yard scoring strike.
“We knew what we had in front of us,” EMCC freshman wide receiver Antoinne Adkins said. “Coaches told us all week to go hard and to not take any plays off. We knew this was the big game. This was the game that was going to lead us to bigger games, games where championships are on the line.”
Northeast had its first highlight in the final minute of the opening quarter, when Deion Belue ripped off a 78-yard kickoff return.
The home momentum was short-lived, as Adkins joined the offensive party with back-to-back touchdowns. The freshman from Meridian capped a 44-yard scoring drive with a 4-yard rushing touchdown, EMCC’s only rushing score of the game.
The EMCC defense then recorded the first of its five takeaways. An interception by Shaquille Fluker put the Lions back in business. On the first play, Wallace hit Adkins for a 74-yard touchdown strike.
Northeast answered with its best offensive drive of the half. Sparked by a change at quarterback, the Tigers moved 74 yards on eight plays. Northeast churned out four first downs before J.R. Jennings hit Taylor Goode in the corner of the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown.
On its seventh possession, EMCC finally faltered. Sophomore place-kicker Taylor Walker, who hit all nine PATs, missed a 33-yard field goal wide right.
Not deterred, the Lions regrouped. On the next possession, EMCC moved 74 yards on seven plays. Wallace hit Harbin again for a 39-yard touchdown catch.
In the opening half, Wallace was 24 of 31 for 512 yards. The Lions didn’t have any turnovers in the first half.
“This is the way our offense has been the last three years,” Stephens said. “It is a system of check downs and reads. It is not just routes, it is a scheme. If the quarterback is not having this kind of success, then we aren’t running our offense. That being said, Bo does run it really well.”
Wallace’s final series was the first one of the second half. In a repeat of the first half, the Lions moved 77 yards on five plays. Wallace hit Glover for a 6-yard touchdown.
After a fumble recovery by JaMichael Myles, the Lions only needed 11 yards for their final touchdown. With Conner running the offense, the sophomore hit Bester for a 13-yard touchdown.
With 11:27 left in the third quarter, the Lions had topped 600 yards while ringing up a 63-14 advantage.
“We really thought they were going to play us four-deep and try to keep us from going deep,” Glover said. “They came out in man coverage and every receiver noticed it. It really surprised us, so we were ready to take advantage of it.”
Jennings threw a pair of touchdowns and rushed for another score, mainly against EMCC reserves, to create the game’s final margin.
EMCC had 22 first downs, 27 rushes for 120 yards, and was 28 of 39 in the air for 556 yards. The Lions finished with a season-best 676 yards of offense.
Northeast had 14 first downs, 32 rushes for 80 yards, and was 11 of 36 for 165 yards. The Tigers had 245 yards of offense.
Each team punted five times. The Lions had nine penalties for 110 yards.
Wallace was 27 of 34 for 543 yards with no interceptions and his second-straight seven-touchdown game. Harbin had six receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Bester had six receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Glover had four receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Adkins had three catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. Moore ran 11 times for 80 yards.
Defensively, Jason Yarbor had an interception and fumble recovery. Fluker and Michael Pack also had interceptions, while Myles had the other fumble recovery. Denico Autry had two sacks, a hurry that led to an interception, and two tackles for loss, while Lauren Jackson had four tackles for loss.
EMCC will step out of division play for a 3 p.m. matchup Saturday at Pearl River Community College. Northeast can secure a playoff berth with a win at North Division rival Coahoma C.C. on Thursday.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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