Even though it didn’t play, Tuesday was still a big day for the East Mississippi Community College football team.
The undefeated Lions moved to No. 2 in the latest NJCAA top 20 released Tuesday. EMCC (10-0) trails No. 1 Arizona Western College (10-0) by five points (137-132). Arizona Western secured four of seven first-place votes. EMCC had one, as did No. 3 Butler C.C. (9-1) and No. 4 Grand Rapids C.C. (10-0).
“We are very pleased to be second in the nation this week,” EMCC fourth-year coach Buddy Stephens said. “However, there is unfinished business left. We still have two games to be played. Where we are ranked after those two games is what matters most.”
EMCC will take on No. 5 Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. (9-1) at 2 p.m. Saturday for the MACJC state championship at Sullivan-Windham Field on the EMCC campus. Gulf Coast is the defending state champion, while EMCC won its only state championship in school history in 2009.
While the paramount goal is winning that game, EMCC is in position to play for a first national championship. There is no playoff system in junior college football. Instead, eight bowl games will be played.
Ranked No. 16 in the preseason, EMCC had been ranked third nationally in each of the past five polls. This week’s bump came after former No. 1 Blinn College (9-1) lost to Tyler Junior College 37-34 in overtime. Arizona Western survived a tight game as well, knocking off No. 19 Snow College 14-7.
“The polling process is not perfect,” Stephens said. “All you can do is control what is in front of you. We just have to work hard, prepare hard and be ready to play. I think our kids are really looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
EMCC defeated Gulf Coast 34-30 in the season-opening game for each team. Gulf Coast bounced back from that defeat to post nine straight victories, including an undefeated run through South Division play. EMCC won the North Division for the third time in four seasons.
With a victory Saturday, EMCC can match the school record for wins in a season. Stephens carried the Lions to an 11-1 overall record during the state championship run in 2009.
The Mississippi state champion receives an automatic invite to the Mississippi Bowl. Hosted by Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, the Mississippi Bowl is played on Dec. 4 at Biloxi High School’s Indians Stadium.
Since the junior college bowl process is a bid process, it is possible the Mississippi Bowl could attract Arizona Western for a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In last season’s Mississippi Bowl, then-No. 7 Gulf Coast defeated then-No. 3 Grand Rapids, 62-53.
EMCC beat Arizona Western 27-24 when the teams were ranked sixth and fifth, respectively, in the 2009 Mississippi Bowl.
“You want to play in postseason games,” Stephens said. “That was a unique opportunity for our program. We look forward to our next challenge. However, that comes after we play a mighty-fine Gulf Coast team. We will have our hands full, and will have to play well to win.”
Other NJCAA football bowl games slated for this year include: Graphic Edge Bowl (Nov. 20 in Cedar Falls, Iowa), Valley of the Sun Bowl (Dec. 3 in Phoenix, Ariz.), C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl (Dec. 3 in Copperas Cove, Texas), Zions Bank Top of the Mountains Bowl (Dec. 3 in Salt Lake City, Utah), Salt City Bowl (Dec. 3 in Hutchinson, Kan.), El Toro Bowl (Dec. 3 in Yuma, Ariz.), and Citizen’s Bank Bowl (Dec. 4 in Pittsburg, Kan.).
It’s likely Saturday’s state championship game loser also will receive an at-larger berth to one of the bowl games.
This is the second time in three years EMCC has been ranked second in the nation. The 2009 squad was rated that high before losing a 43-26 regular-season game to Gulf Coast. Famed coach Bob “Bull” Sullivan also had a second-ranked team in his first season (1950). The Lions also were as high as third in 1963 and 1964.
Arizona Western will close its regular season Saturday with a home game against Mesa Community College. The Wildcats secured their third straight Arizona Community College Athletic Conference WSFL title with the win against Snow. In an earlier meeting this year, Arizona Western defeated Mesa 42-0. There is no state playoff, so the Mesa contest will be Arizona Western’s final pre-bowl contest.
There are four undefeated teams nationwide: Arizona Western, EMCC, Grand Rapids (10-0), and No. 10 Rochester Community & Technical College (11-0).
No. 20 Hinds C.C. (7-3) also is ranked in this week’s poll.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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