SENATOBIA — The East Mississippi Community College football team found Lakenderic Thomas again Thursday night.
Thomas hadn’t been missing. He was still a vocal leader, and even showed up recently signing his order at the drive-through window of a McDonald’s on the EMCC YouTube Channel.
However, on this night at Bobby Franklin Field, the former West Point High School standout was back doing what he does best for the team: running the football.
Thomas amassed a career-high 200 rushing yards and No. 2 EMCC scored 51 third-quarter points to rout Northwest Mississippi C.C. 79-7 in a Mississippi Association of Junior and Community Colleges North Division game.
“We had fun tonight,” Thomas said. “We faced some real adversity for the first time this year. When adversity hits, big-time players step up and make big-time plays. I wanted to be one of those big-time playing making those big-time plays.”
The victory helped EMCC earn its sixth-straight playoff berth under Buddy Stephens. The Lions also garnered at least a share of the North Division championship for the fifth time in six seasons.
EMCC (8-0, 5-0 North Division) will face No. 20 Itawamba C.C. (6-2, 4-1) on Thursday night in Scooba for the top-seed in the North Division and a chance to play host to a first-round MACJC state playoff game Nov. 2.
ICC secured the other playoff berth from the division Thursday night by beating Northeast Mississippi C.C. 36-33 in Fulton.
In recent years, the EMCC-Northwest rivalry had developed into one of the state’s best. The last five meetings had been decided by eight points or less. Early Thursday night, the game appeared headed in the same direction.
Northwest (1-7, 1-5) scored early in the second quarter and forced a 7-7 tie. It was the first points allowed in a first half this season by EMCC. It also was the first time the Lions had been tied with an opponent.
Finally, the on-switch was thrown and the Lions scored three touchdowns in the final 6 minutes, 19 seconds of the half to take a 28-7 halftime lead.
“We played so lackluster in the first half,” Stephens said. “We didn’t do a whole lot. We didn’t do a lot to prove that we are the No. 2 team in the nation. Everybody was focused much better in the second half. In a lot of ways, it looked like we came back out as an entirely different team.”
EMCC still had 389 yards in the opening half and had appeared to turn the momentum late in the half. Northwest was driving for a second game-tying touchdown when it fumbled on the EMCC 5-yard line. Benny McCall made the fumble recovery. The Lions then marched 95 yards for a 21-7 lead on the first of two Todd Mays’ rushing touchdowns.
Despite having an outmanned opponent down, the Lions were encouraged to play better in the second half.
“Halftime was not fun,” Thomas said. “We knew we had to go out and finish. Basically we were told to go out there and play hard. We were told to look like the No. 2 team in the nation. I think most people get what was said.”
Any ill feeling from a chaotic, unorganized first half got lost in the third quarter in the fog hovering above the stadium. EMCC scored a school-record 51 points in that quarter with seven offensive touchdowns and a safety. The Lions scored four touchdowns in 4:02. EMCC then fumbled a fifth touchdown away on the Northwest 1. After that, the safety followed, as did three more touchdowns in the final 3:42 of the quarter.
“I have never seen anything like that,” Thomas said. “Not on TV, not in person. It was unreal. I don’t know how it happened, but I am loving it.”
In the third quarter, the Lions had interceptions by Demetrius Cain and Justin Lucas, a fumble recovery by D.J. Jones, a recovery of an unfielded kickoff, a punt block by former Columbus Falcon Quan Latham, and a 37-yard punt return by J.T. Tolbert, which moved the ball to the Northwest 1.
The teams then decided to play with a 10-minute running clock in the fourth quarter.
EMCC finished with 641 yards and 28 first downs. Quarterback Dontreal Pruitt matched a school-record with seven passing touchdowns. The feat has been accomplished seven times — twice by Pruitt — by four quarterbacks.
“We are trying to perfect the little things,” Thomas said. “We are making our mistakes now because when the playoffs get here we want to be perfect. We are having fun and learning. That is a good combination.”
With a playoff berth clinched, all focus can turn toward the national championship race. EMCC needs three more wins to complete an undefeated run through the MACJC and set up a chance to play for its second national title in three seasons.
“We have three more games to win, to get to play a fourth game,” Stephens said. “The kids know what is at stake. If we don’t win the next three games, the season really doesn’t mean anything.”
Follow Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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