Coaches frequently talk about different matchups being the key to victory.
At 2 p.m. Sunday at the sixth Mississippi Bowl in Biloxi, the contrasting styles of No. 1 Georgia Military College and No. 2 East Mississippi Community College will determine the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship.
“It’s the biggest game of our lives, and we are excited about playing,” EMCC sophomore running back Lakenderic Thomas said. “This is the last time for all of us to play together, so we want to make it as special as we can. This is our chance to show everyone nationally what kind of team we have.”
GMC and EMCC — both 11-0 — are the final two undefeated teams in the junior college ranks. EMCC is looking for its second 12-0 season in three years. Playing as the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior College state champions, EMCC returns to the Mississippi Bowl for the first time since a 27-24 victory against Arizona Western College in 2009.
“For the state of Mississippi, this is a very big game,” EMCC sixth-year coach Buddy Stephens said. “When we played for the first national championship (in Arizona in 2011), our fans had a long way to travel. This year is much different. It is an easy ride to make. To have the national championship decided in our state is a very big deal, and our school is extremely proud to be a part of it.”
While both teams have dominated this season, each has achieved its success by taking different avenues. GMC leads the nation with an average of 293.5 rushing yards per game. Freshman Jovon Robinson leads the nation with 31 touchdowns and 195.4 yards per game.
“You can already tell this will be the best team we have faced all season,” EMCC sophomore linebacker Christian Russell said. “We are ready, though. We have been working toward this game the entire season. Our goal from the beginning of the year was to play this game and to be able to do it in our state. We are ready to get going.”
GMC won by 16 or more points in nine of its 11 games. The Bulldogs won their final three games by a combined 142 points. GMC had a seven-point win over ASA and a 10-point victory against Iowa Western C.C. Those victories came in September.
“Georgia Military has some outstanding athletes,” Stephens said. “Our challenge will be to keep them in long-distance situations. They will attempt to control the clock and the tempo of the game. Our goal will be to prevent that.”
While GMC will attempt to control the clock and the chains, EMCC will do the opposite.
Led by sophomore quarterback Dontreal Pruitt, EMCC leads the nation with averages of 63.5 points and 611.1 ypg.
Pruitt has completed 66.2 percent of his passes for 3,599 yards and 42 touchdowns. The yardage and touchdowns rank second. Due to a large margin of victory, Pruitt didn’t play the second half of several games.
EMCC won its 11 games by 55.5 points per game. EMCC’s closest game was a 45-28 victory against Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. in the MACJC semifinals.
“Without question, the best team we have face all season,” GMC coach Bert Williams said. “If you look at the statistics, you just think they throw the ball over the field. When you look at the tape, you realize what makes the (EMCC) offense go. They have a smart, play-making quarterback and they have eight or nine receivers, who could play at very high-level senior college.”
When putting together a game plan for EMCC, it is safe bet GMC coaches will look at the MGCCC-EMCC matchup in the MACJC semifinals.
Led by Antwan Wells, MGCCC featured the state’s best rushing attack. Wells led the state with 864 rushing yards in the regular season. MGCCC ran for 301 yards per game as a team. The Bulldogs used their ball-control offense to take a 14-7 halftime lead. The Lions pulled ahead with 10 points in the third quarter and then scored four touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
“Even though we didn’t play any ranked teams in the regular season, we felt like the two playoff games (MGCCC and a 61-24 victory against Jones Junior College in the state championship) really got us ready to play against elite competition,” Russell said. “We feel like whether it’s a rushing team or passing team, we will find a way to get some turnovers and change the game.”
While the defense also had a stellar season, Pruitt is ready to lead the offense in the biggest game of his career. While GMC slows the play, EMCC again will look for two-minute scoring drives and to be as quick as possible.
“Every week, we feel like the biggest challenge is for us to be ourselves,” Pruitt said. “If we play our game, we feel like we can beat anybody. That is how you want to feel when you play for a championship. We are ready for this moment. It’s our time to show what kind of team we have.”
Follow Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.