SCOOBA — Whether it has been in high school, senior college football or junior college football, former Starkville High standout Raphael Leonard has been all about making plays.
Leonard earned his name as an All-State wide receiver at Starkville High. A brief stint followed at Florida Atlantic. Now, he is racking up the honors as a standout wide receiver at East Mississippi Community College.
Leonard’s final junior college game will be at 2 p.m. Sunday when No. 3 EMCC (10-1) takes on No. 13 Kilgore (Texas) College (6-5) in the Mississippi Bowl at A.L. May Stadium on the campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. in Perkinston.
“It has been an incredible year,” Leonard said. “A lot of people don’t fully respect or understand junior college football. This opportunity has been a real blessing. The team has had a lot of success, and I have grown even more as a person. It’s been a meaningful experience.”
Leonard enters the game with 22 receptions for 321 yards and a team-leading six touchdowns. Those numbers were good enough for second-team All-State honors in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC).
“The offense here is everything that everybody made it out to be,” Leonard said. “What you saw (in “Last Chance U,” a Netflix documentary) is what you really get. We have a lot of playmakers, and we have guys who want the ball. They will go up and make plays. With the hurry-up, up-tempo we like to do, everybody is going to get opportunities. You just have to make the most of your chances.”
EMCC’s 55-player roster usually is usually a mix of talented home-grown talent and out-of-state transfers from Division I programs. The school is allowed eight out-of-state signees, most of whom are typically Division I transfers. Leonard is unique in that he is from the area and a Division I transfer.
“The biggest challenge is chemistry,” Leonard said. “We have guys from all over the country. You have people from different backgrounds but everybody can play. Guys are only here for two years or in some cases, one year, so you have to learn how to play together on the fly.
“It’s not really a lot of teaching of the game. Everybody here is good and has played on a high level. It’s putting the pieces together. That’s the challenge. Once it starts clicking, there really is now slowing us down.”
EMCC’s biggest piece was Florida State transfer De’Andre Johnson. While earning MACJC Player of Year honors, Johnson dominated the league with 2,483 passing yards and 25 touchdowns (six interceptions). He enters the junior college signing period later this month as the nation’s top junior college prospect.
Johnson was removed from the Florida State football program after an off-the-field altercation. In Scooba, Johnson sat out the 2015 season. Leonard said he quickly formed a bond with Johnson.
“He was our leader in every sense of the word,” Leonard said. “I learned a lot about the game from him, but I also learned a lot about adversity. I can’t imagine going a season without football. He did that and really grew up and matured. You can learn a lot about perseverance from being around him and going to work with him every day.”
EMCC is averaged 45.8 points per game. The Lions have won 10-straight games since losing to Jones Junior College with a reduced roster in the season opener. Leonard played in the opener but Johnson didn’t.
As the season progressed, EMCC’s offense found its rhythm. The Lions averaged 508.5 yards per game. Johnson and short-yardage specialist Vijay Miller hit 16 receivers for catches.
EMCC’s wasn’t totally dominant like its 2013 and 2014 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national championship squads. It had narrow escapes against Itawamba C.C. and Holmes C.C. in the regular season.
The path to a fifth state championship in Buddy Stephens’ eight seasons as head coach included a 27-24 victory against Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. and a 38-30 victory against Northwest Mississippi C.C.
“I think this team is battle tested,” Leonard said. “We have had to work really hard to win some games. When there is doubt late in a game, you could sense the confidence in Johnson. You could sense the confidence in the coaches. We were always ready to make that play when the team needed it the most.”
Leonard will also be highly sought after when the season ends. He is on pace to complete degree work this month and should be in a third college football home in four or five weeks.
“The recruiting process has been good,” Leonard said. “It’s great to be giving everybody a look. That is the thing about the coaches here. They are going to get the job done. They do everything in their power to make it work for you. You know you are going to get exposure, win games, and have a chance to play on the next level.
“It’s an exciting time for everybody. We are looking forward to one final game together.”
Unfortunately for EMCC, that final game won’t involve a national championship. EMCC will play in its fourth Mississippi Bowl. The last two trips to the Gulf Coast for the event ended in a national championship. This time, EMCC will play to bolster its national ranking and, possibly, move up to No. 2 in the final poll.
“The coaches always stress controlling what we can control,” Leonard said. “The rankings are in our hands, and we knew that. We feel like we had the best team in the country. However, all we can control is playing the game on the field. We just have to go out and play our best Sunday and send a statement. That is the best we can do.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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