SCOOBA — East Mississippi Community College sophomore Daniel Crowell never doubted his ability to play on a high level.
However, confirmation is always good for any athlete.
Crowell felt his way around the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) for about a month last season. Stardom then found his way.
Now a grizzled veteran, Crowell and the second-ranked Lions open the 2017 season Thursday night against Jones Junior College.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. from Sullivan-Windham Field in Scooba.
“It’s a different game that is for sure,” Crowell said. “The coaches have a lot of confidence in me and I got a lot of playing time last year. That really helps getting ready for this season. As sophomores, you quickly become the leaders on the team. I am just trying to help some of the new guys adjust. They are going through what I went through last year.”
Crowell appeared in 11 games with 14 catches for 159 yards with three touchdowns. He is the team’s second-leading returning receiver.
A year ago, De’Andre Johnson and Vijay Miller were throwing the passes. Johnson is now at Florida Atlantic and Miller signed a professional baseball offer sheet with the San Diego Padres.
LSU transfer Lindsey Scott, Jr., and former Noxubee County standout Timorrius Conner are expecting to share reps at quarterback.
It will also be the debut of new offensive coordinator David Boykin.
While the quarterbacking style has changed, Crowell expects the results to be the same.
“This offense will be able to score a lot of points,” Crowell said. “Even though we have a lot of new faces, the expectations remain the same. We expected quick scoring drives and we expect guys making plays all over the field.”
Last season, EMCC dropped a 27-25 decision to Jones in the season opener. The Lions only dressed 32 players due to suspensions handed out from the final game of the 2015 regular season.
EMCC would regroup from the loss to win its final 11 games. The Lions won their fifth MACJC state championship in eight seasons, while finishing second in the nation – ironically the same spot they begin the new season.
“We felt like we were paying a price the entire season,” Crowell said. “Even though that first game didn’t go our way, we competed our tails off. After that, we just wanted to win as many games as we could to see if we could wind up No. 1. We fell just a little bit short. That doesn’t take away from how good we were. When everybody on the team played, we were undefeated. So we felt like we were as good as anybody else in the nation. I think that’s a huge motivation for this season.
“There are no obstacles other than ones we create ourselves.”
The quest for a seventh straight MACJC North Division championship will be daunting. The preseason NJCAA Top 20 also includes division rivals Northwest Mississippi Community College (No. 6), Northeast Mississippi Community College (No. 9) and Holmes Community College (No. 11).
“Every team has players,” Crowell said. “That is the biggest thing I learned last season. Each team has players trying to make it to Division I. You can’t take a play off. The play you take off is when someone else makes a highlight against you. You have to go hard all of the time because the guys on the other team will go hard all the time.”
Under 10th-year head coach Buddy Stephens, EMCC has always gone hard. This season, the Lions have no preseason obstacles. The chance at a fourth national title in seven seasons is legitimate.
“We have been waiting since last season ended,” Crowell said. “Two years doesn’t seem like a long time. It is up to us. We want to go back and play for a (national) championship.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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