SCOOBA – Having reached the midway point of the MACCC’s regular-season football schedule, the Lions of East Mississippi Community College are set to close out their brief two-game home stand by playing host to the Coahoma Community College Tigers as part of Saturday’s EMCC Homecoming festivities on the Scooba campus. Kickoff for the MACCC North Division contest is set for 2 p.m. at Sullivan-Windham Field.
Saddled with a 1-3 overall record through the season’s first four games for the first time since starting 0-3 during their 5-5 campaign in 2010, the EMCC Lions are looking for their first divisional win of the year after dropping back-to-back MACCC North decisions at now-No. 10 Northwest Mississippi (33-14) and at home to Itawamba (36-34) the past two weeks. In interdivisional play to begin the season, EMCC bounced back from a 34-28 season-opening home setback to now-No. 4 Mississippi Gulf Coast with a 43-3 road victory at Hinds the following week.
The Lions will also be aiming for their first home win of the season during Saturday’s homecoming contest against Coahoma. Despite having dropped consecutive home decisions for the first time since moving to the current Sullivan-Windham Field location back in 2011, EMCC still owns an impressive 60-7 (.896) composite home record under head coach Buddy Stephens during the past 14 years.
Guided by second-year head football coach and former Ole Miss All-America offensive lineman Terrence Metcalf, the 2024 Coahoma Tigers are eyeing their first win of the season after falling to Copiah-Lincoln (47-0), Jones (31-16), Holmes (42-23) and Northwest Mississippi (35-16), which are all ranked among the nation’s top-15 teams in the current NJCAA Division I football poll. Coahoma is led by 6-foot-3, dual-threat quarterback Ashton Strother, who has totaled 608 passing yards over his last three games and ranks as the team’s leading rusher with 108 net rushing yards on the year. The transfer from Missouri Baptist University via Memphis’ Christian Brothers High School has accounted for five touchdowns (3 pass & 2 rush) this season. The Tigers also have a scoring threat in kicker/punter Damian Gonzalez, who currently ranks second in NJCAA Division I football with seven made field goals (in 10 attempts) this season, including a pair of successful 53-yard kicks against Jones during Week 2.
The Lions are unbeaten (15-0) in EMCC Homecoming contests during the Stephens era, including last year’s 38-31 Homecoming victory over Northeast Mississippi in a battle of top-15 teams. Saturday’s homecoming matchup between the Lions and Tigers will mark the earliest date for an EMCC Homecoming since EMCC claimed a 48-24 victory over Itawamba during Homecoming 2015 on Sept. 26.
Saturday’s EMCC-Coahoma homecoming contest will be live-streamed at www.EMCCLive.com with Jason Crowder calling the game’s play-by-play action. John King and EMCC head men’s basketball coach Billy Begley are set to handle the color commentary and sideline reporting duties, respectively.
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