SCOOBA — It took just over two quarters for East Mississippi Community College to get the gears moving in its season opener.
The No. 6 Lions, despite taking a 3-0 lead into halftime, had been outgained by Copiah-Lincoln, 193-105, in the first 30 minutes of play.
Things were tense, especially since it was the season opener, but EMCC shook off the rust almost immediately in the third.
Starkville product Amariyon Howard scored the first of five Lions touchdowns in the half — an 8-yard TD run within the first four minutes of the third quarter — as EMCC took care of business with a 38-0 shutout victory.
“It was a big deal because it was our first game and we were having trouble running the ball,” Howard said. “Coming back out of halftime, getting a score, getting the team going, I think it played a big part in the game.”
The second half was a complete 180 from the first half as the Lions allowed just 93 yards to Co-Lin while the offense was firing on all cylinders, nearly out-aining the Wolves 3:1.
EMCC’s rushing attack was on point between Howard, quarterback Peter Parrish — who led the Lions with 65 rushing yards on the night — and Kiron Benjamin, who ran for a 2-yard score late in the fourth to make it 38-0.
Four of EMCC’s five touchdowns on the night were scored on the ground, as both Howard and Parrish led the team with two total touchdowns each.
The passing game was incredibly effective in the second half as Parrish executed routes with ease, including catching Starkville product Josh Aka in the seam for a 43-yard touchdown reception.
“I feel like the middle of the field started opening up more in the second half,” Parrish said. “That wasn’t at all what happened in the first half because the corners were dropping down on all the flats, but in the second half, the field opened and that’s when we scored with Josh.”
An underrated part of EMCC’s win was the punting prowess of Cole Arthur, who averaged just under 47 yards per punt on his four punts in the game, including a 58-yarder. He also nailed a 30-yard field goal in the first half, EMCC’s first points of the season.
All four punts pinned Co-Lin within their 20-yard line, which put a long field ahead of the Wolves and made it tough for them to execute.
EMCC’s defense came up just as big, picking off Co-Lin starting quarterback DeVon Tott three times, including twice in the second half.
“Players started making plays on, the defense kept playing, and I think the defense rubbed off on the offense,” EMCC head coach Buddy Stephens said. “I think when the offense came out of the back room at halftime, the defense may have scared them because they were playing lights out.”
It wasn’t just the interceptions that stood out in the victory on the defensive side of the ball. The Lions were able to record four sacks, eight tackles for loss and seven pass breakups on the night.
Tevontae Bond and LaJoshua Jackson led the defense with a sack each in the game to lead the team, but it was truly a team effort from the first snap.
Even with how the first half transpired, being that Co-Lin had numerous opportunities to put pressure on EMCC on the road, the defense stood tall, something to look out for in future weeks with this team.
Heading into a Week 2 matchup on the road against Jones College, the focus is on how the Lions can take that second half momentum and translate it into continued, sustained success for the rest of the season.
“We got our first game out of the way,” Parrish said. “We got all the chills out, all the butterflies out, now we’re just rollin’. We have to start off the first half like how we did in the second half. If we do that, we’re unstoppable.”
Next Thursday’s game is the first of three straight away games for EMCC before returning home at the end of the month to play Northwest Mississippi Community College on Sept. 29.
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