National championships are something East Mississippi Community College football has gotten used to over the past 15 years.
During that time, the Lions have won five national championships, all since 2011, and have gone 5-0 in national championship games, the best winning percentage in the history of junior college football.
Wednesday night will mark EMCC’s sixth national title game, as the Lions are set to take on Iowa Western CC at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Ark., looking to keep their perfect title-game record intact..
As part of the preview for Wednesday’s game, The Dispatch looks back at EMCC’s five previous national title games.
2011: EMCC 55, Arizona Western College 47 (El Toro Bowl)
The 2011 season began the national championship run for the Lions, taking down Arizona Western College, 55-47, in the El Toro Bowl in Yuma, Arizona.
EMCC quarterback Bo Wallace was the star of the show, throwing for 460 yards and seven touchdowns in the win, one of four times he threw for seven touchdowns that season.
Wallace went on to break the National Junior College Athletic Association single-season passing touchdown record in that game, and broke NJCAA records for most passing yards and total offense earlier in the season.
The Lions (12-0) led 34-13 at half and their high-powered offense dictated the game from start to finish, despite a late comeback effort from Arizona Western, capping off their first perfect season in program history.
2013: EMCC 52, Georgia Military College 32 (Mississippi Bowl VI)
After attaining perfection in 2011, EMCC repeated the feat in 2013, winning a second national championship and earning a second perfect season in three years, blowing out Georgia Military College by 20 points at Mississippi Bowl VI in Biloxi.
Despite being down 16-14 after the first quarter, the Lions (12-0) outscored the Bulldogs, 38-16, over the final three quarters of play.
It was a balanced offensive attack for EMCC as Dontreal Pruitt threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns, while the Lions ran for 265 on the ground, led by Lakenderic Thomas, who had 248 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, Jimmie Gipson III stole the show, recording four sacks, five tackles for loss and a forced fumble as EMCC allowed 355 yards of total offense to Georgia Military but limited their scoring.
2014: EMCC 34, Iowa Western CC 17 (Mississippi Bowl VII)
EMCC officially reached dynasty status in 2014, winning its third national championship (and perfect season) in four years with a 34-17 win over Iowa Western at Mississippi Bowl VII in Biloxi.
The Lions (12-0) forced five Iowa Western turnovers – three interceptions and two fumbles – and allowed 191 yards of total offense to the Reivers.
Quan Latham led EMCC defensively with two interceptions and a forced fumble in the win, followed closely by Allen Sentimore, who had an interception and forced fumble of his own.
Quarterback Chad Kelly stole the show offensively, completing just over 75 percent of his passes for 434 yards and five touchdowns, two of those to Camion Patrick, who had seven receptions for 118 yards on the day.
2017: EMCC 31, Arizona Western College 28 (Mississippi Bowl X)
For the first time in a national championship game, EMCC was out-gained offensively, with Arizona Western recording nearly 140 more yards of total offense.
Despite just 246 yards of total offense, a key turnover that was the turning point in a 31-28 win at Mississippi Bowl X, the school’s fourth national championship in seven years.
Up 7-0 after a 13-yard touchdown pass from Lindsey Scott Jr. to Dontario Drummond, a 49-yard pick-six from Ty Williams doubled the EMCC lead in the first quarter, and presented Arizona Western with a 14-0 hole to climb out of.
EMCC’s offensive stats weren’t quite indicative of its overall performance as a special teams play in the third quarter, a 54-yard kickoff return from Brandon Rodgers, gave EMCC a short field to work with, which they cashed in with a touchdown to go up 28-14.
The closest the Matadors got was a late touchdown to cut the score to 31-28 with 1:54 left in the fourth quarter, but EMCC recovered the ensuing onside kick and secured its fourth title.
2018: EMCC 10, Garden City CC 9
EMCC capped off its fourth perfect season since 2011 with its fifth national title in eight years, going back-to-back for the second time during that stretch with a 10-9 win over Garden City Community College.
The Lions held Garden City to under 190 yards of total offense, forcing four turnovers, including two interceptions and two fumbles. One of those turnovers accounted for the Lions’ lone touchdown of the game, an 11-yard fumble recovery touchdown from Everitt Cunningham in the second quarter.
EMCC’s defense recorded nine tackles for loss and limited quarterback David Moore to 16 passing yards, a 20 percent completion rate, and two INTs, and he finished with four yards of total offense in the loss.
The Lions led 10-0 into the half and despite Garden City making a second-half comeback, a two-point conversion stop with 7:46 left made the difference on the scoreboard. EMCC caused turnovers on the Broncbusters’ final two drives of the game, securing a fifth title.
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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 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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