BOONEVILLE — The three national championship football teams at East Mississippi Community College had the knack for beating an opponent in a number of ways.
On Thursday, No. 2 EMCC looked like one of those throwback teams in a 59-0 victory against Northeast Mississippi C.C. at Tiger Stadium.
EMCC ran for five touchdowns, threw for one, and picked up two on special teams — a blocked punt return and a punt return. A holding call just short of the goal line nullified a second punt return score.
“Elite teams win that way,” EMCC coach Buddy Stephen said. “I think this is an elite team. We have to keep working hard. We have a long way to go. But already this was the type of effort that an elite team has. You have to be able to do it all to become elite.”
The two biggest offseason additions were LSU transfers Lindsey Scott Jr. and Texas A&M/Oregon transfer Kirk Merritt at wide receiver.
Scott has completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 882 yards and six touchdowns. Both interceptions came in the season opener.
Merritt had a 57-yard punt return touchdown early Thursday. D.J. Clayton had a potential 65-yard return brought back to the Northeast 14-yard line because of a hold.
The other EMCC special teams score came when Brandon Boykin blocked a punt and Brandon Rodgers took the recovery 20 yards for a touchdown.
Tough day
The news wasn’t all good for EMCC.
Earlier in the day, former players Isaiah Wright and Camion Patrick were taken into custody and charged in connection with a fatal stabbing in Alcoa, Tennessee.
Patrick and Wright are among four men charged in connection with the death of Caleb Radford on July 25. Radford, 18, was found stabbed multiple times on a street in Louisville, Tennessee. On Aug. 3, Alcoa (Tennessee) police announced the arrests of Keshawn Hopewell, 21, and Itiq Green, 28.
Wright, 20, was arrested Wednesday by Harriman (Tennessee) police. Indiana University police arrested Patrick, 22, on Wednesday in Bloomington, Indiana. Wright is being held at the Blount County Justice Center in Maryville, Tennessee.
IU police arrested Patrick on Wednesday. He is being held at the Monroe County Correctional Center in Bloomington, Indiana. There is no information yet on an extradition hearing or date.
Patrick and Wright are brothers. Wright finished his two-year EMCC playing career this past season. He was one of the featured players in the second installment of the Netflix series “Last Chance U” series that documented the EMCC football program’s 2016 season.
Patrick played wide receiver and running back at Indiana but dealt with multiple injuries. On July 20, he was granted a medical hardship waiver that ended his career, but he was allowed to remain on scholarship. The school suspended him Wednesday following his arrest.
Wright, a running back, earned a scholarship offer from Auburn. Wright signed with West Georgia but withdrew before playing for the team.
Wright and Patrick both talked about the challenges they faced as children in foster care, as their mother had left them and their father was in prison.
Stephens declined comment on the subject after the game Thursday.
This and that
EMCC moved to 52-3 in Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) North Division games under Stephens. The Lions have won 25-straight division games, including seven straight in the series against Northeast Mississippi C.C.
Sophomore running back Tyrell Price ran for a team-high 80 yards and two touchdowns. The former Lafayette County standout has seven touchdowns this season. Vijay Miller led the team in rushing scores with nine last season.
Defensive linemen Lorenzo Dantzler (knee) and Maleke Bell (jaw) missed the game. Dantzler has missed the last two games, while Bell hasn’t played this season after an injury in training camp.
Stephens hopes to have the former Starkville High standouts back for the next game against Itawamba C.C. on Thursday.
ESPN reports were included in this story.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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