While the East Mississippi Community College football team had to feel dejected Thursday night, spirits had to be lifted slightly Tuesday.
EMCC saw its 28-game Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) North Division win streak snapped with a 61-38 loss to Northwest Mississippi Community College.
The nation’s former top-ranked team walked off the playing surface of Bobby Franklin Field battered and bruised.
The Lions lost to the Rangers for the first time since 2010 and the game was never in any real doubt for the final three quarters.
“You have to move on,” EMCC quarterback Lindsey Scott, Jr. said. “You can’t control as many things as you once did, but you have to do a better job of controlling the things that you can. There is a lot of football left to be played.”
EMCC (6-1, 4-1 division) will be looking to move on Saturday when Coahoma Community College (1-6, 1-4) pays a visit.
Kickoff for Homecoming is set for 2 p.m. at Sullivan-Windham Field in Scooba.
“We were really humbled,” EMCC coach Buddy Stephens said. “That has not happened often here. Now, we regroup and find out what this team is really made of.”
The spirit-lifting Tuesday took place when the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) released its latest national rankings.
EMCC fell from first to seventh. With four more polls still to be released, there is still plenty of time to fight back into the top two for a spot in the national championship game.
The MACJC has four teams ranked in the Top 10 — Hinds Community College (No. 4), Northwest (No. 6), EMCC and Jones County Junior College (No. 10).
EMCC will face Hinds in Raymond in the final game of the regular season. Hinds plays Jones Saturday in Ellisville for the South Division championship.
If Northwest beats Northeast Mississippi Community College next week in Booneville, the four Top 10 teams will be the four playoff participants.
That means EMCC would gain three more games against ranked opponents if it were to play in the state championship game for a second straight season.
EMCC beat Northwest 38-30 to win last season’s state title.
“It’s disheartening but you have to learn from your mistakes and go on,” Scott said. “Every player on the team could find something they could have done better. Once we got behind, the mountain just got too steep.
“Every football teams faces adversity. Now, we find out what we are made of.”
EMCC looks for its 23rd straight win against Coahoma.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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