SCOOBA — Three scores within two minutes fueled a 35-point second quarter Thursday night as the 11th-ranked East Mississippi Community College football team rolled to a 49-7 victory over Holmes at Sullivan-Wnidham Field.
The Lions held an opponent to one score for the fourth consecutive game and have outscored the opposition 186-24 in racing to a 4-0 start. Seven players scored one touchdown apiece against Holmes.
Jamari Jones completed 17 of 28 passes for 212 yards and four touchdowns for the Lions while also leading the rushing attack with 91 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.
EMCC also scored a defensive touchdown when Trey Laing forced a fumble on a sack of Holmes quarterback Jordan Willis that was scooped up and returned 4 yards for a score by Drew Tuazama to give the Lions a 28-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
Seconds later it was 35-0, as Ray Lias recovered a muffed kickoff return to give EMCC the ball at the Holmes 28. On the next play, Jones faked a handoff to Zias Perryman and dashed untouched into the end zone with 7:34 remaining in the first half.
The Lions reached the MACCC’s 38-point, mercy-rule margin during their final possession of the first half. After Kel Williams recovered a fumbled pitch, Jones found Jontarius Henderson for a 13-yard scoring strike that capped a six-play, 46-yard drive and pushed the lead to 42-0 at the half.
Ten players caught passes for the balanced Lions offense, with Zach Patterson leading in yards with 50, including a 46-yard touchdown, and Joshua Aka and Jontarious Henderson leading in catches with five apiece.
Laing led the Lions in solo tackles with four, while Lee Kpogba was in on eight tackles overall. Jeremy Mack Jr. made the game’s only interception, and Laing and Brandon Lairy each recorded a sack. The Lions forced five turnovers while committing none and did not allow a sack.
The Lions (4-0, 2-0 MACCC) next will head to Senatobia to take on No. 14 Northwest Mississippi at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Rangers (3-1, 2-0 MACCC), who have scored 96 points in their past two games, have lost only to No. 9 Jones.
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