Warriors feast on homecoming
By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
October 5, 2003
DECATUR East Central Community College head coach Terry Underwood may have to put his football team on a diet the way Copiah-Lincoln Community College kept feeding the Warriors turnovers Saturday afternoon.
ECCC took advantage of five Co-Lin miscues to claim a 42-19 MACJC South Division homecoming win over the Wolves. In snapping a three-game losing streak, the Warriors improved to 1-2 in the division and 2-3 overall. Co-Lin fell to 1-2 and 2-3.
Co-Lin took a 7-0 lead with 11:06 left in the first quarter on a 5-yard pass from Ty Smith to Billy Williams in the back of the end zone. Thomas Garland kicked the extra point. A 39-yard pass from Smith to Leon Stewart to the 5 set up the score.
Two possessions later, the Wolves' Jonathan McLaurin attempted an end around pass that ECCC's Leron Yarbrough picked off and returned 39 yards to the 11. Four plays later, Kenshay Hunter scored from a yard out. Mitch Myers' PAT tied the game at 7-7.
The Warriors had to punt on their next possession, but took over at the Co-Lin 20 when the ball hit Co-Lin's Howard Overby and Lee Fairchilds recovered. On fourth-and-one just outside the 10, Hunter raced up the middle to put the Warriors up 14-7 following Myers' kick.
Aided by a 58-yard toss from Johnathan Little to Williams, the Wolves drew to within 14-13 with 2:08 left in the first half on a 1-yard run by Corey Rhodes. Yarbrough blocked Garland's PAT as ECCC carried a one-point lead into the break.
The Wolves reclaimed the lead at 19-14 with 10:02 showing in the third quarter when Smith found Johnathan Walker between five Warriors and the Co-Lin receiver scored untouched on the 39-yard play. A two-point pass was incomplete.
It was feeding time again for the Warriors when Whitney Wilkins muffed a diving attempt to catch a punt and ECCC recovered at the Co-Lin 18. Four plays later, Warrior quarterback Terrell Robinson bootlegged around right end as ECCC went up 21-19 with 6:35 remaining in the third period.
Three plays later, the Warriors had another feeding frenzy as Tommy Searight picked off a Smith pass and returned it 15 yards to the Co-Lin 28. Three plays after the pick, Robinson hit Bobby Lindsey, who juked past Damien Gary at the 10 and continued into the end zone for a 28-19 lead with 3:04 to go in the third quarter.
The Warriors covered 63 yards to go up 35-19 with 12:48 left in the game. Speedy Titus Ryan outran the Wolves around left end for a 28-yard score.
The Wolves fed the Warriors for the last time when a high snap resulted in a 17-yard punt by Garland. Starting at the Co-Lin 45, it took seven plays for ECCC to go up 42-19 on a 1-yard plunge by Darryl Mapp with 6:14 remaining. Robinson teamed with a wide open Cameron Tawater for an 18-yard gain on the preceding play.
Co-Lin had the ball at the ECCC 11 and again at the Warrior 6 following a fumble recovery in the final six minutes only to come away empty both times.
ECCC had 330 total yards with 248 coming on 47 rushes. Germaine Smith had 76 yards on seven carries with 53 coming on one run on ECCC's final possession.
The Wolves had 313 total yards with 301 coming through the air. The Wolves had just 12 yards rushing on 29 attempts. Co-Lin had 12 carries for minus-37 yards in the second half.
