Published: October 09, 2008 09:13 am      

No. 16 EMCC looks to keep rolling

from school reports

SCOOBA — Looking to maintain their lead atop the MACJC’s North Division football standings, the 16th-ranked East Mississippi Lions (5-1, 3-0) travel to Booneville to take on Northeast Mississippi (0-6, 0-3) Thursday evening.

Winners of four straight games for the first time in 10 years, the Lions are 5-1 overall and 3-0 in division play after claiming a convincing 47-20 homecoming triumph over Coahoma this past Saturday.

EMCC is off to its best start since opening the 1974 campaign with five consecutive wins en route to posting an 8-2 record.

Assured of their first winning regular season since 1998, the Lions moved up four notches to 16th nationally in this week’s NJCAA/JC Football.com Top 20 poll.

Headlined by freshman quarterback Randall Mackey — the nation’s statistical leader in passing yards (268.7 yards per game) and total offense (318 yds/gm) — East Mississippi ranks No. 1 nationally in passing offense (288.7 yards per game) and second in total offense (463.2 yds/gm).

Defensively, the Lions stand seventh among the NJCAA team leaders in passing defense, limiting opponents to 117 passing yards an outing on the year.

Individually, EMCC boasts four players ranked among the top 13 MACJC statistical leaders in receiving yards per game.

Mike Outlaw leads the Lions with 27 catches on the year for an average of 61.5 receiving yards per contest, followed by Montrez Mosley of Meridian with 24 grabs for 360 yards (60 yds/gm). Leon Berry and Wayne Bonner have hauled in 21 and 18 passes, respectively, for 292 and 359 yards.

Bonner tops EMCC’s receiving corps with five touchdown catches and in yards per reception (19.9).

Freshman Phillip Dimino stands second among the league’s top scoring kickers with 30 points on three field goals and 21 successful PATs, while running back Pat Shed — also a freshman — is third in scoring by non-kickers with nine total touchdowns (8 rushing & 1 receiving) for the season.

Guided by head coach Ricky Smither, Northeast Mississippi is still looking for its first victory of the season. Having most recently dropped a 38-7 decision to East Central Community College last week, the Tigers are 0-6 overall and 0-3 in North Division play.

East Mississippi has prevailed in the last two series meetings with Northeast Mississippi, winning a 31-27 in Scooba last year and winning in Booneville, 25-8, the previous season.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. tonight.