Published: November 08, 2009 11:02 pm      

Kings of the State

Late interception seals MACJC title in offensive shootout

SCOOBA — After 146 points and 1,192 yards of offense, Saturday's MACJC state championship came down to defense.

With host No. 7 East Mississippi Community College clinging to a 75-71 lead with less than a minute remaining at Sullivan-Windham Field, Lions safety Anthony Hines intercepted No. 3 Mississippi Gulf Coast quarterback Greg Jenkins' pass at the goal line to seal the win and EMCC's first state crown.

"After I had dropped my first one, I said if I got another chance I was going to catch it," Hines said. "I just looked it all the way in."

It was one of few defensive gems as the two teams traded scores for the final 35 minutes of a game that featured just three punts and had 42 total penalties called for 330 yards. The 10-1 Lions, who racked up 602 yards, turned the ball over twice as NJCAA Region 23 MVP Randall Mackey was intercepted on the third play of the second quarter when Gulf Coast safety Bradley Jacobs hauled in his sailing throw and returned it 55 yards to give the two-time defending state champion Bulldogs (9-2) their first lead at 19-14. EMCC also lost a fumble in the first half.

Despite the early miscues, EMCC regained the lead before the half as Mackey — who threw for 470 yards and seven touchdowns — connected with Marcus McQuarley from 47 yards out, Lance Lewis from 31 yards and Stephon Johnson from 43 yards.

Still, EMCC couldn't put Gulf Coast away.

Behind sophomore running back Vick Ballard — the NJCAA's top rusher — and wide receiver Kevin Bolden, the Bulldogs answered blow for blow.

Ballard, who rushed for 192 yards and four scores on 33 carries, upping his season total to 1,662 and 22 touchdowns, did most of his damage in the second half when he churned out 133 yards.

What Ballard wasn't gaining, Bolden was. The sophomore hauled in eight passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns, including a 19-yarder that gave Gulf Coast the lead back at 71-68 with 2:48 remaining.

Mackey, though, drove the Lions right back. Completing 31 of his 42 attempts on the day, while also rushing for 120 yards, the preseason All-American used four plays and 1:02 to drive EMCC 61 yards for the game-winning score, hooking up with Lewis on a 33-yard scoring strike.

"All I have to do is throw it somewhere close to him and let the superstar go make a play," Mackey said.

And Lewis did make plays. Entering with 11 touchdowns on 38 receptions, the sophomore grabbed nine passes for 138 yards and four scores in the win, most with a Gulf Coast defender draped on him.

"He's superman," EMCC coach Buddy Stephens said. "He's superman with No. 4 on his chest. He's superman.

"But we have several supermen. We have a No. 4 superman and a No. 1 superman."

Stephens' other superman — Mackey — started strong as he completed seven of his first eight passes and the Lions jumped out to a 14-0 lead. Following Gulf Coast's first score — a 31-yard pass from Jenkins to Joe Burnett — the Bulldogs stole momentum by recovering an onsides kick on the ensuing kickoff. Four plays later, Bolden hauled in the first of his touchdowns and Gulf Coast was back in it.

The Bulldogs then took the lead on Jacobs' interception return. From that point on, though, Mackey and the Lions offense clicked. The 6-foot, 185-pounder completed 23 of his next 28 passes — including all seven of his touchdowns — and EMCC scored on eight of its final 11 possessions and added a 97-yard kickoof return for a touchdown by British Footman.

"We knew from the first drive that they couldn't stop us," Lewis said. "That first game, we weren't clicking yet. But, now that we're in a rhythm they couldn't stop us."

Added Mackey: "Last time the field was wet and sloppy. Before the game I told (Bolden) that if the field was dry I was going to go off and he was going to go off. We were just going to duel. I'm just glad we came out on top."

Hines made sure of it. And on a day when everything seemed to go Mackey's way, Hines made his last call prophetic.

"When Gulf Coast started driving, I yelled to Anthony that all he had to do was get us one turnover, one pick and we've got it," Mackey said. "Two passes later, he went and got it."

Stephens added, laughing: "I'm taking him with me to the casinos.

"He made a great break on the ball."